Chris Meads

Very early within any student-centred rehearsal process I’ll organise the learners into small groups and I’ll offer them some time to share with one another the favourite theatre games that they’ve encountered. Their task is to play each game together, choose their favourite game, give it a name, and bring it back to the ensemble. We’ll then add all of the games that we’ve curated into a metaphorical ‘bag of games’ that is bespoke to this particular project group. Should we get tired at any time in the rehearsal day, or need a boost of energy, or feel that an injection of spirit would be helpful, we’ll simply take a lucky dip into our bag of games, and the students who offered the game that we choose will teach us how to play. Curating a ‘bag of games’ helps to cultivate ensemble spirit and I also think it’s important that actors-in-training can enjoy playful collaborative experiences that are unique to the particular group that they are working with.

Although in the very early stages of rehearsal I will lead the ensemble warm-up exercises that we’ll engage in each morning and after our lunch break, after a short time I will begin to invite each member of the ensemble to lead these 15 minute sessions, in the form of their choosing. This approach cultivates group cohesion, mutual respect and a greater sense of ownership of the process.