I trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama from 1984 -87. I was lucky enough to get an agent at the beginning of the last year and left early to take a supporting role in the BBC film; The Most Dangerous Man In The World directed by Gavin Millar.

I worked steadily for the next four years in film, television and theatre.

It was on the set of Come Home Charlie and Face Them (a TV mini series in which I played the title role) that I was lucky enough to meet Jon Soresi, a fully trained, dedicated student of Sanford Meisner.

In spite of my success as an actor I had always doubted myself and repeatedly (and fruitlessly) sought out acting teachers in the hope of finding some real understanding of the craft. Jon began to demonstrate and explain some of the Meisner exercises and played me tapes of ‘Sandy’ teaching. Further to that Jon was an extraordinary actor, capable of drawing a performance out of YOU.

I decided that I needed to train with Sanford Meisner and wrote him what he referred to as an ‘essay’ on why he should take me on.

In spite of  Sandy’s prejudice against English actors (hopelessly sexually and emotionally repressed, according to Sandy) he took me on and I began a series of life changing study periods in Los Angeles which went on until a year before his death in 1997.

I also set up an acting studio called the London Group Theatre where I began to teach what I was learning from Sandy to other actors. Simon Furness (who now teaches at the Actors’ Temple) and the late Jean Fennel (who taught Gary Condes – also a teacher at the Actors’ Temple) were founder members,  fine actors and great teachers.

In 1997, the year that Sandy died, I quit acting and began a process of retraining which culminated in me working for Lewisham Council as an outreach worker for people with mental health problems.

Eventually I returned to teaching when Mark Wakeling and Ellie Zeegan asked me to teach at the Actors’ Temple.

All the teachers at the Actors’ Temple have studied with me and are accomplished practitioners of the Meisner Technique.

Over the last 10 years the Actors’ Temple have used the Meisner technique as an acting method, a teaching and directing tool and even as a way of devising and scripting theatre and films.

Recently I have begun to branch out into directing, writing and acting again.

Last year I played the lead in ‘Luck’, a feature film shot entirely on the streets of London. The year before I directed Hamlet. This year I have been writing a film script and co-directing a TV pilot with Mark Wakeling.

I want to help actors develop into independent artists who write, direct AND act.

I am pleased and proud to work alongside my students and colleagues at the Actors’ Temple and I hope we can continue to develop the work of Sanford Meisner in a spirit of sincerity and joy.

 

MY COURSES

 

Introduction five day course.

This is a basic introduction to the Meisner Technique as I teach it. It is suitable for all levels of experience and is the gateway to my Lab classes.

The course runs Monday to Friday. The classes are four hours long and cover basic theory, repetition exercises and emotional fullness.

 

 

LAB

These are ongoing bi-weekly classes where actors can explore any aspect of the craft with me.  It can cover;

Exercises.

Scene analysis.

Scene work.

Monologue work.

Character work.

Play rehearsal.

Script writing.

Audition technique.

 

Lab is open to anyone who has done a previous course at the AT.