About Sean Croft
Sean is one of the most imaginative director I've seen in London. As an actor he also has astonishing skills and endless energy. He graduated from École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq. And before that he already finished intensive 3 year training in stage combat and acting in East 15. Now he regularly teaches Lecoq technics in different schools in London, and has been working as a director, fight director, choreographer, actor for years.
As a theatre maker, Sean's worked in many different styles. From new writing, devised theatre, to innovative revival of classic texts; from puppetry, mask to greek tragedy, it seems there's no boundary for this creative. He can use every theatrical devise with such ease and imagination. As a theatre teacher, you find it hard to not be affected by his playfulness as well as his humbleness. He always take you to the next level, out of your comfort zone without you even realise it. Whether it's listening to him talking about theatre or watching him making examples performing, you'll be touched by a sense of poetry, humbleness and clarity.
This year in August-September, 「Parallel Universe Studio」invites Sean to offer in depth Lecoq training in Guanghzou, Beijing and Shanghai. the focus will be 'Play without words' and 'Mask'. There's only a few days left for the early bird price for these courses, after that teaming up with other students will still secure the same price. For more details you can jump to the end of this article.
Bellow is Sean's words on 'Play without words' as well as Lecoq pedagogy.
As adults, we very often forget the childlike world in which performance originates from, for example you don’t go to see a staged spoken reading of something… you go to see a PLAY. It’s this which will be the focus and is the paramount fundamental pillar of Lecoq training. Play. Without this, any and all other steps in Lecoq are great to learn but you’ll never master.
In this subject you encapsulate all of life itself, with enough time you explore every opportunity of the human experience. Starting with humour and finishing with more difficult emotions.
It lets us see that ANYTHING can become theatre and that the world and it’s inhabitants move it, and we can be moved by them also. For me, with this course, you learn the language of Lecoq in its entirety and that’s why I adore teaching it and seeing others start to find that however far they go in growth.
I find that students tend to want to rush ahead and leap into more advanced stuff overall, without remembering what's most important. We also tend to forget to be curious and open in our working and we think very laterally with our heads, as adults do.
Play without Words asks you to see the world differently, like a child and with more vibrancy. We tend to assume things, expect things and often dismiss the most magic aspects of the world we live in and how we exist in it. We are literally on a rock floating in space held by gravity in a universe that is ever expanding… and yet we forget that and hundreds and thousands of other things about human life and interaction.
It’s the observation of life and interaction, movement and flow. It’s recognizing these aspects and then discovering how to translate this into a theatrical language that communicates to the audience without speech.
Quite typically performers, directors and all creatives rely on speech to do the work of a show, we feel this is the quickest and easiest way to connect to other humans. And more often than not, it is, if you speak the same language. When there isn’t any common spoken language, and you can’t use your voice/speech, we rely on gestures, body movements, actions and physical expression. When you start to really focus on this area of communication as performance, you begin to really unlock something that is more unifying, heartfelt, and expressive than any word can be. It lets you in on all the micro engagements and interactions our bodies can have to communicate to one another and express to others. And what this enables you as a performer is to be more eloquent, precise and clear, present and alive on stage.
It reminds me of the fact that the Lecoq school is an international school, there’s no expectation to be fluent in French before you go. (its useful and advised) but something magic happens when you’re at the school, without understanding the same vocal language: because you’re all learning the same physical language, you become able to communicate a lot more stronger together; you connect with movement as your language; you observe everything in more detail of expression; and you then understand how you, can use that to your creativity and work. How a look in a performance can create just the right emotion you want, how a held breath can create suspense without anything else and how the space itself is used, speaks. No words can convey the emotions we see and experience, it all begins with body and it’s the body that moves.
Going to Lecoq was THE absolute turning point in my craft, skills and career today. It asks you to see the world differently with different eyes and with more vibrancy overall.
The Lecoq School takes you back to the beginning. It’s like you’re a baby again in a way and you re-learn everything you did as a child, but now as an adult and through the language of movement and performance. It gives you a sense of movement and space and body language that is at such a high level of sensitivity. I myself know it like a language and can just change things and create more resounding/dynamic/emotional theatre work.
Unlike my other training which was very much about giving me a set of skills and hoping you then get to use them at some distant point in your career where you might, might not get a chance, an audition or an opportunity… if you’re lucky! Lecoq gave me everything i needed, to create not only work as a performer but to make theatre itself, anywhere without any doubt.
It gave me the theatrical taste and understanding of what style of theatre i enjoy and want to make more of and what I don't.
It gives me the opportunity to create and make work anywhere, to teach anyone anywhere, because words and processing aren’t the key launching points. The body and presence is and with that you can take yourself anywhere and find a way of creating something, if you wanted to.
It’s enabled me to understand there aren't any limitations to theatre making and it is always best to establish something theatrically with less, before adding in more. Why use a costume if you can create it with your body convincingly enough? Why spend a lot of money on creating an expensive set when you can create it with your body? And in doing so, you keep the audience excited much more than with the set.
Learning these foundational aspects of theatre making, will ALWAYS make you a better performer. I have students in the UK who come back every year to do the exact same course with me, and each year they discover more, grow more, accomplish more and become more free and open. Lecoq techniques aren’t something you can tick off and do quickly, it’s about changing your mindset, your observation and your skills. It’s about muscularity and physicality which requires your body to, over time, shift and grow and adapt.
The outcome of this course isn’t to complete it and make a show, it will however give you the imagination, inspiration, the starting blocks and openness to do so. I hope it’ll change how you see theatre making entirely, and where with that refocusing your ideas can take you.
No memorable show is made quickly, it’s with curiosity, playfulness and development of skills. Explore the skills and play and then the work will come to you without force or urgency. And because of this, it will be more profound to you and the audience.
For more details about the courses of Sean, please click on the links below:
Play with out Words
Full Face Mask
For those who are interested in knowing more about this lovely teacher and getting a closer look into the creative world of Lecoq, we will be hosting an online interview with Sean on the 3rd of July from 19:30 to 21:00, please click on the following link for more details and join event wechat group:
Mark us 🌟 for the latest course information！
这里是戏剧的平行宇宙，欢迎大家来一起玩耍！
我们致力于为大家带来有质量的戏剧课和戏剧分享，老师严格选拔，课程精心设计，Haylin也会在忙碌之余分享她在国内外戏剧创作学习之路的点点滴滴。
我们相信戏剧和游戏一样是人的天性，玩耍和快乐是好的戏剧实践和作品的必要元素。我们倡导公平人道的戏剧工作文化。也相信戏剧能让这个世界变得更好，是一件有无限意义的事情。
请大家点击“在看”，把这里物美价廉的课程转发给同样对戏剧充满好奇的朋友们吧！
记得标星🌟我们，不错过每一次难得的课程和戏剧体验～
