October 2, 2011

In association with Creative New Zealand, The Actors Laboratory is excited to announce the third and final workshop of our Discovery Series: Live-Action with Miranda Harcourt. 

Referencing Much Ado About Nothing, Collected Stories, Romeo and Juliet, Look Back in Anger, The Seagull and Double Beat, all of which she has directed at Downstage or Auckland Theatre Company, Miranda will apply the successful techniques and approaches that have won awards and acclaim for actors in her productions. Playing with techniques and examples from verbatim text to Shakespeare, from cooking shows to Deaf sign language you will experience new ways of thinking about your own work. 

Saturday and Sunday 15th and 16th October 10am – 5pm
TAPAC – 100 Motions Road, Western Springs $220 inc gst 

Reply to Sam or Rachel at ak.actors.lab@gmail.com if you are interested. We are happy to discuss payment plans if money is tight! 

Feel free to forward this email to any interested parties, a word document is attached if you wish to print and display in your local theatre/casting studio. 

Miranda has most recently been seen in TV1’s Tangiwai and Rage on screen and in Biography of My Skin on stage. She works internationally as an acting coach and was Head of Acting at Toi Whakaari – NZ Drama School for 7 years. 

Miranda’s skills as an actress and coach place her at the top of her field. The work she does is unique anywhere in the world. 
– Peter Jackson (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lovely Bones, Heavenly Creatures) 

For me it is wonderful to have a coach who is sensitive to my way of working and can help the actor rehearse without making her stale. That way I can do all the director-type stuff and know the child is as well-prepared, better probably, than if I was helping her myself. Miranda is great. – Jane Campion (Bright Star, The Piano)

Miranda was absolutely invaluable during my audition for Heavenly Creatures. In the course of just a few hours she managed to help me give a performance that would convince Peter and Fran to trust me with such a difficult role. She taught me about screen acting and gave me techniques that not only could my 15-year old self easily understand and put into practice, but that I am still using in my work today. She helped me bring the intensity and emotion out of myself that the role required in a way that didn’t damage me emotionally – she had a great understanding of what I was mature enough to handle, and pushed me without ever being scary or pushy, just supportive and encouraging. 
– Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures, Two and a Half Men, Up in the Air) 

www.theactorslaboratory.co.nz / Facebook The Actors Laboratory / Twitter – @actorslab