Before the Words: A Workshop with Jeremy James

Before the Words: A Workshop with Jeremy James presents a rare opportunity to train with an internationally acclaimed theatre artist and long-standing actor
with France’s renowned Théâtre du Soleil. James’ work and teaching have inspired performers, directors, dancers, choreographers, and audiences across five continents.

The objective of the workshop is to build frameworks for improvisation which support research, preparation and character development in a devising and rehearsal process. Based on the laboratory practices of the Théâtre du Soleil and Complicite, the training explores fundamental principles of play which help the performer, director and choreographer conceive, propose and create new work.

Starting with an empty space, structured improvisations build a common language and define a shared sense of time, place, style and form. Physical training, games and musical exercises enhance listening, complicity and interpretive skills, while improvised scenes reveal impulses and habits that can limit the creativity, clarity and expressive potential of the performer and the ensemble.

The training introduces the notion of ‘interior music’ and helps refine the performer’s ability to embody the most subtle details of character and interpretation. Tensions, tics and rhythm are used to communicate the passions, status and intentions of character, rendering their otherwise hidden psychology visible and accessible to the public. Consolidating the imaginative and technical skills of the performer and ensemble enables evocative images and poetic worlds to emerge.

To learn more about this workshop and the enrollment details, please click here.
Registration is $120 for early bird tickets (ends January 13, 2023). General registration (after January 13, 2023) is $160.
Those wishing to enroll will need to email their CV and completed enrollment form to livingthingsworkshop@gmail.com

What’s Next?

2025 Festival Lineup

January 20 – 31, 2025

$

An extraordinary lineup of shows, performances and experiences that inspire, entertain and provoke thought and conversation.

The 9th Annual Living Things International Arts Festival will be a spectacle of live theatre, performance art, dance and music.

Stay tuned for future events!