About this Event
Dates: Saturday mornings from 10 October 2026 to 12th December 2026 (NB: No classes on 7th November or 14th November)
Time: 10.00 am - 12.15 pm
Venue: Tayside Deaf Hub, Brown Street, Dundee
Cost: £165.00 (+ Eventbrite fee). Special concessionary rate available for those on a low income for whom cost would be a barrier and Equity members £145 (+ Eventbrite fee)
What happens when you stop worrying about getting it right and instead start creating together?
Acting is a Team Sport is a little different from a traditional acting class. Instead of focusing mainly on individual monologues and duologues, we'll explore what happens when actors work together as an ensemble using voice, movement, imagination and play to create stories and performances as a team.
You'll have fun, experiment, take creative risks and develop practical acting skills along the way.
"I love being part of a company and telling a story." Judi Dench
Who is this for? Everyone aged 16+ who loves acting or would like to give it a try.
You don't need any previous acting experience, and you don't need to prepare a monologue or audition to take part.
If you're a complete beginner, this is a supportive, structured place to discover what acting is all about without feeling that you have to "perform" straight away.
If you've acted before, this is an opportunity to develop a different side of your acting: working with an ensemble, responding spontaneously to other performers and exploring voice, movement and physicality in new ways.
Whether you're completely new to acting, have been coming to The Acting Lab for years, or are somewhere in between, there will be plenty to challenge and inspire you.
What will we do?
Each week we'll work with a mixture of voice, movement, games, improvisation, text and group-created material.
We'll work in pairs, small groups and as a whole ensemble. Sometimes we'll start with a simple exercise or game and see where it takes us; sometimes we'll work with text or a specific professional acting technique.
The aim is to bring together voice, body and imagination, helping you become more physically and vocally expressive, spontaneous and connected to the people you're performing with.
You'll explore:
- Nurturing your spontaneous, playful side
- Getting you "out of your head" and into your body
- Physical skills you can use to inhabit any character
- Developing your voice skills for acting — and for life
- The pleasure and power of successful group work
- A range of collaborative theatre skills
- Taking more creative risks in a safe, supportive and structured environment
- Finding greater depth, pleasure and freedom in your acting
It's serious acting training - but it doesn't feel like hard work!
The workshops are playful and energetic, but underneath the games is a structured approach to actor training.
We'll explore voice, story, emotion, rhythm and movement, developing both your individual skills and your ability to work creatively with others.
The work will draw inspiration from renowned theatre practitioners and approaches including Cicely Berry, Viola Spolin, Augusto Boal, Jacques Lecoq, Complicité and Viewpoints.
You don't need to know anything about these techniques beforehand. You'll learn by doing.
What people say about The Acting Lab
"I knew nobody at the classes but quickly felt at home among a great group. Very highly recommended: For confidence, for communication, for fun, for anything!" (Rupert Williams)
"Elaine positively radiates good energy, and creates an atmosphere where every single person feels valued." (Gordon J Millar)
"A fun and enjoyable class with serious depth." (Ed Broughton)
"I always leave a session overflowing with confidence and creative ideas." (Annabelle Miller)
Your Tutor: Elaine Newton is an experienced actor, director and teacher who graduated from RSAMD in Glasgow (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).
She trained in film acting in Los Angeles and at the Bilingual Acting Workshop in Paris, using American models for naturalistic acting. She has also trained in London, Paris, Rotterdam and Glasgow with renowned practitioners including Mike Alfreds, Scott Williams, Amy Werba, Nadine George and Jo Estill.
Elaine trained in improvisation with the world-renowned Second City Improv Chicago, Free Association in London and The Improfessionals in Paris.
After teaching acting, voice and movement in Paris and Strasbourg, she established The Acting Lab in her hometown of Dundee 11 years ago - a space for innovative actor training.
Her international training and teaching experience give her a broad knowledge base and a wealth of practical techniques to help students build confidence, creativity and acting skills in a supportive environment.
As well as acting courses, Elaine runs improv courses and Speaking with Confidence workshops. She also offers 1:1 coaching for acting and public speaking, in person or on Zoom.
Contact the organiser with any questions:
Event venue & nearby stays
Tayside Deaf Hub, 23 Brown Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
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