About this Event
Permission to Act 'Rewrite The Script' is a four-hour participatory theatre workshop grounded in Augusto Boal’s Rainbow of Desires methodology.
We will use applied theatre techniques to first explore the roots of limiting beliefs we hold and pick something out to work on and explore how it feels to be free of it.
Its about the reflexes and internal voices that tell us:
“I can’t do this.”
“We don’t deserve this.”
“I’m not good enough.”
“This isn’t for people like us.”
"They are superior to me"
These voices are not personal or community failings. They are learned and enforced. They come from schooling, work, class, racism, sexism, ableism, policing and other systems and structures used to transmit and reinforce oppression through individuals around us. Over time, they are planted inside us and start policing us from within as if natural. Boal called these voices the “cop in the head.”
This workshop creates space to identify those internal cops, speak back to them, rewrite the script, and rehearse acts of audacity and disobedience together.
No acting experience needed.
What we will do exactly
We will welcome you to a supportive space based on the rodlab model (for those of you who have been) which starts with a welcome cirle and a chance to introduce yourself and then play a warm up game. After we will do a series of techniques from Rainbow of Desires to tease out and understand the issue we want to work with, have a break and then get into groups to make short plays or scenes based on transforming the limitation you are working with. We will end the workshop with a discussion about the issues that came up and debrief.
In the course of doing so, you will have the opportunity to:
- explore what it looks and feels like in the body to be without the limitation (or 'cop in the head').
- examine where those voices come from and what they protect.
- rehearse acts of disobedience and permission in a supportive group.
The facilitators
Paul Formosa and Naresh Kaushal have between them decades of experience in running safe community and workshop spaces. Working together through Rodlab CIC, they have facilitated over 20 applied theatre workshops within the Theatre of the Oppressed tradition.
Feedback
This is the second worksop in the Permission to Act series and the last session in February 2026 garnered fantastic feedback:
"Naresh and Paul create a relaxed, open space that felt comfortable and invited everyone's participation"
" I found that fascinating and was surprised at what showed up for me"
" the group work was well organised and thought provoking."
Who is this for?
This workshop is for people who:
- Want to rehearse asking, speaking, applying, claiming space or being more visible.
- Are interested in Theatre of the Oppressed or Applied theatre.
- Want to understand how personal doubt connects to social power.
What you can expect to leave with
We hope that participants can leave with:
- greater clarity about the cop in the head linked to self-criticism and limitations.
- a clearer sense of the social roots of private doubt.
- at least one audacious action they want to try.
- shared language and images that support future action.
- Greater understanding and experience of Boals applied theatre methods and application.
This is rehearsal.
We practise choices together so that real-world action feels more possible.
(Pics below from Permission to Act 1 in Feb 2026)
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Vibast Community Centre, 167 Old Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 16.96
