Movement Directors in Contemporary Theatre: Conversations on Craft

Description

'When directors understand the value of a movement director they remove any sense of hierarchy within the room and place movement directors firmly by their side for they are and should be their co-pilot, navigating and creating the world of the play.' - Joan Iyiola Movement directors work with the physical, living bodies at the heart of theatre productions, creating movement languages with actors and directors. Through a series of in-depth interviews with leading theatre practitioners, Ayse Tashkiran charts the growth of the movement director in contemporary theatre. The voices of Jane Gibson, Sue Lefton, Kate Flatt, Toby Sedgwick, Sian Williams, Struan Leslie, Ellen Kane, Peter Darling, Steven Hoggett, Ann Yee, Imogen Knight and Shelley Maxwell explore processes of creativity, collaboration and innovation for the moving body in performance. The conversations open up: Growth of movement direction through the 20th century New insights into embodied theatre practice Diverse movement approaches and creative preparation Physical trainings and influences Working methods with directors and actors in the rehearsal room Movement for actors in opera, film, television and musical theatre Relationships between movement direction and theatre choreography Potential future developments in the field

Ayse Tashkiran is a Senior Lecturer and Co-Course Leader MA/MFA Movement: Directing and Teaching at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is the recipient of a Society for Theatre Research award for her research into the history of movement direction. She practises as a movement director for a variety of professional theatre productions and companies including the Young Vic, the RSC and WNO max.

Tashkiran has collected interviews with fellow movement directors for years. She is a great interviewer and a careful listener, instinctively taking a back seat and giving space and time to her interviewee, only intercepting to dig a little deeper or tease out more clarification ... [the book] brims with different personalities, unfinished thoughts and stream-of-consciousness monologues - the struggles of people who habitually work with bodies to find the right word. The book allows us to sneak a peek directly into the rehearsal room and the very practical physical craft that happens there. * Springback Magazine * Opens up discussions on key aspects of the creative process, how to make a name for yourself and what it is truly like to work with bodies of all backgrounds ... Tashkiran's own passion and experiences set out the foundations for this highly informative and insightful book, which is highly recommended for all those who have a desire to choreograph, movement direct or simply have a curiosity for how a production gets moving. * One Magazine *