Acting for Adults

with Alan Palmer

The Course will cover basic acting techniques in order to help enable the student to gain confidence and ability as a performer.

Monday

6:00 - 7:30pm (Beginner)
7:30 - 9:00pm Level 2

Whether the student is an accomplished amateur actor, total beginner, on their way to a career in the entertainment industry, or simply wishing to try something different; the short classes allow the participants to develop and experience some of the disciplines that are required by the contemporary stage-actor. These include improvisation as a tool for the imagination; work on truth and spontaneity in performance, voice, dialect and monologue and audition technique where applicable.

Where the timetable allows: regular participants are encouraged to perform in two short excerpts of an established play to enable them to bring their techniques into focus. This informal performance takes place in the WPAC theatre, as part of a general showing of work by evening students on dance and other part-time WPAC courses.

Alan trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, he has an MA in performing arts from Charles Sturt University in NSW. Alan has worked for more than 25 years as an actor on stage, screen and TV mainly in the UK but has appeared in several episodes of Shortland Street and Xena Warrior Princess in NZ. His Theatre work in NZ includes playing “Colin” in Middle Age Spread directed by Stuart Devinie. He is a former director of Forum North & founding director of Northland Youth Theatre. He has chaired The Arts Promotion Trust Northland. He was a tutor in acting technique and eventually Programme Manager for the Arts at Northland Polytechnic until April 2002. He moved to Wellington with his family in April this year. Alan recently directed the year 1 full-time students at WPAC in a production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”