Workshop: The Actor and the Space (led by Owen Horsley)

In this practical workshop, Cheek By Jowl Associate Owen Horsley will guide participants through the core ideas of Declan Donnellan’s acclaimed book The Actor and the Space. Through hands-on work with selected scenes, we’ll investigate Donnellan’s key concepts - including the predicament, the thresholds, and the character’s dread - with a special focus on how the space itself can inspire and energize our acting choices.

As with all of Donnellan’s methods, this is not a traditional “how-to” class. Instead, it offers a series of practical exercises designed to help actors move beyond blocks, rediscover creative freedom, and find fresh inspiration from the world outside themselves. Participants will explore how external stimuli can deepen their connection to character, text, and the play’s inner life.

No prior knowledge of the book is required — just curiosity and a willingness to explore.

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Praise for The Actor and the Space:

‘A hand grenade of a book. It contains all the humility and chutzpah you need to work in the theatre’ Cate Blanchett

‘This is an essential text for the actor, supremely useful, practical, elegant and profound’ Matthew Macfadyen