Lesson diary

In this lesson, we got to know each other through a name-and-movement game. Each of us chose a word beginning with the first letter of our name and created a movement to go with it. My name is Ekaterina, so I chose “electricity” and showed a movement to represent it. We then repeated each other’s movements, using them to help us remember one another.

The exercise connected names, words and physical actions. It was a playful way to introduce ourselves while practising observation and memory. For me, it also highlighted how movement can communicate an idea—a useful skill to carry into character work and performance.

In the first half of the day, we each presented a life map. Rather than listing milestones such as when I was born or got married, I decided to share some of my theatrical mishaps: funny, slightly embarrassing moments from acting training and performing. There have been plenty over the years, so this was only a small selection! I thought these stories would be an interesting way to introduce myself. Everyone shared something different, and the presentations helped us get to know one another.

In the second half, we moved into practical acting work. We played a ball game and explored the space through walking, observation and exercises involving our circle of attention and imagination. We changed partners, worked in groups and created short improvised scenes, including a situation on the Tube. We explored actions and reactions, given circumstances, intentions, the “magic if” and inner monologue—using these ideas to shape how we behaved and responded within a scene.

My strongest realisation was how much I had missed acting and improvisation. I felt completely in my element. I enjoyed being on stage, creating something and responding to the people around me. The day reminded me how deeply I love this work. Returning to these exercises was a chance to reconnect with that part of myself, and I want to carry that enjoyment and willingness to play into the next lessons.

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We began with a warm-up, followed by impulse exercises in pairs. We passed impulses to each other and allowed them to guide our movements. Through contact improvisation, we explored the space and how we could move in relation to another person. I particularly enjoyed “Round, By, Through”, which encouraged us to discover different possibilities of movement around and through the shapes our bodies created. We also used eye contact and elements of physical theatre.

As the lesson progressed, we gradually added new layers to our improvisations. My partner and I were given the emotion of fear, which we explored through changes in expression and movement. We performed under two different pieces of music, with two pairs performing at a time while the others watched and tried to recognise the emotions.

The tango music felt especially powerful to me. It connected so closely with our movements and our emotion that the performance became deeply absorbing. Although we did not speak, I could clearly imagine a story: a struggle between life and death, between the fear of dying and the desire to live, without knowing which would win.

This experience reminded me how much we can communicate through the body, our relationship with a partner and our response to music. It also gave me a way into character work: beginning with a physical response and an emotion, then allowing a story and motivation to emerge.

The biggest challenge was the physical stamina needed for three and a half hours of movement. By the end, I was tired, but it was a satisfying tiredness. I had thoroughly enjoyed performing, and I felt grateful to be doing this work again.

Today, in our devising lesson, we explored the dance side of physical theatre, as our teacher Sarah described it. I really enjoyed the lesson, although I still found it physically challenging. I think that, with time, my body will adapt and moving will become easier.

We worked in pairs. The first exercise reminded me of our previous work with impulses, but this time we moved without physical contact, following our partner’s hand and exploring the space and the possibilities of our own bodies. For me, the hand became a kind of mirror.

One thought from Sarah particularly stayed with me: we do not need to invent a story in advance. First, we should allow the movement to develop and guide us. If a story that an audience can understand emerges naturally from it, that is wonderful. I enjoyed trying to trust the movement and discovering what could come from it.

This was perhaps my first experience of working with physical theatre in this way. Some of my classmates clearly had previous experience, while others, like me, were trying it for the first time. It was inspiring to watch them and explore movement together. Despite the tiredness, I want to keep going and try again.

Today’s lesson began with a warm-up, followed by games for attention and concentration. First, we played the Ball Game with four different layers happening at the same time. We had to stay focused all the time: follow the ball, remember the sequence, move to another person’s place and stay aware of everything happening around us. At first it seemed quite easy, but as we became tired it was much harder to keep our concentration.

I enjoyed the next game, the Wush Game, even more. We passed an impulse and movement to each other: we could send it to the person next to us or across the circle, or reflect it back. At first, many of us were confused by the rules, but once we remembered the movements and words, the game completely changed. It became exciting and competitive in a playful way — everyone wanted it to become faster, louder and more energetic. It was great to watch the whole group gradually become involved.

My favourite part of these lessons, however, is the acting work. For our homework, we had to bring an everyday object and prepare a short piece showing an ordinary routine. I brought a towel and performed my routine after taking a shower. After the first performance, our teacher Blanka gave each of us new given circumstances, and we had to perform the same piece again in a completely different situation.

I found it fascinating to see how much the same simple scene could change when the circumstances changed. Sometimes something very ordinary suddenly became alive and interesting. Some of my classmates’ performances were especially enjoyable to watch. We laughed a lot, and I think the audience’s reaction is very important: if people laugh, feel something or respond emotionally, it means they are already taking part in what is happening on stage.

I really enjoy watching this process — how a simple exercise can gradually turn into real acting.

Today, we explored the connection between breath and movement. We began with a warm-up, moving with our breath and becoming still when it paused. We then tried allowing the breath to lead the body and shape our movements. From this, different shapes and positions gradually emerged at three levels: high, middle and floor level. We explored transitions between them, connecting individual shapes into a sequence.

After that, we divided into groups of three, showed each other our movements and learnt to repeat them and synchronise with one another. One moment was both funny and revealing: a classmate warned us that her movement would be difficult, but we both repeated it quite easily. It reminded me that we should not decide in advance what other people will be able to do. Something that feels difficult to one person may feel quite natural to another.

We then worked with music, changing the dynamics, tempo and rhythm, and experimenting with moving in unison and in canon. I especially enjoyed the canon. Blanka gave us instructions: one person would stop, another would keep moving, and someone else would begin again. It reminded me of singing in canon, when voices enter at different times and become part of one piece. It was fascinating to see how the same principle could work with bodies and movement.

During the sharing, we performed alongside another group and received additional tasks: making eye contact, stopping, continuing to move or coming forward, downstage. The audience noted the moments when we caught their attention and met their gaze. I really enjoyed feeling that people were watching me. We moved for about fifteen to twenty minutes without a break, and I became very tired, but the audience’s attention inspired me and gave me the energy to continue.

Watching the others perform felt like witnessing a little miracle being born on stage. To me, it already looked like a finished piece: I could see characters, relationships between them and a whole story. It was so clear and readable that I wanted to applaud. The movements felt motivated, and everything came together naturally and beautifully. At times, I even had goosebumps. I was particularly struck by how a story that an audience can see and feel can emerge from movement.

At the end, all four groups tried moving at the same time. There was less space, and I noticed that I almost stopped observing the others: all my attention went towards my own movement and finding space among everyone else. This time, there was no audience, and I could no longer watch what was happening as a spectator either. By then, I was exhausted and finding it difficult to keep moving.

Thinking about how to improve this work, I would like to expand my own movement vocabulary and find more interesting and varied ways of moving. For that, I need practice, time and a willingness to experiment. As a group, we would benefit from more rehearsal and greater trust in one another. We are still getting to know each other and becoming familiar with how each person moves and works, so there are moments of uncertainty. I think experience will help us become more aware of one another and work together more easily.

The lesson was exhausting, but it was a joyful kind of tiredness. I like feeling that I am working on myself and understanding why I am making the effort. I want to become stronger, slimmer, quicker and freer in my movement. Despite the tiredness, I left today feeling that I really wanted to keep going.

Today, five groups gave presentations about different theatre companies. Our group presented Complicité, and afterwards we led several practical exercises with our classmates. I really enjoyed speaking in front of the group and leading our practical activities.

I would also like to recognise the other groups’ work. The presentations that stood out most to me were those where people spoke freely about their topic rather than reading from a sheet of paper. I particularly enjoyed Jamie and Benny’s presentation. It was clear that they had both researched the subject thoroughly, understood what they were talking about and complemented each other. Their presentation felt lively and inspiring.

During our presentation, I also tried to speak freely, although I sometimes referred to my notes, as presenting in English is still challenging for me. Despite this, I enjoyed the experience and realised how much I like this kind of work.

I especially enjoyed working as part of a group. At first, I was a little worried about how Aindrea and I would find common ground. We are both mature students with our own experience and views, and I thought we might each want to take the work in a different direction. However, those worries proved unnecessary. We worked well together, and I am pleased with our joint presentation.

Next time, I would like to spend more time preparing and rehearsing what I want to say, so that I can rely less on my notes and, ideally, speak without them altogether. This would help me feel more confident and connect more naturally with the audience.

For me, this was an interesting experience and an opportunity to explore the subject in greater depth. I enjoy researching new things, and learning about different theatre companies has made me want to see their work on stage. I hope I will be able to attend a performance on 26 September.

I left today’s acting lesson with mixed feelings. I enjoyed taking part and watching my classmates, but I am not completely happy with my own work. I had a very bad headache and found it difficult to concentrate. Looking back at the exercises now, I feel there are things I could have done better.

We began with the short scenes we had prepared as homework, using four given lines to create a situation. It was interesting to see how differently everyone approached the task, and I really enjoyed some of the performances.

Next, we worked on intention: what I want and what I want from my partner. Sometimes we knew each other’s intentions, and sometimes we did not. One particularly unusual exercise allowed us to say only “yes” or “no”. My role was to put pressure on my partner and try to intimidate them, while saying only “yes”. It felt strange and quite funny to discover how the same word could take on a different meaning depending on the intention behind it.

After that, we each chose a verb describing an action from an actors’ dictionary. I would like to check the title of the book and the exact word I chose, but I understood the action as “to restrain” or “to stop”, and tried to hold back my partner’s reaction.

We then performed a short scene based on Stanislavski’s six questions, while continuing to work with our intentions: what I am trying to communicate to my partner and what I want from them. Instead of ordinary dialogue, we counted from one to ten, sharing a single sequence between us across the whole scene. Afterwards, the feedback was that our scene felt unfinished: we had not brought it to a clear end. Once we added an ending, I understood what had been missing from our first version. I had to leave the lesson a little early and would have liked more time to work on this. I really love working on these kinds of acting exercises and want to keep exploring them.

Although I am not entirely satisfied with my work today, I am glad this is a learning process where I can try things, make mistakes and recognise what needs to change. I can see what I need to work on, and I want to use that understanding to develop my acting skills.

Today’s movement lesson focused on dynamics. Our main exercise was individual work with a chair. We explored it using different parts of our bodies, varying the pace and quality of our movements, and then developed a short movement piece. First, we shared our ideas in pairs and gave each other feedback. Afterwards, we performed for the whole group and our teachers.

I had a headache and wasn’t feeling very well today, but I still wanted to take part. I enjoy these lessons, particularly discovering new things and working with an object on stage. Of course, I don’t move like a professional dancer, but, as Yana and I joked, we’ll win everyone over with charisma. We just need to find it and put it to use!

What stood out to me was how much the dynamics of a movement can change its meaning and the way it is perceived. Blanka demonstrated how the same touch can communicate very different things depending on how it is performed. The same applies to working with an object: even a small change in speed, force or fluidity can change the energy of a scene and what we communicate to the audience.

This connected with yesterday’s lesson on intention and our discussion of Katie Mitchell’s approach, particularly the detailed exploration of the text, circumstances and characters’ objectives before rehearsals. It is important to understand not only what I am doing, but why. For example, I might move a chair so I can stand on it to reach a vase on top of a cupboard, or push it aside because it is in my way while I am dusting. The action looks similar, but the intention changes its dynamics. If I lean on the chair while lost in thought and it shifts, the movement happens without me intending it. In my future work, I want to explore how understanding the circumstances and my intention can help me discover the dynamics of a movement and give my actions on stage a clear purpose.

Today’s lesson began with an intensive warm-up. Then we moved around the room and explored how the body responds to an impulse. We gently pushed different parts of our own bodies — an arm, head, leg or stomach — and observed the movement that followed. The important thing was not to invent a reaction in advance, but to let it happen naturally. It became a chain: impulse, response, a new action, another response.

After that, we worked in pairs, sitting on two chairs as though we were watching television. We had to keep looking at the same point while taking turns to change each other’s movements. One movement prompted a response from our partner, which in turn created a new impulse. We also experimented with the dynamics, gradually making the movements quicker.

I liked the detail about the television. At first, I imagined I was watching a romantic film at its most dramatic moment. But Sarah explained that the programme should not be too absorbing. We thought about a weather forecast and then decided we were watching a wildlife programme. It helped us share the same activity, even as our movements became more unusual.

I worked with Aindrea, and I felt very comfortable with her. At one point I nearly fell off my chair, but I could feel that she was aware of what was happening and did not give me too strong a push. While we were rehearsing, I thought our work was flowing really well. When we performed it for the others, I felt that we had held back in some places and that some movements had become too small. Perhaps it was nerves in front of an audience, or perhaps we simply needed more rehearsal.

I also enjoyed watching the other pairs. Although the task was not to tell a story, I still saw one in some of their work. To me, some looked like old friends, while others seemed to be just getting to know each other. Some were being silly, and in others I sensed a hint of romance. In a few performances I did not see a story — or perhaps I simply missed it. I like noticing how relationships can emerge through movement, even when no one is trying to portray them.

What I took from this exercise is that movement becomes interesting when you really notice another person’s response and allow it to shape what you do next.

Today’s acting lesson began with a warm-up involving chairs. There was one more chair than there were people. The leader’s task was to sit in the empty chair, while our task as a group was to prevent that for as long as possible. The leader moved at a set pace but sped up whenever they heard a sound. Without speaking, we had to work out who should get up and take the empty seat. Once someone had left their own chair, they could not return to it.

At first, it went badly. We tried blocking the leader and experimented with other ideas, but our tactics were wrong. Gradually, we realised that the best approach was to free a chair as far as possible from the one the leader was heading towards. Someone sitting far from that chair would move into it, so the leader would have to cross the room again. I enjoyed seeing how we began to understand one another without words and act together.

Next, we rehearsed our scenes using the dialogue we had been asked to learn. I particularly enjoyed breaking the text into sections and finding an intention for each one: what do I want from my partner at this point? As we watched the scenes, I caught myself thinking how much I love what we are doing. I love performing, watching others and being inspired by their work.

Elliot and Baykal’s scene, set in an office, stayed with me. I liked watching how they responded to each other and how they used their voices. They did not rely on force throughout: at times they whispered, and they changed their tone and volume. I especially enjoyed their verbal work and the way their voices helped shape the relationship between them.

Adina and Samuel’s scene felt wonderfully alive. They were so free and present in the moment that I stopped thinking of it as a performance. I was simply watching a story unfold. I saw another side of Adina. We had worked on a scene together before, and after the lesson I told him how exciting it was to see how different he could be.

For our next lesson, Yana and I need to explore our given circumstances and intentions more deeply, and add more layers so that what is happening becomes clearer. I want to go through the dialogue carefully again and divide it into sections: where does our mood shift, and where does one tactic fail so that we need to try another? We have already identified several tactics and realised that our characters want completely different things. I think that will help us make the scene more precise next time.

I have recently started reading a book by Katie Mitchell. I really like how closely she works with the text and the material before bringing it to an audience. I want to try applying that approach to our scene and read a little more before the next lesson. Right now, I am genuinely enjoying my time at college.

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Further reflection — 4 October 2026

I am writing this reflection a few days after our acting lesson. I have kept thinking about the scene Yana and I performed, and gradually realised how differently it could be interpreted.

When we began rehearsing, the situation was very clear to us: I had put on Yana’s dress, which was too small for me. I did not want her to find out because I was worried about stretching it and knew she probably would not be pleased. Then I realised I could not take it off — I was stuck. For us, it was a funny situation involving a dress, and we had no other subtext in mind.

We rehearsed several times, but mainly practised the dialogue. It was only a few days after performing that I mentally looked at our scene from the audience’s point of view and realised that it could be understood very differently. In the scene, I took off my dressing gown to reveal that I was wearing Yana’s dress underneath. The meaning of this action seemed obvious to me, but now I understand that this particular action could have suggested another, sexually suggestive subtext that had not even occurred to me during rehearsals.

I feel ashamed and worried about this. It is especially embarrassing because I am already a mature student with experience, yet during rehearsals I did not notice that our scene could be interpreted in this way.

This was an important discovery for me: knowing the situation and rehearsing the text aloud is not enough. We need to rehearse the whole scene — with movement, gestures, pauses and interaction with our partner. We know what we mean, but the audience only sees what we show them. Even a single action can give a scene a meaning we never intended.

But I am glad that this was not the final performance. We still have the chance to make changes: to return to the scene, work through the awkward and embarrassing moments, and communicate more clearly what we wanted to show. I now understand better why rehearsals, feedback and an outside perspective matter. We probably cannot anticipate every audience reaction, but we should think about the different ways our material might be interpreted.

For me, this is also a personal lesson — not to be too proud or assume that my experience allows me to notice and understand everything in advance. I still have things to learn.

In this lesson, we started by dancing in pairs to different music, keeping eye contact all the time. Then we worked with Viewpoints: we moved along a grid, like a chessboard, changed our speed, repeated other people’s movements and explored the distance between us. It was interesting to see how relationships and situations gradually came out of these simple tasks.

I really liked that we interacted with everyone in our group. It felt as if we had known each other for a long time and were now one team. There was a feeling of togetherness, and I felt very comfortable working with everyone.

I felt completely different with different people. I liked how Jamie responded to me: it made me feel more playful and excited, and I kept following him. With Sam, I felt like a guardian angel. With Layla, we had a connection too. With some people, the relationship felt more like friendship, with others like a partnership, and with others like a relationship with a client. It is amazing how one look and that first contact can be enough to feel what kind of relationship is beginning between you.

When we repeated the movements we had found, it felt a little different. The first time, we improvised more, and the body reacted first. The second time, I started thinking because I wanted to repeat what we had done more precisely. My partner sometimes moved away from our sequence, and I tried to bring him back.

This is where I want to explore kinaesthetic response a little more. Although perhaps this is exactly where I do not always need to think. I want to find that balance: when should I make a conscious choice, and when should I let my body respond to my partner on its own?

I am also thinking a lot about freshness. How can a scene still feel alive the second, third, tenth or hundredth time? I want the movement pattern to stay the same, but to keep feeling what is happening and responding to the person next to me each time. I do not want the movement to become automatic just because I already know what comes next. At the moment, I have more questions than answers, but I really want to try this and feel it in practice.

We had a two-hour acting lesson with Blanka. We started with a warm-up and exercises to focus our attention and help us be here and now. The theme of the lesson was presence.

For me, presence means more than simply coming on stage and standing there. My thoughts, feelings and attention need to be there too. We worked on being ourselves and being fully present in what was happening.

I recently reread Stanislavski’s An Actor Prepares. I have also read his My Life in Art. During this lesson, I remembered the state he described as “I am”. For me, this means: I am fully here, now. I exist at the very centre of an imagined life, and it becomes real to me. I live within these circumstances, experience what is happening and let it pass through me. I feel that, with Blanka, we were exploring this principle in practice: how to be on stage with our whole being.

We had a very interesting task: to come on stage from the wings, say hello and leave. It sounds very simple, but I clearly remember my feelings before going on. When I am nervous, my accent becomes stronger, or I start forgetting English words. This time there was very little to say, but I still thought: what if I pronounce something incorrectly?

When I came on stage, I saw that my classmates accepted me. I relaxed a little and felt comfortable. I realised that, in general, I feel comfortable going on stage and performing. If only I did not worry so much about the language! But I hope my English will improve by the end of the year. I am working on it.

The most important part of this exercise was to keep that sense of presence while leaving. You have said hello, but the exercise is still continuing. As you leave the stage, you remain here and now, with your attention and feelings. This is an important thought for me: leaving is just as much a part of the action as entering and greeting people.

I really like the attention exercises where we gradually add several layers and have to keep track of them all at once. In this lesson, they were part of the warm-up, but I also think of them as a good workout for the brain. They keep us alert and make us fully participate in the lesson. If you are daydreaming, you cannot follow everything that is happening or take part in the exercise.

After this lesson, I felt again how important presence is. Being on stage means being there fully, noticing other people and what is happening around you, feeling and responding. And keeping that state throughout the whole action, including your exit.

Today, in our acting lesson with Blanka, we continued working on our scenes. I remembered how much I had worried after our first performance, and I could see how much Yana and I have done since then.

We added a beginning, and for me this was probably the most important change. It gives a clearer reason for what happens next. We do not rush into the dialogue now. First, we take time to exist on stage, within the given circumstances. The audience can see that I have already put on someone else’s dress and am trying to hide it. The action is clearer now, with less room for the unintended interpretations that worried me so much after our first performance.

Working on the scene also feels easier because we know the lines and they have settled. Yana and I agreed on our next task, and Blanka supported us in this: to make the words part of the action, so that what we say and what we do belong together. I want us to live here and now within the given circumstances, with the text becoming a natural part of that life.

While performing our scene today, I remembered Stanislavski’s fourth wall, the imaginary wall between the actors and the audience. I felt it very clearly. It brought back memories of what I had read and of my own experience on stage. I was not interacting directly with the audience. My attention was inside the scene. I was present in the room where the action was happening, here and now.

I also really enjoyed our warm-up, a game with a witch. The witch was guarding our belongings, and we had to get them back. If she saw someone moving, she could freeze them, turning them into a stone. Only two classmates together could rescue that person by taking them beyond the edge of the playing area. One person could not do it alone. But if the witch caught them moving, she could freeze all three.

Unfortunately, we lost, but it was so much fun. Even when I could not move, it was interesting to watch the others trying to get the things back and rescue each other without being caught. There was something childlike about it, something playful and innocent. I think we all got carried away and became completely involved in the game. I love that feeling.

I feel that when we play, we become younger and allow ourselves to be ourselves. We stop pretending and thinking so much about how we look. We let go of the labels society gives us, and the ones we put on ourselves.

In those moments, I do not think, “I need to walk beautifully,” “I should pull my stomach in,” or “I should open my eyes wider so they look more expressive.” I do not think about any of that. I simply enjoy the process, as children do when they play.

It is wonderful to be myself like this. I am simply me, here and now, as I am. Without labels, without stereotypes, without something imposed on me.

Today, in our devising lesson with Sarah, we worked on storytelling, which means telling stories, and on how to communicate a story to a listener.

We started working in pairs almost straight away and told each other a short story from our own lives. We repeated our stories several times, and each time we had to add a new layer.

We added details about the place and time to make the story more specific. Then we added our thoughts: what we were thinking at that moment. We also added our emotions, our reactions and our attitude towards what was happening. We expressed these through our intonation, gestures and facial expressions, and chose words that helped us describe the situation. It was interesting to see how the same story gradually became more alive with each new layer.

At the end, each pair had to choose one of their two stories to show together. We chose Baikal’s story about meeting a cat and a fox yesterday evening. The fox was ready to attack, but the cat was not afraid. It was a brave cat.

I think we showed this story in quite an interesting way. I was not supposed to literally play the cat, but at some moments I partly became the cat. I added comments and reacted to Baikal’s storytelling, which made it feel lively. I really enjoyed this interaction.

I also really liked the story Layla and Samuel showed. Layla told us about something that had happened to her that morning on the Tube. An elderly lady was sitting on one side of her and was very interested in what she was doing. On the other side, a young woman was putting on false eyelashes. Layla was sitting between them, deciding which way to look. It was a funny, comic situation, and it was interesting both to listen to them and to watch them show it.

For me, the main point of the lesson was that we tell a story through more than words. Our eyes, movements, facial expressions and intonation also help us communicate it. It was an interesting experiment. I still cannot always express exactly what I want to say. I am trying, and I understand how important this is for an actor.

At the same time, I would have liked a little more work on voice projection. We developed our stories, but I also wanted to explore how to tell them so that our voices would reach the whole audience. Unfortunately, I could not hear all of my classmates today, and sometimes I missed parts of their stories.

Perhaps voice projection will be our next step, including how to make even a whisper audible in the auditorium. I already know how to project my voice so that it can be heard across the audience, but I would like to explore the British approach to this. I have realised that Russian and British theatre training are quite different, and I am interested in experiencing these differences in practice.

Today we began the lesson by moving through the space and changing direction. We moved sharply, changing direction on a clap. We then added shared impulses to our movement: we had to clap, jump and sit down together. We tried to sense the moment when the group was ready to act and respond to that impulse together.

After this, we moved on to creating a character through their walk. Blanka used Laban Effort to help us explore different movement qualities: a heavy or light step, direct or indirect movement, a quick or slow pace, and bound or free flow. Each quality offered two possibilities, and each of us chose our own combination.

As we continued walking, we answered questions about the character who was emerging: who they were, their name and age, where they lived and worked, what motivated them, what they feared and what they dreamed of. I found it interesting that my body responded first, and thought followed afterwards. The character gradually emerged from a physical impulse, from the walk itself.

My character was Bill, a builder from Texas. He was over fifty, he was lonely, and his greatest fear was losing his job. His colleagues were younger, and he knew that they could work faster. This made him even more anxious. At the same time, he had a big dream: to see the sea and dolphins.

Bill had a heavy walk and direct movements. He also seemed quite a straightforward person to me. His flow was sometimes bound, and his pace varied, although he usually moved slowly. Through his walk, I began to feel his age, his anxiety and his relationship with the world around him.

Then we came to my favourite part of the lesson: animal studies. Blanka asked each of us to choose an animal. At first, I wanted to be a panther. I love its grace, its physical fluidity and the way it moves through space. However, I realised that it would be physically difficult for me to recreate its movements at the moment, so I chose a turtle.

First, I put on socks. Then I had the idea of pulling my T-shirt over my head so that I could peek out and hide again, just as a turtle retreats into its shell when it senses danger. I really enjoy working on studies like this. At the same time, I thought how lucky the people who had chosen a rooster were: they could move on two legs instead of four! Next time, I might try a kangaroo, a monkey or another animal that can move on two legs. I would like to explore different possibilities.

The next stage of the exercise was new to me. We had to gradually transform the animal into a human, beginning with 80 per cent animal and 20 per cent human, then increasing the human proportion and reducing the animal proportion. I had never worked with this kind of transition before.

It was important to carry the animal’s way of looking and noticing its surroundings into the human body. We could communicate this through the position of the head, the gaze and our reactions. Even as I became more human, I continued to feel the turtle’s caution. The sense of danger stayed with me: I was always ready to retreat into my shell. I really enjoyed keeping that state alive and exploring how it could exist in a human body.

I think this work will be useful for our assessment project, which we will be creating in our devising lessons. Today’s exercise gave me a chance to feel how an animal’s movement and behaviour can become the foundation of a character, and I would like to continue exploring this.

Focus, Presence and Preparation for the Assessment

We started today’s lesson with a warm-up designed to develop our concentration, attention and ability to react quickly to what was happening around us.

The exercise involved a series of seemingly meaningless movements and sounds, but everything had to happen in a particular order, maintaining a shared rhythm and tempo.

For example, in the Bunny Bunny game, we passed a signal from one person to another. The person receiving it had to respond with specific words and movements. At the same time, the two people standing on either side of them performed their own movements and said their own words. The rest of the group also maintained the rhythm.

This meant that each of us had three possible situations: receiving the signal ourselves, reacting when our neighbour received it, or participating as part of the wider group. Each situation required a different response.

I liked how the exercise demanded constant concentration. We could not simply stand and observe because the situation could change at any moment. We had to follow what was happening, maintain the rhythm and be ready to react immediately.

It was an excellent warm-up before working on our scene.

Rehearsing “The Secret”

After the warm-up, we started rehearsing our scene, The Secret, which we will perform for tomorrow’s assessment.

One of the most important things for me today was something Blanka said. She reminded us that if something goes wrong during a performance, whether we forget a line, make a mistake or something unexpected happens, we must not step out of character or stop existing in the given circumstances.

We must continue living on stage.

This immediately reminded me of Stanislavski and his principle of presence: “I am. I exist here and now.”

I think it is precisely in moments like these that we begin to understand what it really means to exist on stage rather than simply reproduce memorised movements and lines.

Today we experienced exactly this situation. During our scene, I accidentally made a hole in the paper. It was completely unplanned, but instead of stopping or pretending that nothing had happened, we incorporated the accident into the action.

It became a funny, spontaneous moment. I noticed that Blanka, who was our audience at that moment, was laughing.

This made me think about the audience’s reaction.

I believe that one of an actor’s most important tasks is to provoke some kind of response from the audience. It does not necessarily have to be the reaction we expected. The audience might laugh, feel surprised, sympathise, feel uncomfortable or even think that the actors are doing something wrong. But if they react, it means that something happening on stage has affected them.

Of course, a reaction alone does not guarantee that a performance has been successful. But for me, it is a sign that a connection has been created between the actor and the audience.

Tempo, Reactions and Natural Dialogue

Blanka also suggested that we perform the entire scene twice as fast.

I think the purpose was to make our dialogue more lively, natural and dynamic.

We already have a fairly good understanding of the given circumstances and our characters’ actions. However, we still need to work on the pace of our speech and, more importantly, the speed of our reactions to our partner’s words.

I realised that this depends directly on how well we know the text and how comfortable we feel within it.

When an actor is still thinking about which line comes next, it is difficult to truly listen to their partner. But when the words have become natural, we can stop simply delivering lines and start genuinely responding to what is happening here and now.

This is exactly what I want to work on tomorrow during our final hour of rehearsal before the assessment.

I would like us not simply to say all our lines correctly, but to truly live through the scene, maintaining a genuine connection with each other.

And if something goes wrong, we will improvise and continue existing in the given circumstances.

Let’s see how it goes tomorrow!

Today we had our acting assessment. We performed scenes that we had been working on for the past two and a half weeks. All students were given the same script, with exactly the same dialogue, called The Secret. However, each pair had to create their own given circumstances, decide what their secret was, and develop their own story. As a result, although we all had the same text, every scene turned out completely differently.

Yana and I also created our own version of the story, which we developed over several lessons.

During rehearsals, we did quite a lot of work. First of all, we explored Stanislavski’s six fundamental questions: Who am I? Where am I? When is it happening? What am I doing? Why am I doing it? What do I want to achieve? Before we started rehearsing, we needed to find answers to these questions. This helped us understand our characters’ behaviour, movements, reactions and relationships.

We also paid particular attention to intention, the character’s inner objective, their “I want”. Each of us had our own objective, and these objectives were not always the same. I think understanding what each character wanted made our scene more meaningful and alive.

Finally, we worked with Stanislavski’s concept of the fourth wall, the imaginary wall separating the actors from the audience. This helped us exist naturally within the given circumstances without being distracted by the presence of spectators.

Today we performed our scene in front of an audience for the first time. Of course, it felt much more nerve-racking than performing during our usual rehearsals.

I cannot say that I am one hundred per cent satisfied with my performance. I think I could have made it a little brighter and more expressive, with more comedy. I also still have questions about my voice and vocal dynamics. How do I find the balance between speaking quietly or whispering while still being heard by the audience, and speaking emotionally without turning it into shouting? How can I control my volume and intonation while keeping my performance natural? I think I need to watch the recording of our performance to understand what worked and what could be improved.

I also feel that I did not fully develop the changing clothes moment. Perhaps I should have given it a little more time to allow the situation to unfold. However, one of my favourite moments happened during this part of the scene: I genuinely got tangled up in the dress, and Yana tried to help me get out of it. It felt very natural and, in my opinion, genuinely funny.

I also had an idea to hum or whistle a little tune during the scene. I decided to try it almost at the last moment, without rehearsing it beforehand. As a result, I feel that I did not fully develop the idea. Perhaps it could have added an interesting detail to my character if I had thought it through and rehearsed it properly. Or perhaps it was not necessary at all. This is another moment I would like to evaluate after watching the recording.

Despite all my self-criticism, I am very happy that we have the opportunity to perform on a real stage in front of an audience. For me, this is an incredibly valuable experience. Rehearsing and performing in front of people are completely different experiences, and I realise how important it is to learn to manage my nerves without losing my presence, connection with my scene partner, or the inner life of my character.

I hope that with every new performance I will feel more confident and free on stage. The next opportunity to test this will be in December. We shall see!

Today in our Devising lesson, we began discussing Evie and the Animals by Matt Haig, which we had been asked to read for homework. As not everyone had finished the book, we explored the plot, characters and main themes together.

Sarah suggested a song about how everyone is unique and special in their own way. I feel that this idea could become the central theme of our future performance.

For me, this story is primarily about accepting that being different is completely normal. Sometimes other people think you are strange, and sometimes you feel that way about yourself. But perhaps you are not strange at all. You are simply different, unique and special.

Evie is a young girl with an extraordinary gift, but this gift does not make her happy. On the contrary, she feels incredibly lonely. She struggles with friendships, does not understand her father, and her mother is no longer alive. I think this sense of loneliness and feeling different from everyone else is something particularly important to communicate on stage.

We began discussing how we might transform this story into a theatrical performance. I suggested an unusual approach: what if the human characters were represented by puppets, while the animals were played by actors? I think this contrast could be interesting, especially considering Evie’s special connection with animals. However, this is only one initial idea, and I am curious to see how it might develop.

Perhaps what excites me most at the moment is the devising process itself. We have a book, but no ready-made script, no established staging concept, and not even a clear idea of what the final performance will look like. We are starting almost from nothing, sharing ideas, discussing possibilities, experimenting and gradually creating something of our own.

I really enjoy this collaborative creative process, where nobody knows in advance what the final result will be. With each lesson, I become more and more interested in seeing how individual thoughts and suggestions gradually begin to take shape as a performance.

Tomorrow, during our Movement lesson with Blanka, we will continue exploring this story, and I am really looking forward to seeing where this creative process takes us.

We began today’s Movement class with a warm-up, after which Blanka reminded us of Michael Chekhov’s Six Directions.

We explored these directions through movement and breathing. What I found particularly interesting was that, although we were almost standing still, the exercise required quite a lot of energy. I could feel my energy extending in different directions together with my breath. Even without travelling through space, there was a strong sense of movement throughout the body.

We then explored hand movements. One exercise involved imagining that we were waiters carrying trays, and later we used books and other objects. This helped us explore movement, attention and control over our bodies.

My favourite part of today’s class was working in pairs.

We moved together, trying to stay synchronised with our partners using peripheral vision rather than looking directly at each other.

I feel incredibly comfortable working with Layla. When I look at her, she somehow reminds me of myself when I was 18 or 19. I feel that we were quite similar at that age. Perhaps that is why I found it so easy to sense and read her movements. She, in turn, was very quick to pick up on my intentions and respond to them. There was a wonderfully natural sense of understanding each other without words.

We then started working in groups of four. There was no permanent leader. Anyone could initiate a new movement at any moment, and the others had to sense the change and follow. We tried not to look directly at one another, continuing to use our peripheral vision.

For me, the most important aspect of this exercise was the feeling of working collectively. We were not simply copying movements; we were constantly listening to one another through our bodies.

Gradually, we extended the exercise to the whole group. Now we had to keep every member of the group within our awareness, because anyone could become the leader at any moment. I really enjoyed that feeling of being focused on my own movement while remaining open to everything happening around me.

It reminded me of the focus and attention games we often play at the beginning of our classes as part of the warm-up. But today I could see much more clearly how these skills could develop into more complex ensemble work and how useful they might be for our future production of Evie and the Animals.

For me, ensemble work is not simply about moving in synchronisation. It is about sensing others, noticing the smallest changes, accepting someone else’s initiative and knowing when to offer your own.

After today’s class, I returned to Michael Chekhov’s writing and reread his ideas about directions of movement and the relationship between physical action and an actor’s inner experience.

As I was reading, I was reminded of one of the ideas behind his technique: we do not necessarily have to search for an emotion or feeling first and then express it through movement. We can begin with a physical action, an impulse, a direction of energy, and allow an inner sensation or emotional state to emerge through the movement itself. I feel that this is exactly what we were trying to explore today.

And once again, I find myself thinking how absolutely fascinating all of this is! All these acting techniques, the connections between them, the possibilities of the human body and imagination. As I read Chekhov, I remember things I studied years ago, discover things that are completely new to me, and suddenly begin to see familiar ideas from a different perspective.

Sometimes I experience an almost childlike sense of excitement: “Wow! This is amazing!”

I love that feeling. I get enormous pleasure not only from the classes themselves, but also from the opportunity to learn again, to explore, and to discover new dimensions of acting.

Today, after a short warm-up, Blanka divided us into pairs and gave us dialogues to work on. I had spent the whole weekend wondering who my partner would be and which role I would get. I was particularly anxious about the possibility of working with Bianka. Her absences and lateness, especially when a partner depends on her, had made me worry. I understand that she may have reasons I do not know about, but it is important to me to feel that we can both rely on each other. So when we were paired together, my first reaction was uncertainty.

However, as we read, my feelings began to change. At first, I did not even immediately realise that the scene takes place in a prison. As we started working on the text, I felt how much I connected with my role. There is pain, fear and loneliness in it. It is material I want to explore through my own feelings and experiences, using them to understand the character.

My character is called Chess. She remains in prison, while Bianka plays her former cellmate, who was released less than a month ago. Her character has children, but she is not with them yet. I feel that there was a close friendship between these women, and I think Chess may have been in love with her. For now, this is my interpretation, which I would like to explore further in rehearsal.

One woman’s release has changed both their lives. They were used to living alongside each other, and now each has to learn how to exist differently. Habit has enormous power: even in difficult circumstances, another person can become your source of support. When that connection changes, both people can feel lost. One has remained in prison and the other has been released, but neither has yet found her place in this new reality.

For me, this scene is about the loneliness of isolation. Chess may have other cellmates, but that does not make her feel any less alone. Bianka’s character is now free, yet she is just as lonely. Their circumstances are different, but their pain connects them. I feel that Chess is happy to see her friend, while also realising that their old life together belongs to the past. They both need to learn how to move on, although neither yet knows how.

As we began reading together, I unexpectedly felt that Bianka might be better suited to this role than anyone else in our group. I began to understand Blanka’s choice. My initial anxiety gradually gave way to curiosity about what we could create together in this scene.

I like the fact that my character seeks refuge in music. We will be performing rap, which I have never done in my life. This is a completely new experience for me, and I am interested in trying it and discovering how rhythm and words can express my character’s state of mind.

I already have some initial ideas about her physical behaviour. I picture Chess in a prison jumpsuit. For some reason, a movement keeps coming to mind: she tries to fasten or unfasten a button. I do not yet know when this might happen or whether it will stay in the scene at all, but I sense her uncertainty in this gesture. She is waiting for the visit and is happy about it, yet she does not know how to behave around someone who used to be so close to her. I want to explore this movement and understand where it comes from.

Today, we also began analysing the material using Katie Mitchell’s approach, writing down the facts we already know and the questions we cannot yet answer. We drew on the extract, Blanka’s explanations and the information we had managed to find about the play. The music suggested by the author also became part of our introduction to the material. At the moment, we have more questions than answers, and I find that exciting. I want to discover these people gradually: why they speak the way they do, what they expect from each other, what they hide and what they fear.

I am going to read the whole play to understand the characters’ circumstances and relationships more fully. This scene has affected me deeply. It offers so much scope for acting and for exploring another person carefully through my own experiences and feelings. I want to understand Chess and find a way to convey her pain, her attachment and her attempt to move on.

Today in our Devising lesson, after a short warm up and a game, we began developing scenes. Sarah divided us into groups and gave us two scenes from Evie and the Animals. Our group worked on the zoo scene, in which Evie talks to an elephant.

We needed to find a way to show how Evie picks out a single voice from the many animal voices around her and enters into a conversation through thought. We wanted to convey the many voices of the zoo while making it clear to the audience which animal she was communicating with. This proved to be a challenging theatrical task.

However, the greatest difficulty for me today was working together within the group. Some suggestions were expressed very firmly, as though a decision had already been made, even when I disagreed. I found it difficult to balance standing up for my own idea with leaving space for the ideas of others. In collaborative work, it is important to me that everyone has the opportunity to speak and be heard. Today, I did not always feel that there was space for this.

I think learning to reach decisions together will be one of the main challenges of our project. I can usually work well in a team, but today I found it difficult. I want to learn to navigate these moments more calmly, explain my suggestions clearly and find a compromise that allows us to create the scene together.

It was very interesting to watch the other group’s work. They showed the scene in which Evie meets a dog. There were four performers on stage: two played the characters, while the other two voiced their thoughts. When Evie spoke aloud, the performer playing her spoke for herself.

I particularly enjoyed watching Elliot and Laila work together. Elliot played the dog, and Laila voiced its thoughts. They turned their heads in sync and looked in the same direction. This coordination made the voice and body feel like one character. At a certain point, I stopped noticing four separate performers and saw only two characters. For me, this was a very convincing theatrical way to represent a conversation through thought.

In our scene with the elephant, I felt that we needed a shared understanding of the conversation itself. I had the impression that not everyone was familiar with this episode in the book. I tried to explain the context, but I was told that it was not needed at that moment. I found this difficult to agree with, because understanding what the characters are talking about, and why, helps me find a way to bring the scene to life.

Our scene is still in development. At the next rehearsal, I would like us first to agree on what we want to communicate to the audience and then try out different suggestions in practice. Today’s lesson showed me that devising requires imagination, but also the ability to listen, experiment and make decisions together.

Today, after a short warm-up, we began with an exercise in attention and focus. We worked in pairs and named specific actions we noticed our partner making: “You smiled”, “You blinked”, “You moved your hand”. Our partner then had to acknowledge the observation: “Yes, I smiled”, “Yes, I blinked”.

At first, I did not fully understand the purpose of the exercise and felt a little awkward. When all the attention was on me, I wanted to find a way to draw it away from myself. But my experience changed when we began taking turns noticing each other’s actions and responding to the observations. Our attention started moving freely between us, and I felt much more at ease. I found it easier to interact with my partner than simply to be observed. I began thinking less about how I appeared and noticing the other person more.

The purpose of this exercise became clearer to me when we moved on to our dialogue. Blanka asked us to learn the text in small sections, three lines at a time, trying a different way of saying them with each repetition. We varied our intonation and explored different reactions and ways of interacting. I saw a connection with devising in this process: through experimentation and change, we explored how the scene could develop and what possibilities lay within the text.

I felt that I had already learnt my section quite well. But when Blanka came over to us, I became flustered and could not remember the words. She explained that this was exactly the difficulty today’s work was intended to address. During a performance, a phone might ring, someone might cough, or something unexpected might happen. If the text has only been learnt in one familiar way, any distraction can disrupt that pattern.

At that moment, it is important to bring my attention back to my partner. This was where I understood the connection with the first exercise: seeing the person in front of me again, noticing their gaze, movement or smile, and responding to what is happening between us. The words can then return through the interaction. It felt as though the text was beginning to connect not only with my memory of the words, but also with movement, emotion and my partner’s responses.

During the lesson, we learnt almost a whole page, and I really enjoyed this way of working. Repeating the text with variations helped me both to remember it and to discover something new within it. In future rehearsals, I want to hold on to this experience: when I feel lost, I can bring my attention back to my partner and to what is happening between us in that moment.