Since launching last year, the Shoebox has been successfully running acting classes for adult beginners, teaching students a wide range of acting skills to get them started in the craft.
Led by Luke Marquez, the Artistic Director of the Shoebox, the next course starts at the end of April and is focused on comedy and improvisation skills, so you can expect slapstick humour, playful improvisations and lots of laughter! Kevin Bray, who started the classes last year, has gone from strength to strength since signing up and even bagged himself a main part in the Shoebox Theatre Company’s latest production of ‘When the Rain Stops Falling’.
[caption id=“attachment_36710” align=“aligncenter” width=“737”]
Beginners Acting Class[/caption]
Kevin said: “I always wanted to try acting, but at nearly fifty, I had no experience and had not done anything like it since school! I really wasn’t sure what to expect - would I be way out of my depth? Would there be other people who were really good? Would I actually enjoy it? Well, I absolutely loved it and whilst a few of the people on the course had some experience, the majority had none at all. So, we were all learning together.”
And Kevin isn’t the only one who has found a passion for performance since joining the classes. Anj Saunders who has been coming to the classes since they started is now continuing her performance training with the Shoebox.
[caption id=“attachment_36708” align=“aligncenter” width=“737”]
Anj Saunders[/caption]
And said: “During the Beginners Classes, Luke made us all feel at ease and introduced us to the world of storytelling, comedy and working with scripts. The classes were set just at the right level for us newbies yet were thorough enough to give us a lot more confidence in performing. Since joining, I have continued my Actor training at the Shoebox and have even achieved an Equity recognised qualification in Stage Combat and have learnt puppetry skills too, something I never thought I would be doing in my late thirties!”
Luke, who has been teaching adult beginners for over eight years, originally started the classes to give adults the chance to learn new skills and build confidence.
Luke explained:“There were lots of opportunities for adults to take part in amateur theatre, but not many opportunities for adults to learn technique and acting skills outside of London. Joining a company can be a daunting prospect if you have little or no experience, so I started teaching adults as a way to help those looking for a creative outlet to discover a passion and give them the skills they needed to get them started.
“I am now running the classes at the Shoebox Theatre, which means we also have the benefit of introducing students to other training and performance opportunities.”
For further information click here.
