Physical Theatre Professional Training

How is presence created on stage? And what happens when the body itself becomes the starting point of theatre?

In this module, we explore the foundations of transdisciplinary Physical Theatre – inspired by working methods and artistic approaches from the theatre of Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook. Movement, embodied perception, and creative play open up a living space for exploration, encounter, and performance.

The module includes:

• Physical training – exploring movement qualities, impulses, and the expressive potential of the body
• The “empty space” according to Peter Brook – theatre as a living encounter between performer, space, and audience
• Psychophysical training and theatre philosophy of Jerzy Grotowski – the body as a gateway to inner impulse; working with presence, authenticity, and “organic” expression
• Play as a creative state – accessing spontaneity, presence, and vibrant stage energy
• Non-verbal communication – expression and relationship beyond language
• Working with authentic emotions – foundations and training for truthful presence on stage

In these modules, the exploration of emotion moves to the center – forming the ground for a vivid and authentic performance practice.

You investigate how emotional states emerge in the moment, how they take shape in the body, and how they are communicated beyond words.

Samuel has been devoted to this field for over 30 years. Drawing from this depth of experience, he has developed his own methods to work with genuine emotion as a precise and consciously shapeable element within the creative process.

The modules include:

• Physiology of emotion in theory and practice – how body, nervous system, hormones, and perception interact to give rise to emotional states
• Basic and complex emotions in theory and practice – recognizing, differentiating, and working with them intentionally
• Classical acting techniques inspired by Konstantin Stanislavski – engaging inner impulse, emotional truth, and embodied presence
• Contemporary tools and approaches – mirror technique, body telling, working with contrast and opposition, emotional grounding; entering and sustaining flow states
• Emotional states in theatre – approaches influenced by Antonin Artaud
• Dramaturgy of emotion – shaping and composing scenes with awareness to guide emotional impact and depth of expression
• Nuance in expression – micro-expressions, minimalism; working with emotional neutrality; exploring states of stillness and emptiness

What happens when stillness itself becomes a instrument of art?

In this module, you enter the subtle dimensions of energy, presence, and embodied perception – exploring their power as a source of creative action.

The module includes:

• Energy work and subtle perception – refining sensitivity to energy, attention, and inner presence
• Movement and meditation – meditation in motion and the exploration of flow states
• Stillness in motion – the body as a vessel of presence beyond action and expression
• Stillness at the heart of chaos – accessing inner calm even within intense creative processes
• Emotional and creative states in the “empty space” – working with presence and perception, inspired by Peter Brook
• The observer and the artist – developing awareness of the inner witness within the creative process
• Stillness and emptiness – exploring different qualities of presence
• Being real: performing without pretending – cultivating authentic presence in performance
• Communication and composition in space – shaping the relationships between performer, space, and action

In this module, movement is explored as a poetic and compositional force – a language in its own right, where inner experience, imagination, and physical expression merge into a vivid and multilayered form of communication.

The module includes:

• Impulse, quality, weight, and counterpoint in movement – exploring dynamics, inner drives, and physical tension
• Movement as sign and symbol – how movement carries meaning and becomes readable
• Butoh – working with permeability, polarity, and the body’s poetic expressiveness
• Continuous movement and flow – developing presence, transitions, and fluidity
• Translating into movement – bringing texts, ideas, and emotions into physical form
• Dramaturgy and composition of movement – shaping movement across space and time, and as the structure of a scene
• Interconnectivity – individual and collective resonance within a shared field of movement as a source of creation
• Physical actions (Grotowski) – using concrete physical actions as a gateway to presence and embodied truth

Discover the art of storytelling through objects – where the ordinary becomes poetic and new layers of meaning unfold.

The module includes:

• History and forms of object theatre – insights into traditional practices and contemporary approaches
• Playing with objects – improvisation and choreographic exploration with objects in space
• Masks and hybrid puppets – working with transformation, layering, and figurative forms
• Dramaturgy with objects – developing performances and telling stories through objects in space
• The object as a living presence – sensing presence, impact, and a kind of autonomy in working with materials
• Emotion and expression in object work – transferring states and atmospheres onto objects
• Poetics of the object and visual language – creating imagery and expression through objects
• The relationship between performer and object – interaction, projection, and dialogue with the material
• Collective and personal imagery – working with inner and shared imaginative worlds
• Light and aesthetics – shaping atmosphere, perception, and visual impact
• Magical realism in object theatre – navigating the space between reality, imagination, and stage worlds

Nonverbal communication through sound of voice, body, and vibration forms the starting point of this module. Sound is approached as a physical and spatial experience – something that can be felt, shaped, and shared.

The module includes:

• Nonverbal communication in theory and practice – vocal expression beyond language
• Sound, movement, and vibration inspired by Jerzy Grotowski – linking physical action and vocal expression
• The voice as a full-body instrument, the body in motion as a source of sound
• Physiology of breath and voice – the relationship between breath, body, and the emergence of sound
• Breath as the ground of sound and presence
• Resonance and vocal color – exploring tone, vibration, and the range of the voice
• Communication through vibration – how sound moves through and affects the body
• Soundscapes and atmospheres – shaping spatial fields of voice and sound
• Introduction to theatre of the senses – working across multiple layers of perception within performance
• Dramaturgy of sound, vibration, and movement – developing scenes beyond words

Explore theatre in its ritual dimensions – from shamanic practices and cultural traditions to contemporary forms of transformative performance.

The module includes:

• Foundations of theatre anthropology – body, ritual, and performance in cultural and historical context
• The work of Eugenio Barba and the Theatre Anthropology approach – principles of embodied performance traditions
• Noh theatre – history and physical practice
• Butoh – philosophy and embodied expression
• Bunraku – Japanese object and puppet theatre as a dynamic relationship between figure and performer
• Shamanic performance practices – the body as a vessel for symbolic action
• “Teatro Pánico” and psychomagic inspired by Alejandro Jodorowsky – radical, poetic, and symbolic interventions
• Ritual in the performing arts – creative action as a transformative act
• The poetic act – a condensation of body, image, and meaning in the present moment
• Surrealism and unconscious imagery – working with inner images and imagination

ow does a character emerge beyond surface and technique?

What happens when working with a role engages the body, the text, and inner experience alike?

In this module, you explore contemporary approaches to character work at the intersection of physical theatre and psychological development.

The module includes:

• Text work as a living process – approaching texts through structure, meaning, and subtext
• Field research for character creation – observing social contexts and translating them into embodied roles
• Character construction through the body – shaping roles through posture, movement, and physical presence
• Biographical and psychological approaches – developing inner motivations and emotional landscapes
• Memory within the body of the character – integrating intellectual, emotional, and physical layers of memory
• Emotional and psychological development of a role – composing inner states throughout the process of performance
• Character work in transdisciplinary physical theatre – bridging physical expression, scene structure, and psychological depth
• Voice as part of character development – shaping sound, expression, and transformation of the role

How does the body become an image, a sign, an event in itself?

And what emerges when space is consciously engaged as part of the artistic language?

In this module, we work with body, space, and concept as starting points for creative processes. Moving between the concrete and the abstract, between signification and direct experience, you develop works that are not only presented, but lived and perceived.

The module includes:

• Concept development – shaping your own artistic questions and approaches
• Aesthetics and composition – the interplay of body, space, image, and action
• Poetics and semiotics – working with signs, symbols, and layers of meaning
• Constructing space – space as an active element of perception and creation
• Body art – the body as material, expression, and point of reference
• Installation – creating spatial situations and immersive environments
• The poetic act – performance as a condensation of experience
• Dramaturgy and narrative forms – moving between realistic and abstract structures
• The language of metaphor – images as carriers of meaning beyond the literal
• Communication with the audience – perception, relationship, and attention in space
• Poetic discourse – reflecting on and contextualizing your own work
• Beyond form and concept – opening to the unexpected within the creative process

How does an artistic concept become a living performance?

And what does it take to carry a piece from its first idea through to presentation as a performer?

In these intensive modules, the focus lies on the development of a concrete project. Processes of planning, rehearsal, and realization come together in a shared artistic work that evolves through collaboration and individual expression guided by an experienced director.

The modules focus on:

• Planning and preparing performance work – developing and refining an artistic idea into a performable form
• Rehearsal processes and realization – moving from experimentation in space to fully developed performance
• Integrating tools and methods from previous modules – bringing together physical, performative, and conceptual practices
• Working as a group – collaboration within a shared creative process
• Developing individual expression and performative identity – discovering and refining your own presence as a performer