Two Year Rep - 30/11/2011

Two-Year Rep Programme

Training you to work, to work for yourself and to work with us.

With an industry that is transforming beyond recognition, training for the industry requires a different and responsive approach to these changes.

 No longer are the tools of the actor enough to make it and survive within the profession. There is now more than ever a greater need for the actor to be able to create opportunity for him or herself, rather than what has become, the singular three-year training objective of ‘getting an agent’.  

The Fourth Monkey Two-year Rep Training Programme is an innovative actor training with a difference.

Whilst rightly not ignoring the traditional and correct pursuits of representation upon completion of the programme (we too have a showcase), we also focus on providing the tools and empowering the actor to create work, a company or an ensemble of their own.

A pro-active actor is what we believe the industry needs more of and one that we do our upmost to develop.

Also of course, as a practicing professional production company, delivering ensemble based work we are always looking at developing actors and indeed work where the relationships go beyond the training project. 

This may not be a revolution, but it truly is an evolution in the way the actor trains and is at the forefront of the changes within the industry that will hopefully take us all to a more interesting creative world of the future.

The Two Year Rep project offers an affordable and complete full-time training programme for all, a means by which to help fund it by our innovative fundraising philosophy and a programme of training that is founded more in practice as opposed to study.  Training you to work, to work for yourself and to work with us.

This is training for the 21^st Century!

Overview

Founded in the principles of ensemble and a simple belief in learning via the process of ‘doing’.

Responding to the changing landscape of the performance industry and the need for new avenues into the profession, Fourth Monkey have created a project that not only trains the actor, but also ultimately employs them and empowers them to develop work of their own.

Working with a professional theatre company, with a reputation for bold and challenging work, the actor will spend a majority of their first year training with leading industry professionals in:

Ensemble, Voice, Clown, Movement, Physical Theatre, Commedia dell’Arte (residential four-week project in Italy), Singing, Laban, Puppetry, Devising, Alexander Technique, Bikram Yoga, Stage Combat, Theatre Production.

The training programme also includes industry Q&A sessions with established practitioners, agents and workshops with leading casting directors.

Working with the likes of Complicite, Antonio Fava (renown Commedia dell’Arte practitioner), amongst other leading lights from within the industry the training elements lead to a three production London Rep season in the summer term of the 1^st year.

Taking on the challenges and rigors of rep presents many a challenge to the actor and is an excellent practical foundation for anyone wishing to embark on a career within the industry. 

Delivered on the London Fringe to highest production standards, this will be the companies first introduction to invited affiliate agents, casting directors and industry professionals of Fourth Monkey, who will track their progress throughout the next twelve months and hopefully beyond!

On completion of the season all students will then set off for an intensive, month long residency in Italy to work on Commedia dell’Arte with one of the disciplines most respected leading lights, Antonio Fava.

Following the completion of the 1^st Year’s training, and following a short summer break the company return as a company to embark on a year of intensive devising, rehearsal and production.

Delivering two London season’s of original new work (delivering one production in the Autumn and two pieces in rep in the Spring) prior to taking three new pieces of original work to the Edinburgh Festival in August, to run in rep for the entire Festival throughout August.

The 2^nd Year also presents to the actor a continued variety of industry based workshops; Q&A’s with industry professionals from Agents to Casting Directors, Equity and Spotlight and many more of the leading players within the profession, to gain a rounded understanding of the industry as a whole, how it works and where the individual can forge a path for themselves within it.

The second year, is quite uniquely however, very much a production year, producing 6 new pieces of work throughout the year as outlined above, giving the actor the opportunity to employ and develop all they have learnt over the proceeding 12 months in production and in front of the paying public and reviewers et al! 

Working with leading directors and practitioners to deliver the highest calibre of professional work, work that as a company, Fourth Monkey will ultimately be looking to tour and transfer.

This is where the training project becomes something beyond that and makes it even more unique…  a true ensemble, a training to compete with any of the conservatoire’s and all under the umbrella of an exciting and fast growing theatre production company.

This is indeed evolutionary theatre and evolutionary training. Come join the revolution.