Most working actors in the UK train on practical, vocational courses at Drama Schools, learning the core technical skills needed for general audience-facing theatre, film and TV.
Actors with learning disabilities can learn exactly the same skills through the Silent Approach.
Most actors with learning disabilities can’t access Drama School training and the opportunities for work this affords.
The Silent Approach offers integrated companies collaborative equality and increases casting possibilities.
Rehearsal periods for text-based plays usually range between three to five weeks. Its assumed that casting actors with learning disabilities will mean extending rehearsal periods.
A two-week rehearsal period for a two hour, two act play is standard using the Silent Approach.
Actors in a space, aware of given circumstances and objectives, simply listening and reacting to each other will find the truth of each moment.
No words are used in rehearsal, apart from the words in the play text, using the Silent Approach.
Once Directors and actors own the power and the ending of the story, the superobjective, most of the work is done.
In the Silent Approach a rehearsal process starts with a full run, off book.
Removing the work involved in deconstructing language in a rehearsal room, opens up the creative process for everyone.
1 in 10 people in the UK have a learning disability, are related to someone with a learning disability or work with someone with a learning disability.
The Silent Approach moves the statistic into real representation on stage in general audience facing work.