We have a number of workshops and talks available to accompany shows and as as standalone events. Workshops and talks are tailored to professional or community based participants, adults or children, the particular needs of the group being discussed at the time of booking. Here are a sample of workshops we offer – workshops can also be tailored to the needs of the group.

Enquiries: Sheena Miller: sheena@ruraltouringagency.co.uk

Drama@Drylaw

This is a regular, friendly drop-in drama class for older adults. It is free to attend. The focus is on conversations and friendship, creative play and gentle movement. Everyone is welcome – from no experience to experienced!

Learning Through Play – Table Top Puppets

Freda has extensive experience theatre in education experience and has created this fun workshop for primary-age children involving playful and explorative exercises to help children learn about how puppets work and what we have to do to be able to manipulate them well. These skills are transferable to other puppets, toys and objects. 

Starting with simple pieces of fabric to explore core principles through play, the children will then move on to apply these to the specially constructed training puppets.  The puppets are intentionally blank faced and gender neutral and are made out of wood, cotton canvas with cast resin heads. 

Through a series of playful and investigative exercises the children will learn about what brings the puppet to life – how to make the puppet breathe, how to give them weight, how to explore both the focus of the puppet and the focus of the puppeteer and how to work collaboratively in small groups of three to enable their puppet to perform simple actions..

By using a puppet, children can embody characters and tell stories. And by working together and using their imagination they can create collective storytelling.

These workshops are geared appropriately towards each age group; 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 years.

From Stick to Tabletop

An introduction to puppetry for actors and those interested in learning about puppetry fundamentals. The workshop will start with objects, and move on to explore table top puppetry skills.

This introductory workshop will look at:

Breath and Focus – how to ‘give life’ to a puppet, or an object. 

Character Development – creating a character through voice, movement and gesture. 

Collaboration and Ensemble Work – Through solo and group exercises we will explore how to project emotions and tell stories through the puppet’s actions. The puppets explored will initially be simple objects (e.g sticks) to learn about fundamental principles. These principles will then be applied to ‘table top’ puppets where we will explore ensemble puppetry skills (multiple puppeteers working together).

Freda O’Byrne trained with the Curious School of Puppetry and this workshop draws on that training and the work of Rene Baker and Mervyn Millar amongst others.

Mask and the Body

A workshop focussing on performer relaxation, movement awareness and preparation leading to an exploration of the Neutral Mask and Full and Half Character Masks. The workshop can work at a beginner or advanced level depending on participants experience and will explore physicality and vocal agility in performance.

A fantastic starting point for devising physical performance
2. A hands-on introduction to Commedia dell’arte
3. An inspiration for creating Greek gods and goddesses and working with a Greek chorus
4. An effective tool for developing skills in physicality and vocal agility

Radiating From Within

Movement based performance preparation and techniques drawing on Mikhail Chekhov’s work and in particular his book ‘To The Actor’.

Moving and Thinking as One

An eclectic ensemble theatre workshop focussing on group working and devising. Influence is drawn from John Wright (Why is that So Funny?) with whom Freda trained, Michael Chekhov (To The Actor) Augusto Boal (The Rainbow of Desires) and other practitioners.