Methodology

As an artist, I draw influence from political theatre, chiefly the work of Bertold Brecht in both form and intention: I make the mechanics of theatricality visible. My aesthetic is deliberately stripped back and striking, transforming space through lighting, shifting audience perspective, live song, and integrated video to expose rather than conceal theatricality. Audiences are not asked to suspend disbelief but to interrogate what they are witnessing.

I draw from poor theatre in my economy of means and reliance on the actor’s body as primary scenography. Working physically at the limits of endurance and control, I will collaborate with movement director Mat Wernham, whose practice is rooted in Laban-informed movement and the Yat Malmgren tradition of Movement Psychology. Developed from the work of Rudolf Laban, this methodology analyses how inner psychological states manifest through physical action. It focuses on weight, time, space and flow — the fundamental qualities through which movement expresses intention. Yat Malmgren’s system extends Laban’s work by linking movement patterns to psychological archetypes and processes of change, enabling actors to embody transformation rather than represent it.

In this project, the archetypes within Yat Malmgren’s Movement Psychology will be used to explore tragedy and the illusion of free will, as they demonstrate how individuals are shaped by external forces into particular patterns of behaviour. By embodying these movement archetypes, performers reveal how character and action can emerge from circumstance rather than choice, aligning the physical language of the work with the project’s investigation of fate, constraint and transformation.

All my working methodologies are trauma-informed, and the wellbeing of my collaborators and participants is of utmost importance. Integrated safeguarding and wellbeing, and bespoke mental health support ensure that we can work safely, and achieve the intensity and accuracy needed for this engaging and challenging work.

Expressionist influences are visible in the stark lighting, design, and soundscapes, amplifying the psychological stakes of the worlds I stage and creating strong atmospheres.

The dramaturgy of my work is dialectical. I draw from academic research and political analysis to create emotionally charged, fictionalised narratives. Rather than offering simple conclusions, I construct ideological frameworks within which audiences are invited to think, question, and make their own connections.