Short Courses / Acting / Writing / Performance
Actor as Writer
10:30–16:30
Unlock your creative potential by transforming your acting instincts into original scripts with this weekend course.
Overview
Actor as Writer is a practical course (in person or via Zoom) that explores how actors can use the tools they already possess: intention, action, imagination, and sensory awareness.
We will use these skills to create original writing for theatre performance. Rather than approaching writing as a purely literary task, the course treats it as an extension of acting practice. Participants will generate material through sensory and action-based exercises, reflect on what emerges, and develop this material into a short original play or performance piece.
By the end of the weekend, actors will have material ready to perform or continue to develop.
Who is this for
- Actors curious about writing their own material
- Performers interested in devising or solo work
- Theatre-makers looking to generate new text from performance instincts
- Actors who feel 'blocked' by traditional writing approaches
- No previous writing experience is required
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the weekend, participants will:
- Understand how acting tools translate into the craft of writing
- Generate original material
- Learn to recognise what is theatrically alive in their own writing, using status and intention
- Develop a short original play or performance text
- Gain confidence in writing from instinct rather than judgment!
- Be given the tools to help when they’re ‘blocked’
Core Principles
- Writing is embodied, not abstract
- Actors already know how story works - they just need a practical access point
- Sensory detail can create ‘truth’ for written characters
- Not everything written is useful - learning what to keep is part of the craft
Tutor Bio
This course is led by Kristian Phillips, a writer/actor whose work sits at the intersection of myth, grief and working‑class humour. A graduate of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he came to writing after a decade as a professional actor, bringing with him a performer’s instinct for rhythm, character, and emotional truth. Using these skills, Kristian has tailored a course open to those who would love to try writing using their personal skills as a creator.
Tutor Bio click to
Kristian Phillips is a Writer/Actor whose work sits at the intersection of myth, grief, and working‑class humour. A graduate of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he came to writing after a decade as a professional actor, bringing with him a performer’s instinct for rhythm, character, and emotional truth. Using these skills, Kristian has tailored a course open to those who would love to try writing using their personal skills as a Creator.
He was part of the BBC Writersroom Drama, Hampstead Theatre’s INSPIRE Scheme, and Theatr Clwyd’s Writer in Residence Scheme. Kristian came Runner Up with Commendation for the Phil Fox Award for his debut play DRIFT, which was described as ‘A state of the Nation play’. A darkly comic, solo show about grief, addiction and masculinity.