Discover presence and its embodiment as an essential tool for authentic expression, and learn how to bring this fully into your own performance.
An immersive three-day workshop led by Yorgos Karamalegos, founder of Physical Lab, dedicated to cultivating presence and authenticity in performance. This work is a journey toward uncovering one’s most authentic self and embodying a free, uninhibited artistic spirit.
Through embodiment practices and deconditioning, participants explore presence while releasing ingrained acting habits. Actors are guided to shed societal and cultural conditioning, opening the door to a state of performance in which body, mind, emotion, voice, language, and instinct flow together in harmony.
The aim is simple yet profound: performance rooted in truth, and presence arising from one’s deepest essence.
This Lab would not be possible without the dedicated efforts of Doris Tilk, who kindly invited Yorgos and Physical Lab to Tallinn. We are so grateful for her efforts to organize this special Lab and help broaden the reach of the work.
Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences, located in Tallinn’s Old Town, is Estonia’s leading home for puppet, visual, and youth‑focused theatre. Serving primarily ages 5–15, the theatre creates imaginative, high‑quality productions that speak to young people and adults alike. Alongside its stages, it houses the Museum of Puppetry Arts and hosts the international Tallinn Treff Festival, forming a unique cultural hub. Founded in 1952, it remains the country’s only professional puppet and visual theatre, continually evolving its artistic language while helping young audiences understand themselves and the world around them.
Many Lab participants have secured partial or full funding through arts grants, and we are happy to provide any documentation needed to support your application. Standard materials commonly required for grant submissions can be found on our Lab Pricing & Funding page. Please contact us should you need anything further.
We encourage you to apply even if funding has not yet been confirmed.
For our short courses, participants are asked to prepare and learn a single piece of text. This helps you fully engage with our Lab methodology and explore how text can be embodied and emotionally expressed. You’re welcome to work solo or with a partner, in any language you’re most comfortable with.
If you’re unsure of what to choose, please feel free to browse our library of suggested text. For full details and guidance, please visit: Preparing for a Lab.
Yorgos guides performers and professionals toward deep physical and mental awareness, emphasizing presence as a path to personal and professional freedom. His body-focused approach aims to use deconditioning as a tool to uncover authenticity.
“What began as pleasure has now turned into tasting, and it actually feels like a muscle I can train and a practical tool for my work. The next step will be to explore how tasting could enhance my rehearsal process and, eventually, my performance, even though I can’t yet imagine how I’ll have enough capacity for it.”
“Absolute. Radical. Transformation.”
“Reconnecting with my essence via Yorgos’s guidance is a tool I’m not only excited to bring into my artistry, but also into my life as a whole. It’s truly been a priceless discovery.”
“I didn’t realise how forcefully that lock was going to burst open and how the work that we’re doing is just so important — not just for you as an actor, as an artist, but as a person!”
“Working with Yorgos for 10 days in Crete, preparing for a TV part was an amazing experience! Even in moments of self-doubt and fatigue, when you face your own wall, he was always there fully present with me, both with great care and rigour! I have been working with Yorgos for about 8 years, and he always gives me strength and tools to keep going forward.”
“Working with Yorgos feels deeply aligned with my own approach to acting and being an artist. [He] creates a space that’s both expansive and grounded—where I feel safe to explore, take risks, and build a personal toolkit that reflects who I am. He doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all method; instead, he encourages each of his mentees to find and refine what works uniquely for them. That level of support and freedom is truly empowering.”
“[It] became clear early on that it’s all about people, their bodies right now. Not their past experiences or future. You. Us. Now. Nothing more.”
I have found my joy in acting again. I remembered why I wanted to do it in the first place. I feel more present, warm and embodied in my own body, less self-conscious […] A weight was lifted from me through this workshop, a lot of pressure I have put onto myself and onto the craft. […] Also, I learned, that I can pour all my personal experiences into my performances, without revisiting traumatic events of the past, but rather use acting as an outlet for my emotions to come through and release. And through that reach catharsis.”
“Yorgos’ work is in perfect continuity with what Crete awakens in me: a deeper anchoring in the body, access to buried emotions, the courage to take risks, and the pursuit of a sincerity that can only enrich the creative process. More than an artistic approach, it is a true journey into the depths of the soul — one that seeks to serve art in its most authentic form.”
“The Lab has been a great and safe place to research, try things out, not know, fail and get out of my comfort zone. After each session, I feel empowered to keep working on my acting and on myself for the days, months and years to come.”
“Yorgos has such an understanding and knowledge of how to take care of ourselves on a personal level when we’re doing this kind of work and living this kind of life.”
“[Yorgos] held the space so gently and I felt so safe and contained even though we were exploring work that could make one feel vulnerable and exposed. I felt such a shift exploring text after the very physical dancing with the masks on—it was very liberating going from that almost delirious state into the text because I was completely connected to the emotional story and not even thinking about lines. It was a very powerful experience.”
“Anyone who met me in the following days saw a more aware and determined look on my face both professionally and personally. I recommend it to everyone.”
An immersive three-day workshop dedicated to cultivating presence and authenticity in performance. This work is a journey toward uncovering one’s most authentic self and embodying a free, uninhibited artistic spirit. Through embodiment practices, participants explore how the body can serve as a gateway to deeper awareness, expression, and connection on stage. We will also work directly with the text, treating it as a living partner that invites curiosity and personal discovery. Guided by the tasting principle, artists are encouraged to experiment and stay open to what emerges in the moment.
Our September 2026 retreat honors the standing tradition with Alex & Yorgos returning for the fourth consecutive year. Through fitness workshops and embodiment practices, participants cultivate greater presence, awareness, and more intentional communication in movement and daily life. Each day blends physical training, reflection, and meaningful connection. Meals and accommodation are included, with time for excursions to the beach and nearby local hotspots. The retreat offers practical tools and moments of renewal that extend well beyond the experience.
The Physical Lab Retreat is our flagship annual event for actors—a six-day immersive experience on the beautiful island of Crete where performers from around the world come together to deepen their craft. Participants receive in-depth one-to-one coaching on a chosen piece of text while developing a professional performance reel. Each day blends embodiment practices, reflection, and creative exploration to strengthen presence and expressive range. The retreat fosters a vibrant artistic community, with shared meals, time by the sea, and the inspiring landscape of Crete.
