Key Questions About Physical Lab
We recognise that many of the core principles of our methodology — such as Embodiment, Deconditioning, and Tasting — may be unfamiliar to some participants and can be challenging to fully grasp, particularly if you are encountering this work for the first time. For this reason, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers to help clarify the nature, scope, and intended audience of our work.
Physical Lab is an international laboratory for presence in acting, focused on helping performers deepen their presence, authenticity, and creative expression. We offer workshops, retreats, and private coaching designed to enhance technique and performance.
We also offer an Embodiment component, which is more tailored to individuals and corporate professionals.
Physical Lab offers a range of formats including short workshops (1–3 days), student preparatory labs (2–4 days), masterclasses for experienced performers, immersive retreats, and private coaching programs — all rooted in embodiment practices that help cultivate presence.
Our training serves performers & non-performers alike.
- Performers: introductory workshops and student prep labs.
- Experienced & professionals – masterclasses, retreats, mentorships, and private coaching.
Embodiment, as practiced in the Physical Lab methodology, uses the actor’s body as the primary point of entry into performance — breaking old habits, liberating movement, and forging harmony between body, mind, voice, emotion, and instinct to convey truth and presence onstage or onscreen.
The work is physically engaged but not about athleticism. It is accessible, responsive, and adaptable to each participant’s body and experience level, with an emphasis on awareness, safety, and sustainable practice.
Professionally trained actors often come to Physical Lab to:
- Reignite creative instinct and risk-taking
- Release tension and habitual performance patterns
- Deepen emotional availability and presence
- Strengthen physical intelligence and expressive freedom
- Reconnect artistry with career longevity
The work complements existing training rather than replacing it.
Physical Lab is founded and led by Yorgos Karamalegos, who works in tandem with instructors and professional performers Tatiana Spivakova, Jil Clesse, and Iman Kerroua. Together, their work reflects years of international practice across cultures, disciplines, and performance contexts.
Physical Lab is an international company with many workshops and events spread throughout various cities in Europe, the US, and the UK. However, we realise that timing is also essential. For those who cannot attend in person, some coaching and mentorship components of the Lab are offered online or in person. The specific details depend on the course or coach availability.
Yes. Physical Lab is purposely designed with international professionals in mind. Programs are conducted in English, hosted in accessible international locations, and structured to support artists working across different countries, languages, and performance traditions.
Physical Lab places embodiment at the centre of performance. Rather than approaching acting primarily through psychology or analysis, the work begins with the body — allowing emotion, impulse, voice, and imagination to emerge organically. This approach is particularly effective for professionals seeking authenticity, adaptability, and immediacy in performance.
Reflecting the international nature of Physical Lab, most Labs are held primarily in English for instruction and group discussion. In Paris, Labs led by Tatiana Spivakova are conducted in a welcoming mix of English and French. When working with text, participants are warmly encouraged to explore and perform in the language they feel most at home in.
The Physical Lab Acting Retreat is an intensive, six-day immersive mentorship held in Crete. It is designed for experienced and professional actors who want to deepen their artistic practice, receive personalised coaching, reconnect with creative purpose, and develop material such as performance reels in a focused, supportive environment.
Yes. While rooted in physical and embodied practice, the work directly supports screen acting, audition performance, and on-camera presence. Coaching often addresses industry realities, creative sustainability, and navigating international careers alongside artistic development.
Yes. Participants are guided to prepare material (such as monologues or scenes) in advance. Physical Lab provides preparation resources to help you arrive ready to work deeply, physically, and creatively from the first day. Should you need help selecting text, please feel free to browse our library of suggested monologues and duologues.
Private coaching at Physical Lab is tailored to your goals and may include building personal technique, deepening acting craft, character work, audition preparation, career planning, and overcoming emotional or creative blocks.
Yes — introductory workshops are designed for actors at all levels, including those new to the Physical Lab methodology and embodiment practices.