Exploring Acting from Within: Self-Research to Scene Work

Dear Labbers,

Through my ongoing research into presence, I’m exploring how grounding the work in the actor’s own inquiry makes the acting more alive, embodied, and authentically human.

Since returning from Crete, I have been applying these principles in online sessions with actors who’ve been preparing for roles and auditions. We start by exploring with “What is your current research in developing your acting craft? Where do you feel you have true ownership, and what is your current struggle?”

Every actor’s inquiry is different: one might want to take bolder risks, another to embody their voice fully, another to explore the rawness of the emotions through the lens of the character or the freedom of impulses discovered through embodiment, or to perform an extended scene free of interruption to see where presence can guide them.

What is key is that these inquiries emerge from each actor’s individual research; from what they are prepared to investigate. True evolution happens when the actor is ready for it, not when someone else prescribes it.

Once this groundwork is laid, we focus on character and the circumstances of the scene. The question now is: “What emotions do you already recognise in both the circumstances and the character? What aspects do you naturally relate to or feel empathy for?”

By beginning from an emotional understanding they already possess, actors can enter a creative dialogue that feels alive, natural, and deeply grounded—freeing them to experiment and explore new possibilities within the scene.

There’s a profound difference between letting your preparation emerge from within and constructing a scene to meet external expectations. When you honour this inherent connection, the resulting growth becomes authentic, embodied, and fully your own.

Acting is most compelling when it carries an existential dimension—characters must be felt as human beings whose emotions and thoughts are intertwined.

In essence, Physical Lab is—and will remain—a space for exploration and embodied presence, continually evolving to help actors access their most liberated artistic expression.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in Paris and continuing our research together on Saturday, the 22nd — a One-Day Lab on Presence & Embodiment, open to all levels. Then from Monday, the 24th to Saturday, the 29th of November, we’ll dive into a 6-Day Acting Mentorship for professional actors.

My warmest wishes,