Welcome 

to the 

difference

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play

.

imagine

.

create

.

"The course is intense and demanding, pushing, pulling and playfully engaging the artist in becoming more present"

Sophie Tyrrell - Graduate

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What we do

We inspire and embolden artists, theatre makers and performers. 

Our promise is to set you on your path towards artistic and creative freedom: You will explore a range of approaches, including play, neutral mask, mask work, theatre making, clown and bouffon training and more.

We don’t pretend to have the answers, we won’t sell you a system or dangle the carrot of getting you in front of a casting director.  What we offer goes much deeper than that. 

We create a playful yet challenging environment where you can experiment, play, take risks, fail magnificently whilst releasing your pleasure, joy and imagination in ways that are waiting to be discovered.

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Ultimately we want you to go beyond the performer you think you are and grow towards the artist you aspire to be. 

Next Course: February 2021
Course Details page to book now!

Our Alumni speak

Patrick Philpott

Student RADA

The time I spent at the Performer’s Playground really allowed me to grow as an artist and truly believe in myself and my work. Mark and Alice’s unique passion, drive and sheer commitment to the game is what sets the playground apart from the rest. 

 

It is a space where you can play, fuck up with confidence, get things wrong (and be ok with getting it wrong), laugh, cry, laugh some more, laugh a bit harder...laugh until your ribs are sore...

 

It has allowed me to find within myself the courage to make big choices, to find pleasure, be it on-stage or in my life and to find the light in the darkest of places. 

 

It really is perspective shifting and I would recommend to everybody - actor or not.

Sophie Tyrrell

Painter & Printmaker

A very accomplished painter visited my studio recently, and said in a wistful way that it looked like I had fun making my paintings. I replied 'I have found my pleasure'. Always grateful to Alice and Mark. 

Peter Burley

Student Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

This course gives you the ability to be fluent in pleasure and to find it in the most challenging circumstances. Alice and Mark are talented tutors that stretch your imagination. They create a family that has growth and ambition at its core, a playground like no other where anything is possible and infectious laughter is background noise. Ultimately they gift you with the tools to discover freedom, fun and play - attributes that will benefit any actor, comic, idiot, pet or human bean.

Elizabeth-Wainwright

Actor

Performers Playground pushed protracted and prodded my previously pitiful portrayal of priceless peculiarity into stardom.....that is all"

P.S they are geniuses and now so am I"

Chantelle Oddie

Actor

Since leaving the Performers Playground I was able to study BA Physical Theatre at East 15 Acting School. Mark & Alice taught me a real sense of pleasure, playfulness and joy when performing onstage. I will always go onstage with ‘light in my eyes’ and for that alone, I am eternally grateful.

Connor Crawford

National Youth Theatre Rep Company

I have been gifted a lifelong understanding of the importance of having fun. Fun to try. Fun to play, and crucially, fun to fail. An understating that finding genuine pleasure in the choices I make on the stage will engage and enthral an audience has helped me develop a new approach to all aspects of theatre. I feel extremely lucky to be apart of the performers playground family, what I’ve been taught and what I discovered will stay with me in my work for the rest of my career. Merci.

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Praise for us from Students

Mark and Alice’s unique passion, drive and sheer commitment to the game is what sets the playground apart from the rest. 

Patrick Philpott - Current student RADA

The Performers' Playground: Gorse Hill Studios, Cavendish Rd, Stretford, Manchester M32 0PS
e: theperformersplayground@gmail.com