| Refreshed and
exhilarated by the previous two hours of improvised acting,
Richard Sinnott and his Acting for
Fun class retired to the Fletcher Moss pub in Didsbury
village for a much needed pint.
It was here that I discussed with Richard
the origins and motivation behind a class he has been running
since 1999.
DL: What inspired you
to start Acting For Fun?
RS: I wanted a way of financially subsidising
the weeks that I was not working as an actor but do something
that would allow me to remain within the sphere I know and
love. I also wanted to enjoy myself whilst doing it and to
know that those I was teaching were doing so too. So it made
absolute sense to start improvisation classes - no boring
waffle, no poring over scripts - as improvisation is something
I have always particularly enjoyed myself.
DL: Why do you feel the
course attracts such a wide cross section of ages?
RS: It requires no qualifications or previous
experience and has no inherent ageism because, dramatic situations,
as life itself, are never just populated by those under 25.
But I think the main reason is, that whatever age we are we
never tire of make-believe, which is why we all, no matter
how old we are, watch TV.
DL: What for you are the
benefits that people gain from attending your class?
RS: They gain confidence, develop group skills
and get to invent characters and situations from nothing;
a great boost for the creative ego. They also make new and
lasting friendships, with like-minded people; a hugely enjoyable
bonus of attending.
The class has been running for five years
now and from speaking to some of the participants on the introductory
course, it is obvious that the original vision Richard
Sinnott had has resulted in a very rewarding and
enjoyable couple of hours for the class.
Richard runs the Beginners Classes on Thursday
evenings twice a year, in the Spring and Autumn. He simultaneously,
on Tuesday evenings, runs Intermediate classes
for those who have attended his previous Beginners course.
The next beginners' class is to run
from Sept 8th - 10th November 2005. You can
contact him and provisionally book a place at any time and
then, nearer the start date, Richard will ring to confirm
that you still wish to attend the course.
You can contact Richard
on 0161 438 0363.
A review of Acting For Fun will appear
next week.
Words by Spencer
Jacobs
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