Born 1874 Arrested and imprisoned 1939 Executed 1940

Meyerhold joined the Moscow Arts Theatre when it was founded in 1898. Although Meyerhold both performed and directed under Stanislavsky, he formed his own ideas on theatre, which differed from those of the Moscow Arts Theatre to such an extent that he had to leave.

Meyerhold suggested a new method of producing theatre, working from the outside of a situation inwards, using techniques that stimulate the imagination, rather than realism. He looked for an acting style that would integrate genuine emotion and precise characterisation, while embracing all modes of performance, including farce, pantomime, tragedy, melodrama and naturalism. The ability to perform each of these styles meant that the actor must have complete mastery over his or her body. Meyerhold’s revolutionary ideas drew on techniques used in the Kabuki, Kathakali and Commedia dell’arte disciplines.

Political pressure forced Meyerhold to stop creating such avant-garde work but he resisted to the end and gave an impassioned speech about how art could not be controlled or contained, before he was arrested in 1939 and executed the following year. His teachings were subsequently purged from the record books.

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Biomechanics is not an all-in-one system of acting, but rather a rigorous training technique. It is a means of refining the actor’s (1) balance and physical control, (2) rhythmic awareness and (3) responsiveness to one’s partners, audience and external stimuli.

Meyerhold’s actors worked on their awareness of themselves in space and were to display no emotion. Once they had mastered this technique, they could then add a single action or gesture that would signify an emotion or event. Meyerhold looked in detail at the communication of emotion by expression and used abstract movement to communicate stories and emotion.

Meyerhold developed 16 etudes. The etude tells a simple story through a series of stylised movements in a certain sequence. Training in the etudes develops a balance, strength and an understanding of how the slightest gesture of the hand has an effect on the whole body. Of the original 16 etudes, only 7 are taught today.

For years theatre practitioners have attempted to recreate Meyerhold’s etudes from photographs. Fortunately, Biomechanics has been handed down by actors who worked with Meyerhold. Gennadi Bogdanov is one of the two leading teachers of Biomechanics today.

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Gennadi Bogdanov lives in Moscow and is an internationally acclaimed actor and director of over 25 years experience who has dedicated himself to the study of Biomechanics. He first met Talia in 1995 and since then has worked regularly with us, most extensively in 2002 and 2003 when he co-directed Home & 7 Assilon Place. Gennadi also co-directed our 2004 production - An Evening of Chekhov's Vaudevilles and he returned in January 2005 to co-direct The Life of Molière.

In 2004, Gennadi worked in Berlin, Manchester, Seattle (performance production and classes), Paris, Italy, Belgium and Denmark.

In 2005 he worked in Manchester, Italy ("Centro Internazionale Studi di Biomeccanica Teatrale", Perugia, www.microteatro.it), Greece, Poland - ISTA, USA, Germany (Mime Centrum) and France.

Gennadi Bogdanov also works frequently and runs Biomechanics workshops at the Mime Centrum in Berlin.  For information, click here www.mimecentrum.de

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Following the sell-out success of the last four years, Talia Theatre once again invite actors to a series of workshops in Meyerhold's Biomechanics.

We will be running a week long Beginners course in Manchester led by Talia Theatre Director, James Beale, starting from Monday 5 February 2007.

To book a place and for details of cost please contact Emily Lyons at Talia Theatre - emily@taliatheatre.com

Tel: 0161 249 0564

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