The Sound of Words Without a Voice: Unlocking Artistic and Poetic Expression in Playback Theatre

September 19-20th, 2026, Valence, France

Facilitated by Elsa Mauricio Childs (Portugal) and Gerry Orkin (Australia). Sign up: http://place-au-jeu.fr/september. Feel free to reach out with any questions. Looking forward to seeing you there. asso@place-au-jeu.fr

In this weekend workshop we will explore the art of acting on the Playback stage.

Often, Playback actors simply replicate and amplify the actions, facts, thoughts and feelings described by the teller. Those techniques alone rarely deliver a transformative experience. In this workshop, you will learn to respond to stories in more creative, evocative, resonant and aesthetically satisfying ways. You’ll improve your listening skills and, as you play with familiar and new forms, learn to integrate language and movement to go beyond literality to make a more artful and meaningful connection with each story.

Whether you are an experienced practitioner or relatively new to Playback Theatre, this workshop invites you to expand your repertoire, challenge your assumptions, and embrace the potential of more poetic storytelling. Join us in this journey of exploration, discovery, and transformation, where participants will feel free to explore their unique artistic voices.

On Artistry and the Social Dimension of Stories in Playback Theatre

October 3-4, 2026, Varna, Bulgaria

This workshop explores the intersection of private and public meanings in stories told in Playback Theatre. 

It is sometimes the case that personal troubles and public issues (the social dimensions of stories) inter-relate, to the point where they can be said to be twin-born, inseparable and equally significant in the meanings they contribute to a story. In this workshop we learn to identify and work with the broader social dimensions of stories - in the form of social identities and social forces - so they can be acknowledged and brought to the stage in ways that are safe, appropriate and proportionate. We will work with the social dimensions of our own stories and learn to identify and highlight the social contexts of stories, and how we can conduct those stories and perform them in ways that are ethical, meaningful, aesthetically rich, and culturally sensitive.