ABOUT
The Feelgood Factor is an in-person theatre workshop group for everyone over the age of 18. Theatre games, improvisation, playreadings and all kinds of acting and performance-based training in a friendly, fun and supportive environment.
This fun and highly supportive adult group is for anyone looking for an open, creative, non-pressurised acting, drama and theatre experience. Everyone is welcome from the absolute first timer to the seasoned pro.
Throughout September and October 2023, we will be offering specialist masterclasses each week that can be booked as a one-off or as a block, details of these outlines below.
"What you offer at Feelgood is so unique. It's high level acting and improv coaching for adults with industry specialists." Feelgood Participant.
TIMES
Thursday Evenings
2000 - 2130
LOCATION
Marshalswick Community Centre, St Albans, AL4 9TU
The Feelgood Factor
Ages 18+
Adult acting group
AGE RANGE
Age 18+
FEES
£15 per session or £180 for a 12-week block
AUTUMN 23 MASTERCLASSES
14th September: Audition & Interview Skills
21st September: Engaging Public Speaking
28th September: Unlocking character
5th October: Ayckbourn and his plays
12th October: Beyond the play script
19th October: Behind the Scenes Directing
BOOK
Book via the link below or contact 07811 343189 or info@besttheatrearts.org.uk for more information
The Feelgood Factor
Improvisation
Spontaneity and devising explored through games and creative activities. Building confidence and communication skills as we think on our feet and make stuff up. Sometimes its funny and occasionally serious these elements are not bound to scripts and often get us out of our chairs.
The Feelgood Factor
Performances
Live and very varied. Every performance is influenced by the group members and explores what the performers wish to develop. Rehearsals take place online and a few live nearer to the show date. The sessions and skills are targeted towards our performance goals. So far we have performed a long form improvised show, a collection of pieces from the same playwright and an immersive piece written by one of the group. Next up is a scripted piece for a drama festival in May 23. Who knows after that…
The Feelgood Factor
Acting Technique
From stand up comedy to Meisner and Stanislavski, farce to naturalism. We explore it all in these sessions. We will often focus on one acting technique over a period of time exploring the discipline through games, improv and also scripts. The tutors will also cover the basic theory to help build up knowledge and understanding.
We hire skilled, committed and family orientated theatre professionals with a real passion for teaching. We value consistency and a progressive, structured approach. We know that it is Best’s responsibility to provide the framework in which the teachers can thrive – loving what they do and being able to pass that enjoyment in bucket loads on to the students.
Meet The Team
The Feelgood Factor
The Feelgood Factor Director
CATHERINE LOMAX
Catherine has worked both on-stage and behind the scenes as an Actor, Producer, Director and Writer.
Having studied at the University of Hull she trained under Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre and has worked in Theatre, TV and Film since graduating.
Catherine has run her own touring theatre company and was the Artistic Director of the Gordon Craig Theatre for over ten years. She has experience of working on plays, pantomime and musicals as well as heading up a large education department working with young people aged between 3 and 18 years old.
Catherine writes musicals with award-winning choreographer Khiley Williams and West End Musical Director Phil Dennis. Together they have written over twenty musicals that tour nationwide.
Catherine can be heard as one of the Showbiz panellist for BBC 3 Counties and is also one half of the Post Show Drinks Podcast interviewing team for Encore Radio in which West End stars spill all the behind the scenes tales.
The Feelgood Factor Teacher
LISA SCHULBERG
Lisa’s spent her lifetime in the arts and is passionate about the positive effects it can have on us all. A full time musical theatre stage school kid, she then followed her dream of becoming an actress by gaining a 1st Class Hons degree in Theatre Arts, Performance and English followed by a Masters in Acting at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, receiving the first post graduate full bursary funding. On graduating, Lisa toured extensively for 7 years across the UK and Europe in acting roles, from Shakespeare to Soap Opera, in Stratford Upon Avon and Manchester to London. Lisa’s career highlight was 100 shows playing Marianne Dashwood in the stage premier of Sense and Sensibility. Whilst building up her TV and film work presenting for BBC London and playing a lead in a British Television Award winning film, Lisa began teaching and directing. Lisa taught Acting, Voice Theory and LAMDA for Italia Conti for 8 years and has directed and run numerous youth theatres including Snap, Trestle, and our now twice National Theatre Connections selected Best Youth Theatre.
Lisa has worked as a role actor and corporate workshop facilitator for over 20 years specialising in 'Conflict Management'. Clients include the NHS, Barclays Bank, Tetra Pak and the Police.
After working on numerous mental health and wellbeing projects for theatre companies, councils and charities as a performer, writer and director Lisa set up Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company in 2007, with the aim to involve, inform and inspire people to lead happier lives and her work has reached over ½ million young people.
The Feelgood Factor Teacher
ANDREW MALLEN
Andrew has worked as an actor, director, musician, and composer on commercial and educational briefs that span a huge variety of contexts over many years. In the commercial sphere, he has devised shows for the Minnack Theatre in Cornwall, directed Shakespeare, classic children’s theatre, touring comedy shows and celebrity pantomimes. As a composer, he has published twenty-two songs which have charted globally and have toured as a musician with Nick Heyward and Yusuf Blayachi among others.
Andrew is also a teacher and the artistic director in residence at the Elstree Screen Arts academy. Here, he teaches acting, acting for screen, singing, piano and musical theatre as well as producing numerous high end school shows, showcases and reviews. Part of his remit at the school has been as a conduit to the performing arts industry and as such he has brought in agents, film studio executives and fellow professional performers to enrich, and make relevant, the skills and realities of the industry.
At the core of his work is a belief in nurturing participation and personal investment in the arts through meaningful experience and tangible skills development, in which drama is an incredibly useful and powerfully immediate tool.
