Machinal

Directed by Shani Erez and Anna Haley and written by Sophie Treadwell, it explores the oppressive existence of Helen, a young woman in the industrialised early twentieth century in the USA. The play culminates in her trial and execution by electrocution after she confesses she killed her husband.

Machinal was a highly technical and musical spectacle; it required high precision regarding physicality from the actors. As a Movement Director, I worked with them on their sense of rhythm and precision as part of the ensemble and the particularity of each character. I coached 1-1 sessions to help them with the embodiment process, and I choreographed dance scenes and transitions. We create the movement language of the play around an industrialised, mechanical versus loving and free atmosphere. "Machinal" was the final show of the MA Acting program at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in the Winter of 2023.