Conducting & Social Justice in Playback Theatre - Two Workshops with Gerry Orkin

Conducting & Social Justice in Playback Theatre - Two Workshops with Gerry Orkin
Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th May 2025

What?
These two stand alone workshops (which can be taken together) are designed to broaden your understanding of the social dimensions of stories in Playback Theatre, and of the complex role of the conductor, the holder of the beating heart of any Playback Theatre performance. See more details on each workshop below.

Why?
Playback Theatre offers a space to explore challenging, complex and sensitive topics with creativity, empathy, and support. Together, we’ll create a nourishing environment where difficult questions and diverse narratives and skills can thrive!

When?
Saturday 17th May, 10am - 6:30pm - The Stories of Some of Us (on social justice in Playback Theatre).

Sunday 18th May, 10am - 5:30pm - Rock and Water (on conducting in Playback Theatre).

Where?
Steps Studio, 90 Hanbury St, London, E1 5JL. This venue has step-free access.

Who for?
The workshops are suitable for those who have completed core training in Playback Theatre (or equivalent), or who have at least 6 months experience in an active Playback Theatre company.

Who by?
These workshops are co-hosted by True Heart Theatre and London Playback Theatre, and facilitated by Gerry Orkin.

Gerry is an Australian playback practitioner whose involvement with Playback Theatre began in 1985. He was an actor, conductor and co-director of Canberra Playback Theatre over a period of 25 years. More recently he directed a Playback company in Wollongong, New South Wales.

Gerry has a special interest in training conductors, bringing artistry to the stage, and helping companies work with the social dimensions of stories. He has led workshops on those topics in Australia, Singapore, Greece, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Portugal.

Gerry is a faculty member and board member of the Australasian School of Playback Theatre and is involved with community building in the region as well as internationally. He has a professional background in social policy and service development, and has worked on issues like homelessness, violence against women and child protection for government and non-government agencies.

How much?
Both workshops - £130

Both workshops Global Majority Scholarship* (4 available) - £110

The Stories of Some of Us (social justice) - £75

The Stories of Some of Us (social justice) Global Majority Scholarship* (4 available) - £65

Rock and Water (conducting) - £70

Rock and Water (conducting) Global Majority Scholarship* (4 available) - £60

*Global Majority Scholarships are available for anyone who identifies as Global Majority, Black, Brown, Asian and/or Mixed Heritage.I 

I have questions before I book

Please email londonplayback@gmail.com and we'll do our best to answer them!

Workshop 1, Saturday 17th May, 10am - 6:30pm: The stories of some of us (on social justice in Playback Theatre)

In Playback Theatre, we hear unique, personal stories, and sometimes those stories have universal themes that resonate deeply with our audiences. But in every audience there sits another kind of story, waiting to be told. Those are the stories shaped by the teller’s social identities and the social forces that have shaped their lives.

Those narratives are not just personal but nor are they universal. They are instead, the stories of only some of us (Freeman and Halley). They are told by those whose voices are often not heard. They inhabit a unique space, reflecting contexts of inequality and injustice (such as racism and sexism), systemic disadvantage and collective trauma.

What ethical considerations must we grapple with if our purpose includes the recognition of injustice and the amplification of excluded and silenced voices and communities? What kind of awareness, and what kind of creative approaches help us to embody those stories? And what does a commitment to social awareness mean for our practice, our companies and the Playback Theatre community?

What We’ll Do Together:

- Work with the social dimensions of our own stories.
- Delve into the concept and practice of sociological imagination.
- Learn to identify and highlight the social contexts of stories, conducting and performing them in ways that are ethical, meaningful, aesthetically rich, and culturally sensitive.
- Discover how Playback Theatre can amplify the voices of those "who suffer and are not heard" (Fox and Dauber, 1999).

Workshop 2, Sunday 18th May, 10am - 5:30pm: Rock and Water (on conducting in Playback Theatre)

Conducting a playback theatre performance is complicated! At the heart of the role is the art of group leadership, which involves meeting the needs of each moment, as well as attending to the different needs of tellers, performers and the audience. With so much going on, how do we create atmosphere, build rapport and hold an inclusive and safe space? And how can we also be spontaneous, curious, sensitive and vulnerable?

When is it time to be like a rock, and when is it better to be like water?

What We’ll Do Together:
In this workshop our exploration of the conductor’s role will occur in the context of the arc of a performance and with reference to the elements of narrative reticulation: story, guidance, atmosphere and spontaneity. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to practise in the role, as well as to tell stories and perform on our stage. Participants will leave the workshop with a deeper understanding of the role, but the workshop is not just for those who already conduct stories in rehearsals or performances. Everyone in playback benefits from a better understanding the complexity of the conductor’s job!

Photo credit: Olandimeji Odunsi