The Way of Transformation (The Laban-Malmgren System of Dramatic Character Analysis)

The dissertation is a 'critical edition' of a system of actor training based on three main sources: a vocabulary of movement analysis developed by Rudolf Laban in the last years of his life; C. G. Jung's theory of psychological functions and types; and the acting system of C. Stanislavski and his main followers. The three strands were brought together by the dancer and acting teacher Yat Malmgren (1916-2002), who taught his system for over forty years to some of the major figures of world theatre and film: Peter Brook, Pierce Brosnan, Simon Callow, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Adrian Noble among others. The dissertation is presented in two volumes: - Volume I sets the system in context, historically as well as in terms of current discourses about the nature of acting. It includes a survey of its origins, followed by an in-depth examination of its three main sources, focusing on the central concept of energy in acting. Further chapters describe: a. a systematic, step-by-step psychophysical approach to analysing character, the actor's own self and to ways of bridging the two in the process of transformation. The author captures the salient features of a method of work which informs aspects of Western acting practice. b. the light thrown by the system on the idea of theatre character. The author puts forward the idea of a character 'independent' of both actor and text. c. the applications of the system in training and professional practice, based on interviews with a number of prominent British actors and directors. - Volume II consists of a detailed, annotated description of the system. It is based on a free transcript of recordings of Yat Malmgren's teaching and amounts to a 'manual' for those interested in studying and/or teaching the system. The volume is illustrated throughout. Appendices include original materials derived from Laban's last years of work, published here for the first time

Acting the metaphor: the Laban–Malmgren system of movement psychology and character analysis

The article discusses certain features of The Laban-Malmgren System of Movement Psychology and Character Analysis, an influential actor training methodology which has helped to shape the thinking and work of some of the most expressive actors of our time, including Anthony Hopkins, Colin Firth, Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy. The System is an original synthesis of Rudolf Laban’s late-career ideas on movement, Jungian typology and Stanislavskian physical action, brought together by the dancer and acting teacher Yat Malmgren (1916-2002). The System continues to be taught in conservatoires and University drama departments across the world. The distinguishing feature of the System is the direct link it posits between physical (Motion Factors - Laban) and psychological (Mental Factors - Jung) concepts, from which it develops a classification of character and action into ‘Inner and Action Attitudes. The article outlines the principal pedagogical approach of the System, the ‘scenario’, modelled on the work of the American solo performer Ruth Draper; it also illustrates the application of the System in professional practice. The article considers the System from the perspective of Metaphorical Concept Theory (Lakoff and Johnson). Finally, the article describes the outcomes of the training in a transformation-oriented acting mode defined as ‘attenuated Expressionism’