MIFF: Miranda Harcourt – Acting-Up

Praised by actor Nicole Kidman as “intuitive, unique, amazing” and by director Peter Jackson as "at the top of her field", acclaimed acting coach Miranda Harcourt has coached many Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA award-nominated-and-winning screen performances, including actors Juliette Binoche and Dev Patel, while also working with such directors as Jane Campion, Morten Tyldum, Gaylene Preston and Garth Davis. Recent Australia/NZ films Harcourt has worked on include Judy & Punch, Dirt Music, Vai and the MIFF Premiere Fund-supported Buoyancy; recent international titles include films The Aftermath and Leave No Trace, and TV series This Country, Big Little Lies and The Undoing.

In the workshops, Harcourt introduces simple but innovative ways of achieving great performances with tools and exercises for use in rehearsal and on set that get actors to where they need to be—fast—along with the concepts Connection, White Space, Internal Landscape, Vista and Objects. Harcourt’s coaching is enriched by her work at the international forefront of Verbatim theatre with real voices and real texts.

Session 1: Directors Working with Actors (Wed 14th Aug; 9:30am–3:30pm)
Supported by real-world examples and clips, Harcourt discusses how the director’s relationship with actors can thrive; she reveals rehearsal techniques and on-set approaches, and teaches quick and simple ways to empower actors and achieve directorial vision.

Session 2: Actors Working with Directors (Thurs 15th Aug; 9:30am–3:30pm)
With practical exercises, clips and real examples, Harcourt introduces fresh concepts and approaches to help actors deliver fresh, connected and alive performances, meeting the director’s vision and maximising the actor’s own offering.