“For over 45 years, East 15 Acting School has produced actors, directors, and teachers of the highest calibre.
East 15 grew from the work of Joan Littlewood's famed Theatre Workshop. Much of the Littlewood approach was based upon the theories of Stanislavski, and the company inherited the socially committed spirit of the Unity Theatre movement, which brought many new voices into British Theatre for the first time. Theatre Workshop broke new ground, re-interpreting the classics for a modern age, commissioning new plays from socially committed writers, and creating an ensemble capable of inventing new work, such as the now legendary Oh What a Lovely War. Littlewood created a wonderful ensemble, who combined inspired, improvisational brilliance with method, technique, research, text analysis, and the expression of real emotions. Over the years, new training methods were evolved to strip actors of affectations, attitudes, ego trips. The quest was always to search for truth: of oneself, the character, the text.
In pursuit of these objectives, students are given a sound basis for character development and textual analysis – including the theories of Michael Chekhov, Rudolp Laban, Grotowski and other important contemporary influences”.
www.east15.ac.uk
Middlesex University
Prior to taking up the role at East 15, Leon was Professor of Drama and Theatre Arts at Middlesex University, London. At Middlesex University he had earlier been Head of Drama and Theatre Arts and in recent years created and ran a world famous MA and MFA in Theatre Directing that recruited students from over 25 countries and has former students directing and running theatres worldwide. The programme moved with him to East 15 where it now runs.
Gitis
Leon is the first foreigner to be given the title of Honorary Professor at the distinguished GITIS Academy in Moscow.
Other
Over the past 20 years he has lectured, trained actors and conducted masterclasses worldwide with many universities and institutions. Some of his posts have included:
Visiting Professor, Hong Kong University
Visiting Professor, Hong Kong University
Visiting Professor, Tamagawa University, Japan
Director, British Council International Theatre Directing Course
Special Lecturer, Bristol University, Drama Department
Co-Director of intensive acting and verse speaking techniques for the Stratford Festival, Canada
Guest Lecturer, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Visiting Professor of Drama at the University of Kansas City, USA
Guest Lecturer, Central School of Art and Design London
Part-time lecturer in English Literature and Theatre Studies, McMaster University, Canada
International Training/Lecturing
In addition to the above roles, Leon has taught short courses or individual sessions for many other Universities:
Script Masterclass and workshop, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Acting audition workshop, Coventry University
Directorial approach to Shakespeare’s Pericles, McMaster University, Canada
The State of British Theatre Training, lecture, British Council, Taiwan
Shakespeare Workshop series, British Council, Taiwan
Shakespeare Masterclasses and Workshops, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Actor Training in the UK, public lecture, Nagoya, Japan
Theatre in the UK, seminar, University of the Philippines
Shakespeare on the Modern Stage, lecture, Catholic University, Santiago, Chile
Film as Pedagogy, lecture, Hong Kong University
The Modern British Stage, lecture, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan
Modern British Theatre, lecture/workshop Thammasat University, Thailand
Shakespeare Acting Masterclasses, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts et Techniques du Theatre, Paris
Shakespeare Acting Masterclasses: Real Escuela Superior Arte Dramatico, Madrid
Shakespeare Masterclass: GITIS Russian Theatre Academy, Moscow
National Theatre of Korea, lecture, Measure for Measure
Workshop on Twelfth Night, GITIS Russian Theatre Academy, Moscow
Acting Shakespeare workshops/seminar Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, classes on Modern British Theatre and Shakespeare
Bristol University, lecture on Artistic Directions
British Council, lectures on Shakespearean Verse, Hong Kong
Nijmigen University, Holland, Shakespeare workshop
Leiden University, Holland, Shakespeare lecture
Queen`s University, Northern Ireland, lecture on Directing in Ireland
Salford University, lecture/workshops on Shakespeare
Birmingham University, lecture on Directing
London University, Shakespeare workshop
International Shakespeare Congress
University of Kansas City, USA, lectures on Nicholas Nickleby
Actors Centre, London, various lectures/workshops
American Theatre Association, USA, lecture on Shakespeare
Newcastle University, lectures/workshops on Shakespeare
Warwick University, lectures/workshops on Shakespeare
Shakespeare Institute, England, lectures/workshops on RSC productions
University of Tennessee, USA, lectures/workshops on RSC productions
University of Oslo, Norway, lectures/workshops on RSC productions
Furman University, South Carolina, USA, lectures/workshops on RSC productions
Vanderbilt University, USA, lecture on Volpone
External Examining and Validation
Leon has extensive academic validation experience and has served as an External Examiner for numerous universities and academies:
External Examiner/Assessor, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
External Assessor, MA Classical European Acting, Drama Centre, London Arts University
Numerous validation panels in the UK and overseas for Middlesex University. Many subject-areas covered.
External panel specialist for new BA in Directing, The Drama Centre, London Institute
External Examiner, BA Drama, Goldsmiths College, University of London
External Examiner, PhD, National University of Singapore
External Examiner, PhD, University of London, Kings College
Specialist Advisor, MA Acting and MA Directing. Royal Scottish Academy of Drama and Music
External Examiner PhD, Hong Kong University
External Examiner, BA Western Drama and BA Chinese Theatre, National University of Singapore
External Advisor for Validation, MA International Scenography Central St Martins School of Art & Design, London Institute
External Examiner, BA Hons Acting, Rose Bruford Drama School (Validation University of Kent)
International Validation Panel for new theatre degrees, Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation
International Validation Panel, BFA Lighting Design, BFA Sound Design, BFA Sets and Costume Design and BFA Stage Management, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
External Assessor, BA Theatre Studies, Hatfield Polytechnic
External Assessor for Validation Panel, BA Hons Drama and Theatre Studies, Roehampton Institute (Validation Surrey University)