You’re either SWAT, or you’re NOT

And so goes the Mantra, you’re either one of the elite chosen ones, or you’re not.

About two thousand years ago now, I published an audio blog on YouTube about why I think Method Acting doesn’t work and why I think it’s a waste of time.

The response was overwhelmingly negatively and aggressive.

Of course, like all heretics, questioning the dominant ideology is bound to get you in trouble. But I wasn’t doing it out of badness, I was suggesting that there ought to be another way, an alternative to the Method hokum that dominates still.

Well, maybe now I’m suggesting that we are SWAT, why? Because what we teaches actually makes people into better actors!

Well, they called me a lot of names. Ignorant, arrogant and misinformed. Those were the nice ones! They announce that I shouldn’t teach acting, because of… well pick a reason really..

But overwhelmingly the comments still say, if you’re not Method, you must be advocating that cold, dead stiff upper lip acting that you Brits are renowned for. Leaving aside the number of Brit Oscar and Emmy winners, it would seem that in the world of acting you’re either SWAT, or you’re nothing.

Because if you’re not Method, you’re considered to be inferior.

And it’s bull.

Our way of working derives from Stanislavski just like Method and is influenced by the same Stanislavski-Boleslavski-Group Theatre lineage as theirs, but then we part company.

Someone with 25 years acting coaching experience recently criticised me as knowing nothing at all about acting, but then I can understand the response, cos if I’d wasted 25 years of my life fannying about as a charlatan, preying on actor’s insecurities and taking money for old rope, I’d be pretty defensive too!

Method acting doesn’t work. Those actors we call Method actors can win all the prizes in the world, they didn’t use a day of their training to earn them. They used their common sense.

There are alternatives to the Method, and insulting me won’t stop the fact that what we teach works.

And if you’re thinking of wasting more of your time and money on Method acting classes in London, New York, Los Angeles or anywhere else, think again. Those classes will leave you out of pocket and insult your intelligence.

Can you hear me Brian?