You may think acting is all about memorising and reciting lines, but international choreographer Steve Kirkham proves otherwise.

Mr Kirkham, from UK based theatre company Frantic Assembly, has spent his career teaching thespians how movement can be used to enhance a performance.

Choreographing productions in the UK and internationally since 1998, Mr Kirkham’s biggest claim to fame was serving as assistant choreographer on the set of blockbuster film ‘World War Z’, starring Brad Pitt, where he spent six months working to perfect the zombey’s moves. Although the project was “very hard work”, he described it as being “an amazing time”.

Mr Kirkham was recently on island hosting workshops for students involved in the last Bermuda Shakespeare School’s Festival (BSSF).

Through a series of hands-on exercises, Mr Kirkham taught middle and high school students how to explore the physical side of theatre.

“We don’t tend to work with text,” he said. “What I want them to do is think differently from what they would normally about theatre. Each school or group can develop a way of working and sometimes that is great, but sometimes you want to push them to see a bigger picture and think outside the box to integrate movement into their work.”

BSSF Chairwoman Conchita Ming said the students responded very well to the workshops.

“They have loved it and I think it has been very different for them,” she explained. “They have been very involved, enthusiastic and creative by taking what Steve has taught them and trying it out for themselves.”

Eleven-year-old Yassine Chentouf, from Somersfield Academy, said he learned some useful tips from the workshop.

“It taught me how to be more aware of how I use my body and body language and things like that,” he said.

Founded in 1994, Frantic Assembly is an award-winning theatre group, which is known for creating thrilling, energetic and unforgettable theatre. The company has performed, created and collaborated in 30 different countries across the world.

They also operate an extensive Learn & Train programme, which introduces 6,000 participants a year to its process of creating theatre in a wide variety of settings.

Jo Shane, the drama facilitator of BSSF, heard about the company from a former Saltus drama teacher, who is currently working in China. Frantic Assembly was teaching a workshop at the school in Shanghai and the drama teacher thought students on the island would also benefit from their sessions.

Ms Shane said: “When I told the drama teachers we were trying to get Frantic Assembly to come down they were very excited because a lot of them had heard of their work.”

She hoped local students walked away from the workshops with more confidence to experiment with theatre.

“What we are hoping is they can really use what they are learning in these three hours to devise pieces of theatre to use in their exams,” she said. “A lot of these students we are seeing have to make up short plays and this knowledge will help them to put it together and just gives them a way in to learn some tools linking movement together to make a sequence that works and is truthful to what they are doing.”

The recent workshops are an example of BSSF’s commitment to providing youth with exposure to professional theatre.

BSSF is a registered charity, which hosts a popular, annual Shakespeare Festival showcasing the talents of local youth. They also offer scholarships, which support further education in the arts.

Useful websites: http://www.franticassembly.co.uk/