ACTING

Sophie Fiennes' richly detailed and immersive film offers privileged access to the vital experience of making theatre with pioneering practitioners Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod of the ground breaking international theatre company Cheek By Jowl.

ACTING TRAILER

In a derelict mansion on the outskirts of London, we witness eight actors - four Macbeths and four Lady Macbeths - work in pairs to investigate Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy.

Cheek by Jowl is the international theatre company of Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod. Its landmark productions, performed in more than 50 countries in the 44 years since the company was founded, have influenced the creation of theatre and the experience of audiences the world over. Actors including Adrian Lester, Tom Hiddleston, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, David Morrissey, Gwendoline Christie and Matthew Macfadyen all developed their talent working with Cheek by Jowl in their early careers.

Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod and the cast of ACTING (2024)

Donnellan’s new publication, THE ACTOR AND THE SPACE (2024), is described by Cate Blanchett as, “a hand grenade of a book.” His best-selling first book, THE ACTOR AND THE TARGET, was recently referenced by actor Jeremy Strong (Succession) in GQ magazine as one of the ten things he cannot live without, sending it viral almost 20 years after publication.

Cheek By Jowl

"Describing an actor’s process is notoriously tricky; Acting instantly soars to the top of the class. Observing as the blood is pumped into Shakespeare’s Scottish Play is a privilege awarded by Cheek By Jowl’s collaboration with Fiennes." SCREEN DAILY 2024

Sophie Fiennes

"The setting of Twyford Abbey is dramatic, but Shakespeare’s text is also haunted by the ghosts of actors and audiences who have passed through it, and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future." Sophie Fiennes

"Donnellan leads, probes, questions, pushes, drilling into the fundamental skills of the craft." SCREEN DAILY

"What does a cheek suggest – and what a jowl? When the rough is close to the smooth, the harsh to the gentle, the provocative to the welcoming, this company’s very special flavour appears. Over the years, Declan and Nick have opened up bold and innovative ways of work and of working in Britain and across the world." Peter Brook on Cheek by Jowl

WORLD PREMIERE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AUGUST 2024 ( EIFF)

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM NOVEMBER 2024 (IDFA)

IDFA

"ACTING brims with ideas, fearless performances and emotion." Paul Ridd, EIFF Artistic Director.

SALES: shanihinton@me.com LOVE FOR SALE FILMS

FESTIVALS: martin@lonestarproductions.co.uk

Credits:

AMOBEA FILM LTD