The Work
A neurodivergent approach to acting.
What if the sentiment “Shakespeare is meant to be performed, not read” applied to all plays and not just Shakespeare?
What if we could approach the performing arts as our ancestors did, letting go of rigid plot and character analysis, and instead embracing the flow of story synthesis?
What if, by simply surrendering to the empathy and intuition of your subconscious and immersing yourself in the given circumstances of the character, you could allow their impulses and instincts to grow naturally, and discover nuance and spontaneity? A performance that feels real rather than trying to be right. This is where true transformation begins.
These classes are about learning to trust that process. By merging The ‘Y’ Method with the Travis Technique, we’ll explore what it means to fully inhabit a character, tapping into authentic, unselfconscious performance that’s not forced, but in flow.
This is not traditional actor training. It’s a space where curiosity leads, not controlled pre-shaped ideas. Where your intuitive empathy isn’t a challenge to “manage” but a tool to harness, amplifying presence, spontaneity, and emotional truth.
The core of acting is to wonder into why, and surrender into flow. This is where the ‘Y’ Method begins not with technique, but with curiosity. Here, we don’t control the moment, we listen to it. We don’t act from the outside in, but from the inside out. Wonder becomes our compass. Flow becomes organic. And from this place, the actor doesn’t perform, they become.
Through The ‘Y’ Method, we move beyond scripts and structure to explore intuition, wonder, and connection. It’s acting from the inside out. No masking. No pretending. Just raw, responsive, deeply human work.
I’ve gone deep into the history of performance especially through the lens of neurodivergence and honestly, what I found would shock you and I guarantee you’d be just as utterly fucked off as I am. For thousands of years, neurodivergent individuals naturally belonged in the arts. We were recognised for having innate gifts, empathy, vulnerability, emotional expressiveness, imagination, and childlike curiosity. There was no technique. No script analysis. No beats, objectives, or strong choices. Just presence, play, and total surrender to the moment. Actors were left to their own creative subconscious, and audiences were in awe of them laughing, crying, and feeling deeply moved. Theatre became a space that gave people permission to express what they themselves had suppressed. But then it changed. Neurotypicals wanted in on the magic. Directors started craving the spotlight too. Slowly, performance became less about authentic expression and more about control and predictability. The organic, intuitive nature of acting gave way to structured outcomes and technique heavy training. The shift from representational to presentational acting had begun. Over time, neurodivergent performers were slowly pushed out, not because they lacked ability, but because their unpredictable authenticity made others uncomfortable. Their work couldn’t be neatly replicated or controlled, and that scared people. Instead of embracing that raw truth, the industry doubled down on technique. Presentational acting didn’t just take over, it got bigger, louder, more performative. It became about appearance over essence, polish over presence. The subtle, intuitive, emotionally honest work that neurodivergent actors brought to the stage became a threat to the system and so it was sidelined. But not everywhere. Some theatre companies, though, kept the old flame alive. One in particular was the Die Meininger, a German ensemble that toured Europe and shook the theatre world to its core. In 1885, Stanislavski saw the Meininger Ensemble perform in Moscow. He was blown away by their cohesion and truth, not actors trying to shine, but a unified organism. That moment launched his lifelong quest to replicate what he’d witnessed. When he eventually met Demidov, he began to understand the subconscious: the why behind the how. Here’s the kicker: Stanislavski was essentially trying to build a system to help neurotypicals reach the level of performance that neurodivergent artists had been doing naturally for centuries. And since then, dozens of acting methods have emerged, all trying to codify something that was never meant to be tamed. And in doing so, they’ve pushed neurodivergent actors to the margins, forcing them to adapt to a system that doesn’t recognise or support how we work best. I recently attended an international workshop on Demidov Etudes, paid $400 for it, and realised the exercises were basically a simplified version of the WHY Method I’ve developed. It was frustrating, but also incredibly affirming. It confirmed what we’ve built here is not only valid, but necessary. So here’s what’s next: I’m moving classes back online, but this time they’ll be more structured, more focused, and fully grounded in the WHY Method. No more trying to fit into outdated models. This is for neurodivergent creatives who’ve been told they don’t belong, and for anyone who feels like there’s something deeper waiting just beneath the surface. We’d honestly love to have you in the next online session. You were part of the roots of this whole thing, even before it had a name, and your presence would be absolutely wonderful. Big love and big thanks again, Carl
Foundational Techniques
Before we can break the rules, we need to understand them. The first phase of the work explores time-honoured techniques drawn from teachers like Meisner, Stanislavski, Adler, and Hagen. These approaches give actors a solid ground to stand on, structure, awareness, and the tools to begin listening truthfully.
But this isn’t about dogma. It’s about discovering what resonates, what awakens something real. We’ll explore repetition, given circumstances, objectives, and sensory work, not to perform them, but to feel what’s alive within them. This is the soil where everything else can grow.
The Travis Technique
When it’s time to step into rehearsing the performance, the Travis Technique sharpens the edge. Building on the openness of The ‘Y’ Method, this phase introduces emotional presence , drawing from memory not for pain, but for power.
You’ll learn how to spark emotion with precision, using rehearsed triggers that feel instinctive in the moment. It’s a way to honour the depth of your work without carrying the weight of personal history onstage.
This isn’t about acting out—it’s about acting through. Fully alive. Fully present. Every night.
The 'Y' Method
Once you’ve laid the groundwork, we begin to shift. The WHY Method isn’t about imposing a performance, it’s about uncovering one. Rooted in curiosity, intuition, and embodied listening, this approach invites you to meet the character through your own wonder, not through analysis.
Instead of forcing choices, we let the scene breathe. We follow the flickers, the impulses, the expectations, the moments that surprise even you. It’s less about control and more about connection. You’ll learn to trust the moment and surrender to you creativity.
THE ‘Y’ METHOD
In the depths of my own journey with a neurodivergent mind, I found an unconventional path to learning, one that revolved around understanding the profound essence of a character before anything else. It wasn't until I encountered Simon Sinek's book, "Starting with Why," that I unearthed the realisation that my innate approach aligned with his concept. In that moment, the seed of what would later become the ‘Y’ Method was planted.
The ‘Y’ Method isn’t just a technique, it’s a philosophy. One that invites you to uncover the deeper purpose behind every line you deliver.
This method guides you beyond surface performance and into a state of flow, where intuition, truth, and presence merge. Here, acting becomes less about effort and more about alignment. You think less about being ‘right’ and more about being ‘real’. You don’t perform the role; you become it.
With the ‘Y’ Method, you receive instant biofeedback. You’ll know, not by approval or applause, but by internal resonance, whether you’re in flow or forcing it. When you’re out of sync, you’ll feel it. And when you’re in it, you’ll drop effortlessly into authenticity.
This quiet knowing liberates you from the need for external validation. It fosters intuitive self-trust, grounding your work in purpose and making your presence, on stage or screen, compelling and real.
The Travis Technique
Alongside the WHY Method, this masterclass incorporates The Travis Technique, an approach that reframes how actors engage with text and character relationships. By using directorial insight and subconscious-driven performance, you will learn to construct a scene from the inside out, rather than imposing structure externally. You will gain an instinctive understanding of blocking and movement, guided by emotional truth rather than mechanics. You will break through habitual choices, allowing spontaneity and depth to emerge.
