YAT MALMGREN

Yat Mamgren (1916-2002) trained as a dancer in the great tradition of German Expressionist Dance.  From this he inherited the legacy of Rudolf Laban, architect of European Contemporary Dance, who codified a system of analyzing and classifying movement in all its aspects, not only physical, but also its expressive manifestations and psychological impulses.  Malmgren extended these ideas to create a psychological typology which brings together Laban and Stanislavski.  This fusion of internal motivation and expressive technique offers the actor a holistic trainig and the basis for constructing character.  

Drama Centre London was founded by Yat Malmgren, along with Christopher Fettes and John Blatchley in 1963.  It brought some of the major developments in American and European theatre to the training of British and international actors.  In fact, upon its founding it was the only drama school in the country to have an acting class.  It is credited with being the first 'Method' school in Britain, but its true original gift to international theatre was Yat's development of Laban's Movement Psychology into his own study of Character Analysis.  

A partial list of actors trained by Yat Malmgren includes Oscar-winners Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins and Colin Firth, as well as Paul Bettany, Pierce Brosnan, Simon Callow, Anne-Marie Duff, Tara Fitzgerald, Geraldine James, Helen McCrory, John Simm and Penelope Wilton.