Yat Malmgren
Encyclopedia
Yat Malmgren was a Swedish dancer and acting teacher, born in Gävle
, Sweden
to Gustaf Sigurd Eriksson and Signe Emma Maria Malmgren.
Born as Gert Olof Sigurd Eriksson, he changed his surname due to a strained relationship with his father to Malmgren, which was his mother's maiden name. He became known as Yat rather than Gert when he lived in England because of difficulties with the Swedish pronunciation of the name.
Malmgren was a key figure at the Drama Centre London; his teaching approach drew from the applied psychology of movement developed by Rudolf Laban
, with whom he collaborated. Malmgren's method of character development is concerned with a technique for expressing the inner state of a character through movement and is a synthesis of Laban's theory of movement expression, C.G. Jung's character types (published in 1923) and key principles of acting established by Konstantin Stanislavski.
There are no official published works on Malmgren's method. However, the system is described in detail in two PhD theses. The first, entitled "The Way of Transformation (The Laban – Malmgren System of Character Analysis)" is by Vladimir Mirodan, Principal of the Drama Centre, 2001-2011. This thesis is available online through the ETHoS system of the British library and can be found here: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.285166.
The second, entitled "The Knowing Body: Meaning and method in Yat Malmgren's actor training technique" is by Janys Hayes and is available online (see below).
Several institutions around the world teach the method developed by Malmgren, which has come to be known as the "Yat" method. These institutions include the Drama Centre
, Gothenburg University
- where he became an honorary doctor, Australia's National Institute for Dramatic Art, Sydney; and The University of Wollongong
. His work also influences training in Israel, Peru, Iran, Brazil, Iceland, and the USA amongst many others.
Malmgren taught a number of famous actors including: Sean Connery
, Pierce Brosnan
, Colin Firth
, Anthony Hopkins
, Andrew Tiernan
, Geraldine James
, Helen McCrory
, Paul Bettany
, Russell Brand
, Anne-Marie Duff
, John Simm
, Sean Harris
, and Andrew Pleavin
.
Gävle
Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to Gustaf Sigurd Eriksson and Signe Emma Maria Malmgren.
Born as Gert Olof Sigurd Eriksson, he changed his surname due to a strained relationship with his father to Malmgren, which was his mother's maiden name. He became known as Yat rather than Gert when he lived in England because of difficulties with the Swedish pronunciation of the name.
Malmgren was a key figure at the Drama Centre London; his teaching approach drew from the applied psychology of movement developed by Rudolf Laban
Rudolf Laban
Rudolf von Laban aka Rudolf Laban was a dance artist and theorist whose work laid the foundations for Laban Movement Analysis and other more specific developments in dance notation...
, with whom he collaborated. Malmgren's method of character development is concerned with a technique for expressing the inner state of a character through movement and is a synthesis of Laban's theory of movement expression, C.G. Jung's character types (published in 1923) and key principles of acting established by Konstantin Stanislavski.
There are no official published works on Malmgren's method. However, the system is described in detail in two PhD theses. The first, entitled "The Way of Transformation (The Laban – Malmgren System of Character Analysis)" is by Vladimir Mirodan, Principal of the Drama Centre, 2001-2011. This thesis is available online through the ETHoS system of the British library and can be found here: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.285166.
The second, entitled "The Knowing Body: Meaning and method in Yat Malmgren's actor training technique" is by Janys Hayes and is available online (see below).
Several institutions around the world teach the method developed by Malmgren, which has come to be known as the "Yat" method. These institutions include the Drama Centre
Drama Centre
Drama Centre London is a British drama school in King's Cross, London, where it recently relocated after a major reshaping of the university. The school is part of the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design of the University of the Arts London and is a member of the Conference of Drama...
, Gothenburg University
Gothenburg University
The University of Gothenburg is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg.- Character :The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest Swedish university, and with 24,900 full-time students it is also among the largest universities in the Nordic countries...
- where he became an honorary doctor, Australia's National Institute for Dramatic Art, Sydney; and The University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong
The University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
. His work also influences training in Israel, Peru, Iran, Brazil, Iceland, and the USA amongst many others.
Malmgren taught a number of famous actors including: Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
, Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
, Andrew Tiernan
Andrew Tiernan
Andrew James Tiernan is an English actor.-Theatre:Tiernan began acting with the Birmingham Youth Theatre and moved to London in 1984 to study a three-year Diploma in Acting at the Drama Centre London run by Christopher Fettes and Yat Malmgren...
, Geraldine James
Geraldine James
Geraldine James, OBE is an English actress.-Early life and family:James was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father...
, Helen McCrory
Helen McCrory
Helen Elizabeth McCrory is a British actress. She portrayed Cherie Blair in both the 2006 film The Queen and the 2010 film The Special Relationship. She also portrayed Narcissa Malfoy in the final three Harry Potter films....
, Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
, Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
, Anne-Marie Duff
Anne-Marie Duff
Anne-Marie Duff is an English actress best known for playing Fiona Gallagher in Shameless, and Elizabeth I in The Virgin Queen.-Early life:...
, John Simm
John Simm
John Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television...
, Sean Harris
Sean Harris
Sean Harris is a British actor, who is best known for his performance as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in the film 24 Hour Party People. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk, where he lived until he was 23....
, and Andrew Pleavin
Andrew Pleavin
Andrew Pleavin is an English actor known for his appearances in the TV film Attila, Unstoppable, Batman Begins, Attack of the Gryphon, Return to House on Haunted Hill and his roles in the British police dramas Messiah III: the Promise and the Bill...
.