LordToSergeantLARPer

“What are you saying?”. The greatest piece of acting advice ever given to me, simply “what are you saying?”. But what does that mean? Well simply put, you shouldn’t need to explain “well I want that phone because I need to text my grandfather who has lost his keys, and without said keys he can’t get his pills, and if he doesn’t get his pills my entire world will collapse there and then!”… yeah no. That is not how our brains work in conversation, if you know you need the phone to do that, just say “I need the phone”, the intention should be behind it but we should never over complicate these things. 

My name is Luke, I am an actor and a very recent graduate into the world of LARP. I’m here to talk about an interesting revelation which has occurred to me, how LARP is the perfect somatic tool for the actor. I will of course do a post soon as to who I am more personally, but for now, this is my way of introducing myself to the world.

The paradoxical question of acting is we always want to portray the truth, we always want to respond in the moment… yet our job 9 times out of 10 requires us to repeat the same lines, the same blocking night after night, over and over again and make it appear as if it’s the first time for the audience. If anything our job is that of consistency, can I consistently deliver this emotion so it conveys to my scene partner and the 500 people watching. But then comes the paradox… how can I truly be truthful with such repetition, inevitably we fall into habits, or even sometimes we get bored of the role. 

I began to find myself falling into a trap, I would enjoy the beginning stages of a character, knowing them, becoming them. But by the 3rd, maybe 4th performance I’d begin to suffer from a serious case of déjà vu. 

My life and approach to my work changed on my MA at East 15, specifically through the Living History Project. If you’re an East 15 veteran, you either just had your insides crawl out of you or you are filled with nostalgic excitement. 

What is living history? Reenactment? No, far from it. The basic premise is you create a character in a historical time period (it usually has to be a time of conflict), and you must exist as truthfully as possible, as totally as you can. Not an easy task.

Our living history was set in a British Civilian Internment Camp during the 2nd World War. My character, Lord Alistair Norman Syme, was a “peace activist” who opposed the war and despised Communism, as well as having a slightly apocalyptic worldview. We would be in character for the better part of 48 hours, except sleeping, and would have to exist, just exist. In preparation we undertook intense research into the period, I myself was fortunate in that the period is one I have a particular interest in. Crafting Syme was a joyful experience, from the big things such as attaching importance to a solder statue which was a final gift from one of his brothers in the Great War to the small things like he didn’t like marmalade (sorry Paddington). Even a freak last minute change of Syme being married to another character in camp somehow worked with the set up I had created. 

Now some of you may be thinking this sounds a lot like “method acting”, and it’s definitely close. However, living history, at least the way the MA does it, had very clear cut rules enforced by “guardians”. There was a fighting mechanic, a kissing mechanic and even a sex mechanic. All of these ensure two things, number one is that everyone has agreed to an unwritten contract on the rules establishing safety and security among you. Secondly, if anyone breaks the contract there is no debate to be had, the rule was broken and real world consequences will apply. 

Now this would become a 20 page article if I discussed everything which happened in the event, maybe if people want I will share this one day, but suffice to say the weekend happened, and I experienced an acting metamorphosis. I am a person who does not cry, I find it very hard… I cried for 10 minutes straight after the end. That’s how I knew this had been something special. 

Now after the event, I didn’t know how to regulate what had happened, and I couldn’t understand why. Syme was nothing like me, yet I loved him and understood him on such a deep and intimate level. Then one of my classmates said something “we’ve basically just done LARP…”. Then it dawned. Yes we had!!! 

I felt a fire had been ignited within me, this was something I loved and needed in my life, a feeling which clearly couldn’t be replicated elsewhere. It made me a better and more aware actor over one weekend, that’s when I remembered Legion: Siberian Story. 

I had first encountered this and the idea of LARP through the Youtuber Lindybeige around 9 years ago and I was instantly intrigued. But I never quite had the push to do it. Partly life related, partly money but mostly because I still wasn’t in touch with who I truly am yet. Living History changed that for me, Living History has changed my life. 

Within a week I had applied, and thank God I got a spot! It was different to be given a character rather than create one, but my character Karel Novák was beautifully written (as are all the other characters in the LARP), and I applied all the tools from Living History to help build him up into my Karel Novák. I also began to notice within the rules such similarities to Living History, for example the sex mechanic being almost identical. 

As I’m writing this it hasn’t even been a week since I marched through Siberia, I wouldn’t have exchanged it for the world. It was perfect. Beautiful. Incredible. I’ve described it as “living history on steroids”. If people want I will happily write a review of my journey! 

So where am I going with this, well. Again I have never felt so attached to a character as I was with Novák. I could just be him, exist as him and respond from moment to unanticipated moment to my co-players… sounds familiar right? That’s because that’s exactly what the actor’s job is supposed to be. 

I had an interesting conversation after the game with some of my co-players, a player asked me as an actor how LARP compared to “normal acting”. My response was genuine and honest “you all just acted more truthfully and honestly than most actors do 90% of the time”.

Now how you prepare for your character, on stage and in LARP is up to you, I greatly believe there’s no right answer, only your right way of doing it. You can apply Stanizlavski technique or Uta Hagen technique or even Meisner technique to prepare for a LARP. You can also do none of those things, what is important is how you respond in the moment! The most magical moments in the LARP came from no planning, they are moments which just happened just like how normal human beings respond. We don’t function by looking at the phone and thinking about the grandfather and all the pills stuff, we just get that phone in the most direct way possible… unless you’re some Machiavellian schemer in which case you do you. 

Now some people may think what I’m saying is sacrilegious to the art of acting, and that LARP is a selfish form. After all it’s entirely for you and your co-players. But actors are naturally selfish, why else would we endure this industry if we didn’t LOVE what we do when it’s so good. And how is experiencing a character, whether they be stuck in an internment camp or marching through war torn Siberia any less true and honest if there were 500 people watching. 

LARP is acting! Is acting LARP?… I leave that question to you. 

This has been my first blog… ever… after my first official LARP… ever. Expect more soon. 

Bye bye now.