Beyond the stomp: the Nobbs Suzuki Praxis as an Australian variant of the Suzuki Method of Actor Training

Abstract

This article provides a brief overview of the Nobbs Suzuki Praxis (NSP), an Australian variant of the Suzuki Method of Actor Training (SMAT) developed by John Nobbs in collaboration with Jacqui Carroll from the mid-1990s onwards. After a brief introduction to SMAT and the context in which NSP evolved from it, the article outlines NSP’s key differences in exercise practice and design, particularly in the use of signature physical and vocal tools, and the increased use of structured improvisation within NSP formats. It goes on to examine two concepts specific to NSP – ‘feeling’ and ‘opposites and paradox’ – and outlines how these enable advanced engagement with the training, especially the cultivation of a heightened awareness of self and the performance environment. The article concludes (with reference to Crothers 2021, 36) by suggesting that NSP adds softness to and is a more playful version of SMAT. By providing room for invention and creativity, NSP embeds creative application of SMAT’s principles within the training itself, rather than seeing it as part of a separate rehearsal process.