The physical neutral state is one of the most crucial elements for character acting and building a character. ‘Neutral’ is the state in which an actor is physically most ready to work.

By achieving neutral for actors, we rid ourselves of any personal physical habits which may inhibit full movement or affect the physicality of any characters.

When creating characters, this state is great to think of as a “blank page”. Your personal habits are removed when in neutral for actors, and you are ready to start adding the specific physical attributes of the character.

These movement techniques and physical warm-up exercises are designed to help you achieve neutral for actors.

This is great work to include in your daily practice, as well as at the beginning of any rehearsal or physical prep work you may undertake.

They are taught and used regularly at drama schools such as RADA, LAMDA, BOVTS and Central, incorporating elements from various drama practitioners and acting practitioners.

So, this is a great way to get a head start on your classes and enhance your skills in physical theatre!

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This sequence has been inspired and simplified by the movement for pure neutral in Movement Training For Actors by Jackie Snow.

Feet

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Slowly roll your heel up so you weight is on the ball of your foot.
• Flick the toes off the floor so the entire foot is lifted with the toes pointing towards the ground.
• Lower back onto the ball of the foot and slowly roll the heel back down until the foot is flat once more.
• Repeat on the other side
• Bend your knees and raise onto the balls of your feet. Place the heels back down.
• Repeat 8 times, then reverse the process.
• Lift onto the balls of your feet. Bend the knees, then lower back onto the heels.
• Straighten the knees

Legs

The ideal state here is to have released knees, as balancing tension is so important in neutral for actors. Not locked, not bent, but somewhere in between. Relaxed and loose. To help you achieve this you can:

• Stretch everything out as far as it will go – the knees, thighs, tummy arms.
• Speak a line of text – “The rain in spain falls mainly on the plane” works great.
• Then release everything. Arms, tummy, thighs and knees. Notice this state of release. You should have wonderfully relaxed knees that aren’t bent but are now free of tension.

Head, Face and Neck

• Start by making big chewing motions, using as much of the face as possible. Start with the motions big and slow and speed up until they’re fast and small.
• Use circular motions to massage all over the face and scalp.
• Stick the tongue out and make the biggest circular motions you can, one way and then the other.
• Use fingertips to tap all over the face and head.

Exercise 1

• Lie down in semi-supine.
• Roll the head to one side, then the other – heavily at first, then more quickly.
• Roll the head forwards to meet the chin to the chest. Make sure the jaw is released and relaxed.
• Roll the head backwards to look at the back wall.
• Repeat 5 times
• Roll the head one way and then the other.

Exercise 2

• Get onto all fours in a tabletop position.
• Circle the neck round and round so the throat is released and the jaw is relaxed.
• Drop the head forwards.
• Circle it round to the right. Drop it again. Circle it round to the left. Repeat.

Undulations

On floor

• Sit on the floor with your knees up.
• Undulate the whole spine over the knees, then roll back up, like a wave
• Repeat

Against wall

• Stand with your back to a wall, feet hip width apart and knees soft. Ensure your back and shoulders are against the wall.
• Peel the spine away, vertebrae by vertebrae until your knees are bent and you are leaning over them.
• Peel the spine back up the wall in the same way.
• Repeat several times and then step away from the wall.

In the space

• Stand in the space with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, and arms loose
• Drop the head slowly until it’s on the chest.
• Roll down the spine, vertebrae by vertebrae, until you are entirely bent down, and your arms are hanging down in front of you.
• Slowly roll back up the spine in the same way, with the head the last thing to come up.

Hips

• Make a big circle with the hips .
• As you circle them allow the torso to follow.
• As the hips go backwards, allow your body to fall forwards.
• As the hips go forwards allow the body to bend backwards – don’t straighten yourself, just follow the natural movements of your body.
• Repeat

Shoulders

• Keeping your arms straight, raise your right hand up in front of you, palm flat and facing outwards.
• Let it drop back to your side.
• Repeat on the left side.
• Do the same thing again, but continue the path, curling your arm until your hand touches your shoulder. Slowly uncurl the arm.
• Repeat on the left side.
• Clasp both arms around you, and rest your hands on your shoulders. Swing your body from left to right.

On the floor

• Lie semi- supine with the arms next to you, palms facing up.
• Lift your arms a couple of inches off the ground for a few seconds. Your hands should be soft and relaxed.
• Raise the arms so the hands are facing each other, almost touching. Lift the shoulders off the ground. Drop them again.
• Slowly raise your arms until they are resting above your head. This should take 40 seconds or so. Reverse the moment until they are back in their original position.
• Then. making sure your middle finger is in contact with the ground, make large semi-circles with the arms, over your head and back again. Just like making snow angels!

Spine

It is a great idea to start this section with another ‘in the space’ undulation – slowly rolling your spine down and back up again. This is your bread and butter in achieving neutral for actors.

Cat/Cow

• Bring yourself to all fours on a table top position.
• Starting at the base of the spine, tuck your head in and slowly curl your spine it is entirely rounded.
• Now slowly uncurl it until you are flat backed again.
• Revers it the other way, leading with the nose and tipping the pelvis, until you belly button is pulled towards the ground and the spine is entirely arched.
• Uncurl it once more and repeat the process a few times.

Camel

• Kneel down, with the knees hip width apart.
• Lift your arms up in front of you, then open them and bring them all the way back to rest on your feet.
• Push your hips forward and let your head fall back

Upper spine

• Point your finger at your chest without touching. Curl your chest away from your finger, as though it is being pushed.
• Now imagine a finger is between your shoulder blade and repeat the movement in the opposite direction.
• Drop your finger and continue to repeat the moment.

Bear and Bird

• Begin in a neutral stance – feet hip-width apart, knees relaxed.
• Release the knees and bring both arms forward in line with the chest while curvig the spine. It should look like you are hugging a ball.
• Release the knees and allow the arms to come around the sides until they are curved behind you and your back is slightly arched.
• Return back to the front following the same route and repeat 8 times.

Ribs

• Bend your knees slightly and lift your right arm to the side, all the way over your head, until you’re stretched all the way over.
• Then swing your arm across your front until it’s back in its neutral position.
• Repeat on the other side.

Bridges

• Lie down in semi-supine.
• Curl the spine upwards, one vertebrae at a time, starting at the pelvis.
• Keep going until the spin is lifted off the floor.
• Slowly lower the spine in the same manner until you are lay back on the floor.
• Repeat several times.
• Then, put your hands above your head and repeat.
• It may take more practice for some but, if you can, place the hands next to the ears and push up into a full bridge.

Cobra

• Lie on your front.
• Bring your hand up to press into the floor by your shoulders.
• Curve your spine up slowly until the upper part of your spine is lifted off the floor.
• Slowly lower back down.

Pelvis

Exercise 1

• Stand in neutral position
• Release the knees and tip the pelvis forwards.
• Bounce the knees twice. On the second bounce, tip the pelvis back so the spine is straight again.
• Bounce the knees twice again. One the second bounce, tip the pelvis back forwards
• Repeat

Exercise 2

• Swing the hips in the biggest circles possible.
• Alternate this with swinging under and out.
• Make large figures of eight with the hips.
• Shake your bottom as hard as possible

Exercise 3

• Lie in semi supine.
• Without lifting the hips off the floor, tilt the pelvis upwards.
• Then tilt it to the left
• Then tilt it to the right.
• Then tilt it back towards the round.
• Repeat multiple times.
• Finish by making fluid circles through these positions on the ground.

Pelvic Thrust

• Lie in semi-supine, with the hips a little further than hip width apart.
• Breathe in and breathe out. As you breathe out thrust the hips off the floor as far as possible. Put the hands on the buttocks to help push them further.
• Place the hands on the floor and hold the position. Breathe naturally.
• Slowly roll the spine down to the floor
• Repeat 3 times.
• Repeat again and this time make very small circles with the pelvis when it is lifted.
• Repeat this exercise with your hands above your head. There is no need to push the buttocks this time.

Spinal Twist.

• Lie in semi-supine
• Cross your right leg all the way over the left thigh – like you’re sitting cross legged.
• Open the arms so they’re stretched out to the sides and look to the left.
• Drop the legs to the right.
• Raise back up and drop the legs to the left.
• Uncross and repeat on the other side.

Hip Circles

• Lie semi-supine
• Raise the knees into the hands.
• Drop the knees wide open to other side of your body.
• Gently circle the legs outwards.
• Change directions.
• Move them all over the place to really loosen the hips.
• Bring the knees back in so they are together and towards your chest and make more circles.

The Actor’s Neutral Stance

Following these steps allows your body to be released of tensions that may cause you to be unbalanced or move in an affected way. This is important for improving your neutral stance – the starting point for any character creation.

In neutral stance, your whole body should be aligned and balanced. Your weight should be distributed evenly, your ankles, hips and shoulders stacked on top of each other, and your spine in alignment, all whilst holding no tension.

This can be difficult to find if we’re used to having tension or imbalance in certain areas of our body.

Check out this video talking about neutral stance so you can explore it further.

Conclusion

And that just about sums up the movement techniques you can use to achieve neutral for actors. If you follow these exercises, you are sure to be loose and ready for character creation and physical transformation.

Regular practice of these exercises will also increase bodily awareness as well as overall suppleness to the body, which are crucial for characterisation in drama and physical theatre.

These exercises draw inspiration from various movement practitioners and physical theatre techniques, including elements of the Alexander Technique, Suzuki method, and Jacques Lecoq’s 7 levels of tension.

By incorporating these diverse approaches, you’ll develop a well-rounded foundation for your physical work as an actor.

I hope learning neutral for actors has helped you improve your personal acting practice and given you tools for how to get into character!

I know that sometimes written instructions can be hard to follow, so please do let me know if you’d like me to create a “neutral for actors” audio file to help you.

If you want to learn more about physical movement for actors, check out my post on creating physicality here.

Thanks for reading! I hope this has been helpful and please feel free to message me with any questions.