What is The Meisner Technique?

The Meisner technique is regarded as theatre's best kept secret. It is an approach to acting which was developed by the American theatre practitioner Sanford Meisner.The focus of the Meisner Technique is for the actor to "get out of their head" such that the actor is behaving instinctively to the surrounding environment honestly and truthfully under the imaginary circumstance.

“Act before you think”

– Sanford Meisner

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Founder and Sole Director

About

Robyn Paterson started acting professionally at 14 years old. She obtained a BA in Performing and Screen Arts in 2009 after graduating from the Unitec School of Performing Arts in Auckland, New Zealand. She then studied under famed Sanford Meisner graduate Michael Saccente in Auckland for three years. She continued her studies at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, otherwise known as the Meisner School, in New York, obtaining a certificate of Performing Arts. She returned to New Zealand and completed her postgraduate diploma in Journalism from the Auckland University of Technology in 2012 while still acting professionally in film, television, and theatre.

Teaching History

2013

She moved to Sydney, Australia. She began teaching at Point Break Drama School on Sydney's northern beaches before becoming the head Acting Coach at the Sydney Drama School. She continued to work professionally in the Australian television and theatre scene, winning Best Female Newcomer in the 2013 Sydney Theatre Festival for her one woman show, The South Afreakins. She was also cast in the TV show ANZAC Girls, directed by Ken Cameron, shooting across Adelaide and Sydney.

2014

She moved to London where she began working as a post production producer for television commercials across the UK, Europe and the UAE. In 2015 she landed one of the lead roles in the West End production of The Generation of Z. As well as performing, she began lecturing with the Directing department at Royal Holloway University and also began to teach Meisner in her apartment kitchen to her fellow cast members who wanted to explore Meisner's exercises.

2016

She took her one woman show, The South Afreakins to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival where she sold out her entire month long run and was awarded the official sell out laurel and was named as The Edinburgh Reporters Pick of the Fringe which led to a nationwide tour of New Zealand. Also in 2016, she began to teach the Meisner technique full time and moved out of her kitchen into a studio, as the class numbers had grown too large and she couldn't fit any more people into her kitchen.

As well as continuing to lecture at Royal Holloway University, she began to lecture on Meisner and Acting at Kingston University, London Southbank University and Roehampton University. That list has now grown to include East London University, West London University, Essex University and Loughborough University as of 2024.

2018

She was requested by East15 Drama School to spearhead the in-house Meisner Technique program which she still teaches today. Since 2018 she also taught the Meisner Technique at Italia Conti, Mountview, Fourth Monkey and Drama Studio all while continuing to expand The London Meisner Company.

2019

She curated the National Film and Television Schools Acting for Screen short course, a first in its 47 year history. That has now extended its reach to Athens Greece, where she teaches annually with affiliate Institution Oxbelly, working with Greek actors to elevate their craft and career to the next level. In 2025, The London Meisner Company ran its first ever workshops in South Africa at Johannesburg's Centre for The Less Good Idea and Cape Town's Waterfront Theatre School.

Now

The London Meisner Company now has 4 studios across London, located in Finsbury Park, Liverpool Street and Richmond. It runs 7 classes a week, with 150 students across the Company who are committed to learning the Meisner Technique. In 2021, the Company also opened a Drop-In centre, offering flexible and fun open Meisner classes.

Robyn is currently one of a handful of coaches located in London who has studied at famed Meisner school, The Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC, as well as with teachers trained by Sanford Meisner. The quintessence of her coaching is to offer students as authentic Meisner Technique training as possible, without any substitutes or misinterpretations.

Special Events

2011

New York

Robyn Paterson at The Neighborhood Playhouse, New York.

Group of students in Australia at A Meisner Class

2018

Australia

20 young students from Townsville Grammar School in Queensland, Australia enjoyed an intensive day workshop with The London Meisner Company.

Happy students in class at The London Meisner Company

2020 – Present

The National Film and Television School

In its nearly 50 year history, The National Film and Television School ran its first ever Acting for Screen course curated and headed up by Robyn Paterson.

The two week acting for screen intensive is now a staple of the short course curriculum and runs once a year.

2022 – Present

Oxbelly | Athens

Oxbelly Institution in Athens, Greece ran a two week Acting for Screen Intensive intensive headed up and curated by Robyn Paterson. It will run again in 2026.

Actors Who Trained The Meisner Technique

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Christopher Chung

TLMC alumni

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Jeff Goldblum

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Alison Janney

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Anthony Hopkins

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Jeff Bridges

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Tom Hardy

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Diane Keaton

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Kathy Bates

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Jack Nicholson