Inside Theatre Lab with Cydney Uffindell-Phillips
August 28, 2026
What happens when young artists are given the opportunity to create theatre from the ground up? Our new program, Theatre Lab, invites teens to explore the many elements that bring a production to life, from performance and movement to writing, directing and design. During the 20-week program, participants work collaboratively to devise an original piece of theatre, guided by professional theatre artist, Cydney Uffindell-Phillips.
Cydney is a physical theatre director, choreographer and movement coach whose career spans performance, theatre creation and movement-led storytelling in Canada, the UK and internationally. Her performance credits include the UK tour and West End run of Cabaret, West Side Story for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s World Shakespeare Festival, and Wonder.land at London’s National Theatre.
As a Theatre practitioner, she has worked in various roles such as resident director, associate director, choreographer and movement director. Productions she has worked on include The Wind in the Willows for the Royal Opera House and Macbeth for the National Theatre UK tour, as well as productions in Frankfurt, Tokyo and South Korea. Her experience also includes collaborative workshops focused on developing new theatrical work, including Dance Story at the National Theatre Studios.
Since moving to Vancouver, Cydney has worked with emerging performers at Arts Umbrella, King & Kot Creative Studios and On The Mic. She also choreographed Carmen for Vancouver Opera and is currently co-directing UnRavelled, a new play being performed in Philadelphia and New York in fall 2026.
We spoke with Cydney about her approach to devising, what students can expect from Theatre Lab, and how creating original theatre can help young artists grow as performers and theatre makers.
How has your professional experience in physical theatre and devising influenced the way you work with young artists?
My work is rooted in an ensemble-based, collaborative approach, and I encourage young artists to work in that spirit too. I love analyzing a play, theme or narrative, and I often do a great deal of research throughout a project. But once we are in the room, I want us to get out of our heads and into our bodies, to be curious, playful and open to discovery. We create by doing. That gives young artists space to explore their own creative instincts, develop their individual style and discover the processes that work best for them.
What is Theatre Lab, and what makes it different from a traditional acting or theatre class?
Collaboration and creation are at the heart of Theatre Lab. The process is transparent: the work is developed with the artists involved, rather than presented to them as a finished concept. We might begin with a story, theme or initial idea, then explore it from different perspectives to discover which theatrical tools will best bring that narrative to life. Participants experience what it is like to workshop and build a new production from scratch, rather than arriving to find the script, concept and design already in place. In Theatre Lab, we will also work through a physical theatre lens, using the body as a primary tool for exploration, expression and storytelling throughout the devising process.
Cydney working with Musical Theatre Troupe Students ahead of their 2024 production of Newsies JR. Photo by Devan Francis.
What role do improvisation, movement, storytelling, and collaboration play in the devising process?
They are the devising process! For work that aims to tell a story, improvisation, movement, storytelling and collaboration are fundamental. They give us ways to test ideas, make discoveries and find unexpected connections. It is possible to devise alone through improvisation and reflection, but for me, the real joy lies in collaboration. Ideas build on one another, and the blend of every collaborator’s input is what makes the process so exciting.
What are some of the different roles a student might explore during the program, both on stage and behind the scenes?
Students may have opportunities to explore roles such as writer, musician, composer, designer, movement director, choreographer, and director, as well as performing on stage. The skills they already bring, and the areas that spark their curiosity, will help shape the roles they explore.
Do students need previous acting or theatre experience to participate in Theatre Lab?
No specific previous experience is required to participate in Theatre Lab, although experience in theatre, dance or acting can be helpful. The program is application-based, which gives our team an opportunity to learn more about each student, including the aspects of theatre creation that excite and intrigue them, and helps us build a collaborative ensemble. What matters most is curiosity, a willingness to collaborate, and an openness to exploring new ways of making work.
What skills can young people develop through theatre creation that extend beyond the stage?
Theatre creation builds creative thinking, communication, collaboration and leadership skills. It also develops presence, confidence, self-awareness and awareness of others, both physically and mentally-as well as voice and communication skills.
What are you most excited to see young artists discover or create through Theatre Lab?
I am most excited to see young artists discover their own imaginative and artistic voice, and to create an approach to theatre that is fueled by curiosity, collaboration and possibility.
Applications for Theatre Lab are now open!