Screen acting workshops with a comfy living room vibe!
Screen Lounge was set up by actress Hannah Douglas and director/writer Mari Stracke in 2022.
Hannah and Mari first met on the set of a music video many (ahem) years ago. They have stayed firm friends ever since and worked together in lots of different capacities.
Screen Lounge is the result of many, many chats whilst drinking coffee and/or Aperol Spritz (!), discussing their own experiences in the industry and how they could share this with others in a warm, friendly and fun way!
"Our workshops are extremely hands-on. You can expect to be in front of the camera within the first 30 minutes. We keep our screen acting classes deliberately small and run them at a maximum capacity of 8 participants. This is to guarantee a cozy and intimate setting that includes plenty of 1-1 teaching.
The environment we teach in is paramount to us. We pride ourselves on making you feel comfortable and safe – allowing you to let go and focus fully on your performance. We achieve this through our lovely "living room vibe", which includes a big comfy sofa to lounge on while you’re not acting, or during script reading or note taking segments. We also keep teas and cappuccinos flowing throughout the day!" - Hannah & Mari
Who are we?
Hannah Douglas
Hannah is an award winning actress from London.
She starred in plays and musicals throughout her childhood but began her professional career at the age of 14 with short film ‘Three Wishes’. Four years later, she was offered a place at one of London’s top drama schools, ALRA.
Before graduating with a BA(hons) in Acting, she landed a small part in BBC drama ‘Little Dorrit’ starring Claire Foy and Matthew Macfadyan. She was also labelled as “Experts Choice” by The Stage newspaper after her graduation showcase at The Criterion in the West End.
In 2021, she was long-listed for a BIFA for Breakthrough Performance and won Best Actress at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival for her role in feature film ‘LAPWING’ (Urban Apache Films/Bulldog Film Distribution), which is now out on all major streaming platforms, such Amazon, Apple TV and Sky Cinema globally.
Other film and TV credits include award-winning short film GOING COUNTRY (BFI Network/Inceptive Films), CLOWNFACE (Hellbound Media/Amazon Prime US), MOGUE (Channel 4/Random Acts), LITTLE DORRIT (BBC) and award-winning film U WANT ME 2 KILL HIM? (Anonymous Content/Bad Hat Harry productions/Netflix UK).
She has alsoperformed in many theatre productions, all over the UK and internationally.
Hannah also regularly directs projects at the International School of Screen Acting and has led many workshops and classes for actors of all ages.
Mari Stracke
Mari Stracke is an acting coach, 1st AD, writer and mental health speaker.
Originally from Germany, her career began in 2004 as an assistant director at the State Theatre of Lower Saxony. Mari moved to the UK in 2006 to study Film Directing and Producing at Film & TV School Wales before completing a Master’s degree in Scriptwriting at Goldsmiths, University of London. As a student she already won some script awards, received BAFTA bursaries and, later, was a runner up for the well-known Euroscript competition as well as for Pinewood’s Enter The Pitch competition.
Passionate about empowering young creatives, Mari has taught filmmaking workshops at German highschools, ran story development seminars for TV professionals in Berlin and frequently coaches actors in the UK. Through her work as a senior 1st AD, Mari is closely linked to the British film industry and is particularly keen on creating safe environments for difficult scenes centred around intimacy and mental health.
As an avid mental health blogger, public speaker and writer she enjoys an engaged Instagram following of 48k and offers consulting for artists and businesses who want to kick-start their social media in an authentic way.
Online Mari openly shares her own mental health struggle with PTSD and anxiety, which is why it is so important to her that her coachees feel safe and comfortable during any workshops.
About our workshops
Intro to Screen Acting
"This workshop is perfect for actors who are new to performing for a camera.
Perhaps you have done some (or lots of) theatre work and are looking to make the jump from stage to screen. Or maybe you've recently graduated from drama school and have just started auditioning. Or perhaps you haven't trained but you've done a few short films and you'd like to gain more knowledge.
If any of the above sounds familiar, then this is the workshop for you!"
Self Tapes and Socials
This workshop is split into two halves.
We know how overwhelming it can be when you have just started auditioning for the screen and you’re suddenly thrown into the world of SELF-TAPES!
And what about your social media profile? Many Casting Directors and industry professionals do look at your “online stats” and presence. It's becoming more and more important to embrace that and make it work in your favour.
In this dual-focus workshop, we will help you to feel more confident with both self-tapes and social media.