Philosophy For Our Times

Episode: The Philosophy of Performance | Michelle Terry

Date: February 24, 2026
Guest: Michelle Terry (Artistic Director, The Globe Theatre)
Host: Miriam Francois
Editor/Guest Host: Daniel

Episode Overview

This episode explores the philosophy of performance through the lens of acclaimed actor and Globe Theatre artistic director Michelle Terry. The discussion delves into the distinctions between acting and everyday performance, the transformative and revelatory capacities of storytelling, the fluidity of self in theater and life, and the unique alchemy of live performance. Terry shares personal experiences, reflects on the audience's role in meaning-making, and discusses the challenges and freedoms found in Shakespeare’s works and live theater.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Michelle Terry’s Journey to Artistic Director

• Origins in Acting (03:47)
  • Began acting as a child, partly as a way to be both herself and not herself after moving to a new place.
  • Acting became her main way of coping with life: "It's sort of been the thing that I've only ever known about how to cope with being alive essentially is acting." (03:54)
  • Parents were cautious about the unpredictability of an arts career, so she took a traditional route through university before drama school and a 15-year career in theater.
  • Became Globe Theatre’s Artistic Director after writing a heartfelt letter during a crisis period for the Globe.
• Art and Storytelling (05:58)
  • Sees her role as both a privilege and a responsibility—one that allows her to witness the impact of stories across generations.

The Value of Storytelling and Nuance

• Why Storytelling Matters—Especially Now (06:51)
  • Differentiates between "acting" as a craft and "performing" as a human universal:
    • "Acting, for me, is a craft, and performing is something that we all do...we have roles in our life that we switch in and out of all the time." (06:58)
  • The controlled environment of theater provides a safe space to explore difficult themes and debates:
    • "In a world that externally wants everyone to take a position, be singular, and essentially disseminate nuance and complexity...stories are the things that will help us have the conversation." (07:50)
  • Draws historical connections: "In Greek, they put the hospital next to the theater. You cleansed your body, and then you cleansed your soul." (08:22)

Exploring the Self – Acting vs. Performing

• Spectrum Between Self and Character (08:53–11:07)
  • Shakespeare’s genius lay in his ability to "stand in the shoes of over a thousand different people, or a thousand different versions of him," asking audiences and actors to explore all bits of the self. (09:53)
  • The gap between actor and character creates space for the audience to engage and reflect safely on complex issues.

Everyday Life As Performance

• Self-Awareness and Fluid Identity (11:07–13:47)
  • In both life and acting, the presence and observation of others change our behavior—"as soon as you hit record, something changes in the energy of the room." (13:01)
  • The process of being watched or recorded leads us to watch ourselves, making total authenticity elusive.

What Makes Great Acting?

• Naturalness vs. Technique (14:03–17:17)
  • Discusses Stella Adler's wisdom: if an audience notices your acting, you've done a bad job; the goal is for the story to be experienced, not the technique.
  • Recounts working with Tim Crouch on "An Oak Tree":
    • Every night, the co-actor doesn’t know the script or scenario, so authenticity ("I literally don't know what I'm doing") and audience projection become central.
    • "The creation of great character...comes from the space where the audience can project them onto the character as much as you trying to force a character onto them." (16:29)

On Shakespeare: Freedom and Provocation

• Open-Ended Roles and Live Liveness (17:39–19:38)
  • Shakespeare offers actors vast interpretive freedom, in contrast to playwrights like Arthur Miller, who dictate character traits.
  • Live, unpredictable elements (pigeons, rain) demand adaptation and presence—"the most beautiful provocation to just...be." (18:58)
  • Each performance is unrepeatable: "Every time you come back to [the play], you are different, the audience are different." (19:23)

The Real Self: Illusion, Fluidity, and Narrative

• Multiple Selves and Fluid Identity (20:30–23:10)
  • Terry expresses wariness toward the idea of a "fixed" self.
  • Acting reflects the reality that "the self is endlessly fluid."
  • In life and art, we carry divided, changing selves—"There's another self that is also commenting on where you are." (21:38)
• Identity and Social Projection (22:53)
  • Social expectations and roles crystallize identity, sometimes uncomfortably so (“You like lemons...I don't like lemons anymore...No one likes that.” (22:53))

The Audience as Co-Creators

• Meaning-Making in Theater (23:53–26:19)
  • Recalls an early-career lesson: a young girl thanked Terry for playing someone with "greasy hair," which affirmed the girl's self-image—even though Terry's character never had greasy hair:
    • "Wow, I'm really not in control of a lot of what I'm doing." (25:03)
    • "The audience is...in most part determining the meaning." (25:20)
  • In live theater, the relationship is ultra-immediate and mutable, unlike the fixed interpretation inherent in film/TV.

Challenges and Methods in Acting

• Sequential vs. Nonlinear Performance (26:19–28:11)
  • In theater, emotional journeys unfold sequentially. In film, scenes are shot out of order, which can make maintaining emotional continuity challenging.
  • Discusses "method acting" as a valid response to the technical difficulties of non-sequential filming.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the Audience’s Power
  • "The power of her sense of self...for whatever reason on that day, needed herself to feel affirmed, found affirmation in my character, and had totally projected greasy hair onto my character." – Michelle Terry [01:03]/[24:10]
• On Storytelling’s Role
  • "Stories are the things that will help us have the conversation, if not necessarily solve the problem." – Michelle Terry [08:22]
• On Shakespeare
  • "He wrote all the plays...an amazing human being that was able to stand in the shoes of over a thousand different people, or a thousand different versions of him, which to me goes: we all have that capacity." – Michelle Terry [09:53]
• On Great Acting
  • "If anyone comes up to you and says, you were so good at acting, you were so brilliant tonight, you should know that you've done a bad job..." – Michelle Terry, quoting Stella Adler [14:31]
  • "The creation of great character...comes from the space where the audience can project them onto the character as much as you trying to force a character onto them." – Michelle Terry [16:29]
• On Authenticity and the Fixed Self
  • "The self is not fixed and is endlessly fluid." – Michelle Terry [13:53]
  • "The idea that fixity scares me a bit...I think there is a self, but the self is endlessly fluid." – Michelle Terry [21:07/22:31]
• On Live Theatre
  • "At the point that you start that speech, a pigeon is going to land and completely upstage you...It’s sort of the most beautiful provocation to just be." – Michelle Terry [18:58]

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Michelle Terry’s Artistic Journey: 03:47–06:20
• The Craft of Acting vs. Performing: 06:51–08:41
• Shakespeare, Selfhood, and Audience: 08:53–11:07, 17:39–19:38
• Fluidity of Self, Authenticity, and Social Identity: 20:30–23:36
• Audience’s Role in Meaning-Making: 23:53–26:19
• Theater vs. Film: Method and Medium: 26:19–28:11
• The "Greasy Hair" Story: 01:03, recounted in depth at 23:53–25:14

Conclusion

Michelle Terry provides a thoughtful, often humorous meditation on what it means to perform, whether on stage or in life. Through engaging anecdotes and philosophical musings, she challenges the notion of a fixed self, celebrates the unpredictability of live theater, and underscores the powerful role of storytelling and audience interpretation in shaping meaning and identity.

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