Melbourne Actors Lab

There is nowhere, nothing and no-one that can equal, never mind better, Melbourne Actors Lab/Peter Kalos! For anyone wanting to learn or hone their craft, this is the place to be. Peter is amazing - his knowledge and experience, his energy, passion, intensity and communication ... for an actor, this is who you need to be working with.

I’ve been lucky enough to call the Lab my home since 2011. I came into the studio thinking I was everything and I’m still there today knowing I have so much more to grow!!!! Most teachers teach all they have. Pete is one of the few teachers that opens the doors to rooms that you can explore so you never stop learning.And for the reviewers that say he has kicked them out of the school because they weren’t good enough…. After a decade there I’ve watched him kick a few people out. He has never kicked students out for not being good enough. You want to learn. Then you are welcome. He kicks people out when those people make other actors (generally females) feel uncomfortable in scene work

I'd highly recommend doing an 8 week introduction at the Melbourne Actor's Lab with Peter Kalos. And if you get a lot out of it, then stay a year. You may end up staying longer, Many of the Lab's best actors have been coming to Peter's classes for 5-10+ years.Peter has an incredible eye for detail and can take you from being a good actor to a great actor. He studied acting in the US for over a decade, under Stella Adler and Anna Strasberg. As someone who's done classes both in Australia and the US, I can say that Peter is as close to the source as you can get.The Lab isn't for everybody. Actors will spend months working on the same scene, sometimes a whole year. You do 1.5 hours of relaxation & sensory work in every class, before working on any scenes.The majority of Australian actors aren't willing to spend that much time in class and prefer to learn on the job. Which is a shame, because American actors tend to commit to more study than us, and honestly it shows. Especially in character work. Most Aussie actors just play themselves!!If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you'll do well at the Lab. But if you're blocked, you'll need to do some extra work outside of the Lab to develop your emotional landscape. That's just my opinion.

I started my lessons with Peter 1year ago Peter & Melbourne Actors Lab has positively changed my approach and preparation towards acting. Peter is one of the best coaches/mentors I have worked with & he guides his students to be the best possible actors and uncover all their potential. He is inspires & motivates all his students. I am lucky to have Peter as a coach & a good friend.

Starting training with Peter Kalos at the Melbourne Actors Lab at the beginning of this year has been undoubtedly the best thing I've done for my acting (and soul!).As someone new to the world of acting, I had dabbled in other classes for several months prior to finding The Lab. I was hooked on acting, but was searching for something 'more' that I wasn't sure even existed. I've found it at The Lab.Peter is extremely honest, passionate, and dedicated to teaching actors. It shows. He has created a supportive space for actors to learn (from his very extensive knowledge), build acting muscle, and simply experiment in a super safe environment.Peter has already gone above and beyond to help me achieve so much in such a short space of time, to which I'm extremely grateful. I am continually surprising myself in discovering what I am capable of in my acting - stuff I never even imagined possible, let alone at such an early stage of my life as an actor. I am genuinely excited to continue to learn, develop, and see what else I can explore and discover over time at The Lab.If you're ready to work hard, commit, and put 100% in to your acting, The Lab is definitely the place for you!This is the home of actors. I feel like I've found my home.(And please note: this review was not requested by Peter/ Melbourne Actors Lab. It is a 100% genuine and honest personal review off my own bat).

Melbourne Actors Lab has positively changed my perspective on acting. Peter's true passion for the art reflects in all of his students as he guides them to be the best possible actors and uncover all their potential. He is inspiring, truthful and a wonderful friend along the way.

I have been to some acting schools before coming to lab in 2017. Honestly the way Peter pushes you and shows you the truth that not many actors want to face at times but is very much needed to improve the craft is commendable. I cannot recommend enough how much aspiring actors could benefit from attending the lab. Thank you Guru Peter for changing the way I think :)

There's a lot of acting schools and coaches around but there is only ONE Actor's Lab and Peter Kalos. If you're a beginner looking to get the basics and decide if there might be a career for you, or if you're a professional looking to go to the next level and forever home your craft in a career that will evolve each and every year, The Lab is the place.

There is a special kind of energy to Peter. Knowing that he has lived in LA for a large portion of his life, where he acted, worked with, and learnt from some of the biggest names in film and television gives me confidence in his ideas, teaching methods and overall direction. He exudes confidence and invaluable experience which allows me to trust his directions and ideas. And some of his stories from Hollywood really gets the blood pumping!I am relatively new to acting and my goal is to get to a standard where I feel confident in auditioning for major film and television, and to also feel confident enough to act in small short film projects (just for the love of doing them) it feels like such a big task but since I have begun training with Peter I feel so much more clearer on what I need to do to get to these big goals.It’s also extremely inspiring and motivating to see that actors of all skill levels and ages attend, and it doesn’t matter even in the slightest if you feel that you might not be as ‘accomplished’ as other actors to properly get the most out of class or put you off attending. I had this concern, and it was a huge relief to see that it didn’t matter at all. In fact, it’s only made me more motivated when legitimate professional actors that are students come to class, and you hear about what they are working on, its actually mind blowing to get the opportunity to speak to these actors (who are in Netflix series, Hollywood films, Home & Away etc) and train with them.It’s also electrifying to train in a theatre and get to be on a stage. It’s a huge rush. I wake up every class day full of excitement and leave every class with the feeling that I have just made myself a better actor in some way, large or small.Plus it’s been really exciting to meet new actors each week as there is always new faces and its really exciting to see them rehearsing on some of the projects they are working on.Peter also has classes most days of the week and in the day and the night which is really helpful as my work schedule can change.Plus, plus classes are in St Kilda the creative heart and soul of Melbourne. There is just something about St Kilda and its artistic history that makes it something unique and terribly special and gets my creativity flowing.Ps. I went to a free class of Peters which he offers to everyone, and I instantly knew I was coming back.You should come check it out, hope to see you there!James

The lab takes so much care, consideration, time, and effort with their students. I've worked with many of the lab's trained actors across different projects, and I'm always in awe of their performances. I highly recommend any actor to take Peter's class, you wont be disappointed!