HOW I GOT HERE

The career journey of movement director and Intimacy on Set founder Ita O’brien

What do Normal People, Sex Education and Gentleman Jack have in common? Besides being undeniably fantastic, they all portray engaging and honest sex and intimacy – and that’s largely down to Ita O’brien. As the pioneering creator of Intimacy on Set guidelines, she works on theatre, TV and movie sets to choreograph sexual scenes within a safe and supportive environment. Here, she explains how she did it…

I STARTED DANCING AGED THREE AND ATTENDED THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF DANCE, FOLLOWED BY BUSH DAVIES SCHOOL. When I finished school, I worked as a musical theatre dancer for 10 years. It was amazing – I danced in the West End and toured in musicals, such as Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and On The Town.

IN 1990, A CAR ACCIDENT DAMAGED MY BACK. I knew I had to change path, but dancing was all I’d ever known. I thought, ‘If I’m not a dancer, who am I?’ It was hard, but the shows I had danced in inspired me to think more about storytelling, so I started an MA in acting at Bristol Old Vic in 1996.

TRANSITIONING INTO ACTING WAS CHALLENGING. As a dancer, you strive for perfection, but as an actor, you strive for truth. It was especially hard because, after meeting my partner, I fell pregnant in my first year. I had my son, Zac, over the summer, then studied for my second year with a baby. A year after I finished the course, I was pregnant with my daughter, Zoe.

IN 2014, I WAS WORKING ON MY OWN PLAY, WHICH EXPLORED

THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN PERPETRATOR AND VICTIM. I worked on putting practices and principals in place to keep my actors safe while exploring this dynamic. Throughout my career, I had seen how actors were told to ‘go for it’ in scenes with intimate content. This means actors’ private bodies are brought into their work, and it can trigger feelings of shame. If an actor is touched in a way they’re not prepared for, it can have serious repercussions, and some actors may be traumatised by their experiences. Fighting scenes are carefully choreographed, so I wondered why intimate scenes weren’t crafted in the same way.

I STARTED TEACHING WHAT I WAS DEVELOPING IN DRAMA SCHOOLS, AND SOON MY GUIDELINES WERE CREATED. When the Harvey Weinstein scandal erupted in 2017, there was a realisation across the industry that codes of conduct were needed to keep actors safe. I went to Equity, the trade union for creatives, told them I had guidelines ready and started working with productions.

‘I KNEW I NEEDED TO KEEP ACTORS SAFE IN INTIMATE SCENES’

MY WORK INVOLVES ENCOURAGING OPEN COMMUNICATION, CONSENT

OF TOUCH AND CHOREOGRAPHING INTIMATE CONTENT. I ask actors for their ‘no-go’ zones and chat through concerns, before feeding back to directors and working out creative ways to best serve story and character. Then, we rehearse specially devised choreography to ensure actors feel confident.

SEX EDUCATION WAS THE FIRST TV PRODUCTION I WORKED ON. This initiated a huge interest in what I was doing, so I founded Intimacy on Set to develop best practice training to serve the industry across the globe.

WORKING WITH DIRECTOR LENNY ABRAHAMSON ON NORMAL PEOPLE

WAS A PRIVILEGE. It was a joy to intimacy coordinate his vision in the scenes with Paul Mescal (Connell) and Daisy Edgar-jones (Marianne). They’re superb actors. I’m proud of the response it has had.

SOMETIMES, DIRECTORS RESIST MY INVOLVEMENT, BUT I TRY NOT TO TAKE

IT PERSONALLY. This work is so important, and I’m confident the industry is changing for the better. When the scenes I work on resonate with viewers, and actors tell me they’re grateful I was there, it makes everything worthwhile. Find out more about Ita’s work at intimacyonset.com