The beautiful Etruscan town of Volterra is the setting for our summer school 2023 (Sept 11 - 19)

Dame Janet Suzman - Coriolanus plus Michael Corbidge and Sue Tordoff - Measure for Measure

Those who attend the summer school will stay at SIAF - https://www.siafvolterra.eu/en/home-english/

SIAF is a purpose built, EU and Erasmus funded (€6million) further education campus outside Volterra with everything on site - including a gym, swimming pool and BBQ. Spacious bedrooms with bathrooms en suite and lecture halls - we will put a rug or carpet on the floor to diffuse the light from shiny white tiles as we did in Urbino in 2015.

A lift connects every floor. The building has a great feel to it and regularly houses university students from around the world. The situation in the Val di Cecina is incredible - views of the Tuscan hills and far Tyrrhenian sea - you are surrounded by green.

There is an excellent Coop supermarket 20 mins walk away and a public bus stop outside the entrance with buses going to the the gates of the walled town of Volterra. Lunches and dinners are available on a daily basis for those that want to order them.

The price of 8 nights B & B in a single room with en suite bathroom, 6 days working on Coriolanus and Measure for Measure, two special Tuscan dinners on first and last nights with aperitivo plus transport into Volterra for Friday Sept 15th and a guided walking tour of the town  is £1580.00 per person.

Student bursaries are available as we are a UK registered charity.

N.B. Participants must be physically fit, able to walk without difficulty. Volterra is hilly with cobbled streets and cars aren't allowed in to the centre. Walking is de rigueur once you're inside the walled town.

HOW DO I GET TO VOLTERRA?

Can you tell me whether there is a coach or pullman from Pisa airport to Volterra that I can get? If not, how do I get to SIAF?

Pisa airport - to Pisa train station - to Pontedera railway station - and finally bus to Volterra

I intend to come by train to Pisa. So what about people arriving by train? Is there a bus or pullman from the train station that goes to Volterra and SIAF?

You get a train to Pontedera railway station - bus to Volterra (Pontedera is well connected with Pisa and Florence)

Mary was quoted a taxi fare of €125 in late February at Pisa airport direct to Volterra – this is an option for 3 or 4 sharing.To return there is a list of taxi fares from SIAF to destinations throughout Italy.

We can't return to Cagli (PU) Marche this year and it's beautiful teatro comunale because work is being carried out on the roof during the months of good weather.

DAME JANET SUZMAN

Janet Suzman was made DBE in 2011 after a long career that began with the ground-breaking Wars of the Roses when Peter Hall established the R.S.C in 1964. Major roles in Stratford and London for the next ten years culminating in Cleopatra. Always kept strong links with her native South Africa where she began her directing career with a production of Othello in 1987, seen as a protest play, with John Kani at The Market Theatre.

Films include Nicholas and Alexandra [Academy Award & Golden Globe Nominations], The Draughtsman’s Contract [re-mastered this year for the BFI], A Dry White Season, Priest of Love, Fellini’s E La Nave Va. TV series: Clayhanger, Mountbatten.

Wrote The Free State based on The Cherry Orchard celebrating Nelson Mandela, 1997. Directed Kim Cattrall in Antony and Cleopatra for Liverpool Playhouse and Chichester.

Plays in London inc: Hedda Gabler, Hello and Goodbye, Three Sisters, The Greeks, Sisters Rosensweig, Dream of the Dog, Solomon and Marion. Evening Standard Award (twice), Critic’s Circle, Best Actress Manchester Theatre (Rose), and Helen Hayes (Volumnia) in DC, Pragnell Shakespeare Award. Opera, The Marriage of Figaro for RAM. Book: Not Hamlet.

Life Fellow of Shakespeare Assoc. of GB, Freedom of the City of London, Chair British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. A handful of Hon.D.Lit degrees inc. Cape Town, Warwick, Leicester, Liverpool, London U.

Janet is delighted to be back in Italy again to explore Coriolanus.

MICHAEL CORBIDGE

Michael trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School way back
in the last century! And has clocked up over 40 years in the
Industry as Man and boy!
Michael currently works as a freelance lecturer, visiting
professional practitioner, director and voice and text specialist
in the Acting for Performance program at The Rose Bruford
College of the Arts. He teaches across a broad spectrum of
programs. He is also a visiting artist cross a number of U.K.
institutions.
Also as one of the Senior Voice and Text Associate at The
Royal Shakespeare Company and a Senior Associate learning
Practitioner with the Education Department. His roles are
numerous working with both in-reach and out-reach projects
across the UK, supporting all voice and text work in various
professional and community settings. Currently embarking on a
nine city engagement across 6 months.
He runs bespoke voice and text workshops from his own studio
‘The Colour Voice Studio’ in Kent. Residential courses for his
ground breaking ‘Elemental Shakespeare’ Method. His
research is currently being collated for publication.
He supports as a Trustee, Patron, Associate Practitioner, and
Director a number of companies and groups furthering their
love of the arts and performance.
michaelcorbidge.co.uk
michaelcorbidge@hotmail.com

SUSAN TORDOFF

Trained as an actor at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where she won The
William Poel Memorial Prize.
After graduating she acted in many theatre productions throughout the UK including,
The Odd Women at Manchester Royal Exchange, Lucky Sods at The Stephen
Joseph in Scarborough, The Importance of Being Ernest at Dundee Rep, One for the
Road at Watford Palace, and The Mousetrap at St Martins Theatre in London’s West
End.
TV Credits include:
Casualty, East Enders, Coronation Street, This Life, London’s Burning, At Home
With The Braithwaites, Sparkhouse, Cardiac Arrest.

She moved out to Singapore in 2013 where shows include; The Dresser, Tribes,
Much Ado About Nothing. She also ran the young company at Singapore Repertory
Theatre and taught Acting and Voice at the two drama schools there, La Salle and
The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. She worked as a professional voice coach on
both outdoor Shakespeare productions and on Disney’s Lion King.

Since returning from Singapore, she has taught at several London Drama Schools
including The Royal Central School, Mountview and East 15.
She directs 3 shows a year, her favourite being Shakespeare, so far she has
directed: As You Like It, Winters Tale, Pericles, Loves Labours Lost, Two Gentleman
of Verona.
As well as directing plays she also teaches Audition Technique, Voice and Text.

Sue and Michael are a remarkable double act, having worked together on many occasions - prepare yourselves for a lot of fun and incredible learning opportunities.

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