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

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People arrive on September 11th for another unforgettable course, aways working on the text from an actor's point of view.

Janet Suzman will lead a 3 day module on Coriolanus - 12, 13, 14 September.

Friday 15th is a free day to explore Volterra. A qualified Blue badge guide will give a walking tour for all participants.

Sue Tordoff and Michael Corbidge will lead 3 days work on Measure for Measure - Sept 16, 17, 18.

Departure day is Tuesday September 19th.

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.