English Teaching Theatre
What is English Teaching Theatre?
The idea of using theatre to teach English originated in the early 70s with the aptly named English Teaching Theatre, a talented group of London based teacher/actors led by Doug Case and Ken Wilson who started performing their comedy and music shows to teach English to foreign students. They toured abroad with great success and paved the way for a host of other companies who in their different ways contributed to the teaching of English to schoolchildren and adults in a dynamic and amusing way.
The key to English Teaching Theatre is to perform entertaining shows at a level of English that your audience can understand whilst revising key structures and vocabulary that the students have learnt at school.
The key to English Teaching Theatre is to perform entertaining shows at a level of English that your audience can understand whilst revising key structures and vocabulary that the students have learnt at school.
A career in English
Teaching Theatre in Italy
I got into English Teaching Theatre by chance after 20 years of teaching and performing Physical Theatre in Italy.
English only became compulsory in Italian Primary Schools in 2003 (before that they taught French) and thousands of Italian Primary School Teachers had to be trained to teach English from scratch. There was a need for English teacher trainers.
As an Englishman who was resident in Italy and was currently running a physical theatre school in Turin I was asked to run courses on behalf of the Education authority. As well as my physical theatre experience, I had trained for a month at International House in London (where the original English Teaching Theatre came from) and had taught for a year in the British Churchill language school in Turin while recovering from a back operation in 1985.
The Italian Education authority invested heavily in English teaching in Primary School and I was kept busy running teacher training courses. As a result of this work with numerous teachers I was soon asked if I could perform shows in English in their schools.
I had some mime routines, some magic and some comedy half masks made by Michael Chase and I put together a simple one man show called Me and My Chicken which toured extensively for Primary Schools. It was a lot of fun and involved a lot of stupidity and laughter and in every performance the whole audience would come up to meet and dance with my chicken! It was a riot.
English only became compulsory in Italian Primary Schools in 2003 (before that they taught French) and thousands of Italian Primary School Teachers had to be trained to teach English from scratch. There was a need for English teacher trainers.
As an Englishman who was resident in Italy and was currently running a physical theatre school in Turin I was asked to run courses on behalf of the Education authority. As well as my physical theatre experience, I had trained for a month at International House in London (where the original English Teaching Theatre came from) and had taught for a year in the British Churchill language school in Turin while recovering from a back operation in 1985.
The Italian Education authority invested heavily in English teaching in Primary School and I was kept busy running teacher training courses. As a result of this work with numerous teachers I was soon asked if I could perform shows in English in their schools.
I had some mime routines, some magic and some comedy half masks made by Michael Chase and I put together a simple one man show called Me and My Chicken which toured extensively for Primary Schools. It was a lot of fun and involved a lot of stupidity and laughter and in every performance the whole audience would come up to meet and dance with my chicken! It was a riot.
Following this I was asked to perform a show for the scuola materna of my 4 year old daughter. My mother, who was an excellent puppet maker, had just closed her enchanting puppet and mask shop in London, Harlequin House, and with the bulk of the puppets I received I created a whirlwind show Hello Hello Hello which I still perform to this day with Carolina Khoury or Alessia Donadio.
The interactive half-mask show Dr. Horror's School of English, initially with Stewart Arnold and Luisella Cocco, was the result of a teacher-training workshop for middle school teachers
Franky Goes to Hollywood...and Back
followed shortly afterwards co-created with celebrity (and ex-pupil) Francesco Giorda.
followed shortly afterwards co-created with celebrity (and ex-pupil) Francesco Giorda.
At the same time I started to collaborate with the Primary School Teacher/ singer/songwriter Francesco Mancino with whom I wrote countless songs to teach English and this led to our first shows together: Here Comes The Train and later Festivity Planet where Francesco played the guitar and sang and I provided the comedy. As Francesco had a wealth of experience in the Primary School these shows closely followed the Italian English syllabus as well as being interactive and funny.
The workload increased and it was becoming a full time job. I needed full-time actors.
In 2006 the first actor came out from England to work with me - a young Greg Chapman - and gradually Action Theatre expanded, developing our workshows and touring all over North and Central Italy with different groups of actors.
In 2006 the first actor came out from England to work with me - a young Greg Chapman - and gradually Action Theatre expanded, developing our workshows and touring all over North and Central Italy with different groups of actors.
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All collaborators
All collaborators
Ambrose-Jones Daniel, Aquilina Eliza, Arndt Nils, Arnold Stewart, Baggett Alexander, Bains Emanuelle, Balocco Damiano, Bartual Smyth Savana, Beard Emma, Bertges Isabelle, Bevan Elliot, Bisconti Simona, Booth Jessica Hope, Broaders Anna Maud, Brockway Justin, Bruttomesso Manuel, Bryant Scott, Burke Clodagh Anne, Burton Elliot, Byrne Emily, Calandri Amerigo, Carley Anna, Chapman Gregory, Chappell Juliet, Colsell Ewan, Cooney Lucy, Cowdin Sally, Crocker Roberta, Currao Emanuela, Da Silva Catarina, Dacquino Riccardo, Day Laura, De Sà Maria, Debortoli Elena, Delmas Benjamin, Dernis Camille, Di Matteo Gianluca, Dinich Mark, Donadio Alessia, Dorey Felicity, Downey Charlotte, Driscoll Robert, Dunleavy Emma, Ellingsen Elisabeth, Evans Lewis, Eyton Angela, Fecht Jackob Maria, Ferguson Christopher Charles, Forman Alex, Gaffney Orla, Tom Corradini, Garoglio Stefania, Ghelfi Valentina, Giacomino Giulia, Giorda Francesco, Gomiero Raoul, Gouldbourne Anneka, Grant Sheila, Gray Maria, Griffiths Alexander, Grigorova Nikol, Harris Eliza, Helms Kuluk, Heyworth Olivia, Hind Peter, Hislop Leigh Aimee, Hope Sophie, Hopkinson Kathryn, Howarth Sarah Kate, Hunter Jonathan, Jameson Jeremy, Kappmeyer Pauline, Kennedy Alice Jane, Khoury Carolina, Kirkwood David James, Kleyn Rani, Kuhr Robin, Laer Martin, Lark Ina, Laws Christopher Stephen, Leishman Andrew, LoBue Francesca, Longthorne Emma, Maguire Louise Jane, Malone Lorraine, Mancini Ophelia, Mancino Francesco, Martillo Brittany, Maxwell Louis, Mazza Enrico, Mc Alister Ruby, Mccready Conor Ryan, Mellor Louise, Mervis Rachel, Millingham Oliver, Mintowt-Czyz Francesca, Timma De Volpi, Morgan-Mc Coey Francis, Mouskoundi George, Mulligan Bianca, Mulvey Clive Patrick, Mulvihill Sean, Newcome Anna, O'Brien Rebecca, O'Grady Camilia, Olah Veronika Nora, O'Shea Ben, Panetta Alex, Parillon Amelia, Perria Cristian, Pietramolla Alessandro, Pispinis Georgios, Pont Giulia, Raison Anna, Raison Thomas, Raison Katherine, Randazzo Simona, Reardon Devin, Reitere Una, Ressia Cristina, Robinson Lydia, Rodden James, Rogerson Joseph, Rollins Richard, Romano Silvia, Rosati Elisabetta, Ross Shawney, Ryan Aine, Ryder Rebecca, Sandborgh Emma, Savarino Francesco, Savva Demetra, Schaefer Vanessa, Scicluna Christian, Shaw Babette, Sinclair Clara Maria, Smart Christopher, Smedley Madelyn, Smith Kelly, Sobieraj Nicholas, Speirs Fiona Allan, Stansfeld Hamish, Swamy Raj, Tacconella Leonardo, Temple William, Tesink Rens, Thorpe Niall, Tomasino Luca, Topolovec Iva, Toye Samuel, Turnbull Juliet, Vanoni Edoardo Davide, Viller James, Wakeford Liam (Burton Liam), Warnock Ellen, Whittam Philip, Williams Lucy, Wilson Laura, Wippman Sally, Wisker James, Wright Sam, Zangirolami Viola, Zanone Christian.
I would like to thank the over 150 actors who have worked with me over the years and have added their unique personalities and enthusiasm to all the workshows, theatre shows and workshops. It has not always been easy but I am truly grateful for everything they have done. We have had some fun times and I have been lucky to work with such talent. Many of the actors appear in the photos. Click on the button below to view a list of all those who have worked with Action Theatre.
Actors list
I want to leave you with this amusing song SPAGHETTI which a group of actors recorded with super sound technician Carlo Girardi during the breaks in summer camp training some years ago. The song was written by me with help from Philip Radice and Andrea Bove.
I choreographed a basic routine and the rest was left to the improvisational and musical skills of the actors! I hope you find the result entertaining. The actors are Juliet Turnbull, Aimee Hislop, Emma Beard, Rob Driscoll, Emma Longthorne, David Kirkwood, Felicity Dorey, Angela Eyton, Bruce Hanson, Ben O’Shea.
I choreographed a basic routine and the rest was left to the improvisational and musical skills of the actors! I hope you find the result entertaining. The actors are Juliet Turnbull, Aimee Hislop, Emma Beard, Rob Driscoll, Emma Longthorne, David Kirkwood, Felicity Dorey, Angela Eyton, Bruce Hanson, Ben O’Shea.
Each year now Action Theatre tour workshows and perform plays in theatres; we run playweeks and playdays where young Italian students learn to act in English and we organise Action Theatre Summer Camps.
For more information check out www.actiontheatreinenglish.com.
What is a workshow?
The Action Theatre Workshow
Our workshows combine the attributes of the drama workshop with storytelling to entertain and teach English to young learners. Workshows are performed in any school environment (a classroom, a gym, a corridor, a refectory!) with no stage lighting or technicians. They are usually delivered to small groups of students and many workshows are for a maximum of one class at a time.
Our workshows combine the attributes of the drama workshop with storytelling to entertain and teach English to young learners. Workshows are performed in any school environment (a classroom, a gym, a corridor, a refectory!) with no stage lighting or technicians. They are usually delivered to small groups of students and many workshows are for a maximum of one class at a time.
