Cornucopia Theatre Company

*Masque Theatre and Dance Workshop*
for actors, dancers, and movement lovers
Saturday 15th June 10.00-17.00 and Sunday 16th June 11.00-16.00
with
Mark Duncan, actor and director (London, UK)
and
Daniela Valente, dancer and choreographer (Brescia, Italy)

Inspired by the Renaissance English masque genre and its Commedia dell’Arte and carnival influences from the Italian states. The masque featured theatre, dance and music on an equal basis. We investigate the contemporary masque through structured improvisation, choreography, and direction.

Here are the elements we will work with:
• Performance in-the-round
• The chorus ensemble
• Commedia dell’Arte
• Tableaux Vivant - ‘Living Paintings’
· Ritualesque masks
· Neutral veil
• Physical and poetical challenges
• Social dances; partner dances
• Devising and directing scenes and dances

Level: The workshop is designed for professional dancers, actors, and those with a general interest and practice.

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆:
Workshop: regular fee 100.00e, students 60e,
The workshop will take place in the dance space Sunset, a large and bright studio of about 100 square meters - www.sunsetdance.space
Brescia is 48 km from the Milan Bergamo - Orio al Serio International Airport.
The Sunset studio is 1,5 km from the Brescia train and bus station.
For those coming from far away: if you need to arrive in Brescia in the days before the workshop starts or to leave a few days after the end of the workshop, we will be happy to host you or to help you find accommodation in the surrounding area. Contact us and we will help you organise your trip.

For more info and inscriptions contact us by email: [email protected] or +39 3397282211 by June 8th 2024

*Mark Duncan*

As founder, performer and artistic director of Cornucopia Theatre and co-founder of Dragonfly Mime Theatre, X Moves the Bass Dance Theatre and Faceless Co, Mark has been creating and touring internationally with mask theatre, mime and carnivalesque performances for over thirty years.
Mark has a master’s degree in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School-University of Essex, a graduate diploma in Acting from The Birmingham School of Acting and a Dramatic Arts degree from Leeds University. He is a PhD candidate at East 15-University of Essex, UK.
Training includes The International school of Corporeal Mime (Theatre de l’Ange Fou), Sélavy Actors Centre, and Stage Internazionale di Commedia dell’Arte (Antonio Fava).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/78newdayo7q6n82/MARK%20DUNCAN%20DIRECTOR%20PORTOLIO.pdf?e=1

*Daniela Valente*

Daniela Valente is a dance teacher, movement lover and dance artist.
She obtained a diploma in dance teaching and learning at the Laban Conservatoire of Dance and Music in London.
Daniela has always studied with various masters and choreographers, in France (including Angelo Monaco, Gianni Loringett, Bruno Collinet, Marie Porras, and Lario Ekson), in the United States at the Broadway Dance Centre, the Steps on Broadway school, and the White Mountain Summer Dance Festival, meeting great masters such as Laura Glenn (a former Modern Dance teacher at the Julliard School in N. Y.), Jim Lepore (Professor of Modern Dance at the University of Washington and former dancer of Carolyn Carson) and Paul Dennis (Professor of Modern Dance at several colleges and former dancer José Lymón Dance Company). In Italy, she will always be grateful to Rita Valbonesi, dance and yoga teacher at the IDA International Dance Association in Ravenna.
Daniela has taught dance in Italy and abroad (particularly India and Vietnam) and has experienced how anyone can benefit from dance and find a personal way of self-expression and well-being. That is why she teaches and loves dance.

“Welcome to the enchanted island of Utopia!”.
Tempest Masque is a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s magical invention, featuring the “the rabble" chorus. Be aware, the Utopian chorus can flip into the Dystopian at any time!

Presented by East 15 actors-in-training and Cornucopia Theatre Company.
You can watch the Live Feed here:
@ 7.30pm. https://vimeo.com/event/3344879
Password: east15

Clifftown Theatre, Southend
Thursday 27 April, 2023, 7.30pm
+ Post show Q&A
Tickets £1
More info & booking here: https://clifftowntheatre.co.uk/2023/04/24/tempest-masque-27-apr/

TEMPEST MASQUE | 27 Apr 27 apr, 7:30PM (60MINS) “Welcome to the enchanted island of Utopia!” Tempest Masque is a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s magical invention, featuring the chorus, named by Prospero as “the rabble& #8…

7pm Monday 16 January at The Cockpit Theatre, Gateforth Street, Marylebone, London NW8 8EH. ‘Theatre in the Pound’ is a ‘scratch’ night with 5 companies presenting works-in-progress with audience feedback. Tickets advance/on door=£1: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/pound.


“Welcome to the enchanted island of Utopia!”. Tempest Masque is a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s magical invention, featuring the chorus, named by Prospero as “the rabble". They will guide you through the antimasques to the “removéd mysteries” and “country footing” of the betrothal masque.

Tempest Masque is inspired by the only documented early 17th century performances of ‘The Tempest’ (1611/1613) at Banqueting House-Whitehall Palace, where The King’s Men presented The Tempest, probably as a multimedia spectacle, akin to earlier Jacobean masques.

This presentation features East 15 BA ‘World Performance’ actors-in-training/graduates alongside professional artists from Cornucopia Theatre and forms part of artistic director Mark Duncan’s PhD research at East 15, University of Essex. Tempest Masque will be presented as a full-length version at Clifftown Theatre, Southend in April, Lakeside Theatre, Colchester in May, and at Kingswood House, Southwark, London between 23rd June-16th July 2023 (funding permitting).

Cornucopia Theatre and Pumpkin Jigsaw Samba band in association with Earlsmead Primary School are proud to present the carnival procession at Markfield Road Festival at 2pm Saturday 10th September.

Celebrating Creatives through Art, Music and Talks.
Markfield Road Festival is a free festival for all ages taking place from 9 to 11 September 2022 on Markfield Road in South Tottenham. The 3-day festival, organised by Gaunson Creative Studios with The Cove, Craving and Ten87, will celebrate both emerging and established creatives through art, music and discussion.
Visitors can enjoy activities including Gaunson Creative Open Studios, Art In The Yard, live music, panel discussions on music, art and creativity, film screenings, spoken poetry, DJs, food, bars, a carnival procession with a local primary school, an art raffle, children’s activities, face painting and more.
* Friday 9 September, 3pm to 11pm
* Saturday 10 September, 2pm to late
* Sunday 11 September, 2pm to 11pm

Cornucopia Theatre and Pumpkin Jigsaw Samba band have enjoyed working together previously with our ‘Beyond the Battle of Cable Street' samba procession special cabaret in October 2016 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street and ‘The Beautiful Game’ Samba-Theatre performances and workshops at Chrisp Street Ideas Store, Tower Hamlets, as part of Black History Month 2018. This original play wa written, produced and directed by Mark Duncan, artistic director of Cornucopia Theatre.

Commedia dell’Arte workshops

Date - Saturday 12th March, 2022
Time - 2-5pm (this will be followed by an optional Q&A session)
At - K5 Studios, Arena Design Centre, 71 Ashfield Road, Haringey, London N4 1FF
Cost - Full: £25
(Concessionary: £20 [job seekers, students and seniors])
Returning attendees: £20 (Concessionary: £15)
All welcome.

Commedia dell’Arte is the is one of the world's most venerable forms of theatre, popular from the mid-Renaissance to this day, bringing us famous charters like Punch, Pierrot, Columbine, Pantaloon and Harlequin. You will find a liberating combination of archetypal characters-masked and unmasked, improvisation, unique style, comedy and strong contemporary resonance.

The Commedia dell’Arte workshop series covers the repertoire of the classic Commedia dell’Arte masks:
First Zanni: Brighella (and similar), Infarinato (Pedrolino)
Second Zanni: Arlecchino, Grand Zanni, Columbina
Capitano
Magnifico (Pantelone)
Dottore
The Lovers
La signora (The Lady)
We will learn techniques for comedy (lazzi!) and use of the batòcio (slapstick), moving from structured improvisations to canovaccios (scene action).
We will be working with leather masks made in the traditional manner by maestro Antonio Fava.

Workshops are facilitated by Mark Duncan:
Mark trained at East 15, Birmingham school of Acting, Bretton Hall, The International school of Corporeal Mime, Sélavy Actors Centre and Stage Internazionale di Commedia dell’Arte.
As founder, performer and director of Cornucopia Theatre Company and Dragonfly Mime Theatre, X Moves the Bass Dance Theatre and Faceless Co, he has been creating and touring internationally with mask theatre, mime and carnivalesque performance for over thirty years. As an actor Mark has worked for BBC television and a bunch of theatre companies such as Secret Cinema and ZU-UK. Mark is a PhD candidate at East 15-University of Essex (practice-as research: theatre and contemporary masque directing).

Photos from Stage Internazionale di Commedia dell’Arte 2021, led by Antonio Fava with Cecilia Di Donato

To book and secure your place, please email Mark: [email protected]

Commedia dell’Arte workshops

Date - Saturday 12th March, 2022
Time - 2-5pm (this will be followed by an optional Q&A session)
At - K5 Studios, Arena Design Centre, 71 Ashfield Road, Haringey, London N4 1FF
Cost - Full: £25
(Concessionary: £20 [job seekers, students and seniors])
Returning attendees: £20 (Concessionary: £15)
All welcome.

Commedia dell’Arte is the is one of the world's most venerable forms of theatre, popular from the mid-Renaissance to this day, bringing us famous charters like Punch, Pierrot, Columbine, Pantaloon and Harlequin. You will find a liberating combination of archetypal characters-masked and unmasked, improvisation, unique style, comedy and strong contemporary resonance.

The Commedia dell’Arte workshop series covers the repertoire of the classic Commedia dell’Arte masks:
First Zanni: Brighella (and similar), Infarinato (Pedrolino)
Second Zanni: Arlecchino, Grand Zanni, Columbina
Capitano
Magnifico (Pantelone)
Dottore
The Lovers
La signora (The Lady)
We will learn techniques for comedy (lazzi!) and use of the batòcio (slapstick), moving from structured improvisations to canovaccios (scene action).
We will be working with leather masks made in the traditional manner by maestro Antonio Fava.

Workshops are facilitated by Mark Duncan:
Mark trained at East 15, Birmingham school of Acting, Bretton Hall, The International school of Corporeal Mime, Sélavy Actors Centre and Stage Internazionale di Commedia dell’Arte.
As founder, performer and director of Cornucopia Theatre Company and Dragonfly Mime Theatre, X Moves the Bass Dance Theatre and Faceless Co, he has been creating and touring internationally with mask theatre, mime and carnivalesque performance for over thirty years. As an actor Mark has worked in for BBC television (Inside-Out) and a string of theatre companies such as Secret Cinema and ZU-UK. Mark is a PhD candidate at East 15-University of Essex (practice-as research: theatre and contemporary masque directing).

These specialist commedia dell’Arte workshops 2022 will take place on the first Saturday of each month (except for this one on Saturday 12th March!)

Photos from Stage Internazionale di Commedia dell’Arte 2021, led by Antonio Fava with Cecilia Di Donato

To book and secure your place, please email Mark: [email protected]

WIN TWO TICKETS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GAME TODAY at THE BREAD AND ROSES THEATRE, CLAPHAM FRINGE FESTIVAL!
Brazil never lost a football match while fielding both Garrincha and Pelé. The pair played together in three world cups. Due to his immense popularity in Brazil, Garrincha was called Alegria do Povo (People's Joy) and Anjo de Pernas Tortas (Bent-Legged Angel).
TO WIN YOUR TWO FREE TICKETS FOR THIS PLAY TODAY, JUST ANSWER THIS QUESTION:
Garrincha means
a) Teapot
b) Wren
c) Tiger
d) Spaceship