Learning Through TheatreTM
We are an educational theatre organisation, specialising in Commedia dell’Arte, a 16th century Italian theatre style that featured stock characters, half masks, physical comic gags (lazzi), rehearsed sequences and dialogue improvised around a structured plot outline (canovaccio). As a natural progression from this genre, we also teach physical comedy: farce, slapstick and bouffon, as well as mime and expressionist performance. In 2015, in response to demand, we began performing as a troupe and in 2022 we formerly set up a child company, now known as Punch’s Progress. We offer a play-workshop package and, right now, plans are brewing for a new show.
Why Commedia dell’arte?
We believe Commedia is invaluable as a training method for all performers, commedia challenges performers to:
reach beyond their comfort zone
work intuitively as an ensemble
develop control, precision, articulation and expressivity of movement, voice, gesture and emotion
heighten their awareness of presence, audience relationship and stage energy.
Commedia develops the actor-creator who is a multi-skilled and versatile player.
“the actor-performer is author, producer, storyteller, director; he will be required to pass from lead actor to supporting role at a moment’s notice, and will astonish, with his continual twists and turns, not only the audience, but also his fellow-actors.”
Our aims:
To create relevant, original commedia for contemporary audiences to keep commedia alive and vibrant!
To deliver inspiring workshops that provide an enriching and memorable learning experience, supporting learners at all levels of ability
To challenge participants to stretch themselves and to become more confident as physically expressive performers
Our Team
Cheryl Stapleton
Cheryl is Founder and Director of Learning Through Theatre. She started out as a dancer, but it was as a stage manager that Cheryl made her way into professional theatre in the early 90’s. She trained at École Philippe Gaulier and went onto further her passion for Commedia, training with maestros of the form: Antonio Fava, John Rudlin and Dr Olly Crick. Cheryl is also an ISTA Artist and LAMDA coach and travels globally to teach in international schools. She can be booked as an Artist in Residence through ISTA or directly as a LAMDA Public Speaking or Acting coach through this website (contact Cheryl now).
Cheryl is our lead practitioner. She performs, directs and teaches as a physical theatre, mask and storytelling specialist working with students of all ages. Past clients have included RADA, Fourth Monkey, Circomedia, UCL, The Actors’ Workshop, Berlin Met School, ACS International Schools - she’s worked with over 500 schools worldwide!
John Broadbent
John trained in the Commedia Dell’Arte with Italian director Carlo Boso and co-founded The Fortunati, an English Commedia troupe that toured the UK and Europe with many productions. John has performed with TAG Teatro di Venezia at the Venice Carnival, London International Mime Festival and on tours of Italy, France and Holland. He teamed up with Chris Howitt on the award-winning Severed Heads (a very English take on the French Revolution) and collaborated with Ophaboom Theatre on many of their comedies. More recently, John toured the solo show Mak the Sheepstealer and played Chief Barker in Saved, a modern Mummer’s play.
John joined Learning Through Theatre to perform in The Breath of Love, He also leads workshops as a commedia dell’arte specialist.
James Anderson
James trained at Arts Educational Schools and then at Bristol University and worked extensively around the West country performing with companies such as BareBones Theatre, Theatre West and Shakespeare @ the Tobacco Factory, as well as helping to set up and run The Pelican Theatre in Stroud. For the past 18 years he has been a teacher at Bristol Cathedral Choir Schools leaving this year to return to performance.
James joined Learning Through Theatre to perform in The Breath of Love.
Mark Reid
Mark trained in Australia qualifying with a Bachelor of Education in Drama and Dance. Since then he has honed his practice in comedic performance with such practitioners as Marcello Magni, Kevin Brooking, Angela De Castro and Barry Grantham. He has been a core member of Physical Theatre companies such as the Anglo-Brazilian Dende Collective and Forbidden Theatre. He has performed in a variety of venues from the streets of London’s Covent Garden to West End studio spaces.
Mark has performed in three of Learning Through Theatre’s productions: Trouble Inn Paradise, The Breath of Love and A Landlord’s Tale. He also leads workshops as a comedy specialist.
We are currently looking to extend our database of performer-tutors. Work is in the pipeline for a new show, but currently cannot offer any firm commitments. If you are interested in working with us, you can send your resumé to info@learningthroughtheatre.co.uk and we will get in touch for an informal chat.
Masks have an extraordinary ability to evoke both fascination and fear. While their concealment and mystery can be unsettling, in the world of theatre, masks are powerful tools for transformation, storytelling, and connection. But what if we could harness that power not just for performance, but for learning and even for healing?