Lara Ciulli

Artist in Residence
Lara Ciulli

CAD Affiliations:

About

Lara Ciulli is a 20 year old artist from Cambridge. Lara is trained in classical ballet, music – her ‘sound’ on the French Horn – and later came to find her passion for acting. Lara attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London in 2018 and L’École Philippe Gaulier, Paris in 2020.

“In 2019 I founded my award winning two-woman theatre company ‘Those People’ with a friend and fellow actress back in Cambridge. Our first work became a Clown/Buffon style piece that, through spoofing indescript feminist-wave theatre, vilifying ‘man’ and they’re obnoxious penis’ (at points with large phallic balloons sandwiched pathetically between our legs, fighting and thrusting to Cindy Lauper’s ‘True Colours’), unexpectedly ends up highlighting the true prejudices faced by two young women within the industry, and more widely, in society. We played with breaching uncomfortable subjects with lightness and a clownish naive stupidity and challenged ourselves to create harsh moments of poignancy off the back of great hilarity – which we found was, not surprisingly, easier said than done. Although we were in the position with the funding, applications and support to take the show after several runs in Cambridge, to London and later Edinburgh, covid hit, and this succession of events was what thankfully led me to L’école Philippe Gaulier in October 2020.

In the future I am passionate to be a part of the movement to reform live theatre; it’s accessibility and its presence in a dying age. I also strongly believe there is a vital role for theatre and it’s creation to be played within the education sytsem for the rounded development of children and I strive to implement this. In a world that can sometimes feel stifled by its own stark reality, theatre reopens minds to dream; around people, stories and worlds that aren’t your own – and this, for me, is the most powerful gift of all.”

On Coming To Canada

I am delighted to have been accepted as part of this three-month residency, and am excited to further explore, develop and establish my working and performance style as a fresh new artist – this will also, excitingly, be the first time I have worked outside of Europe, so hellooo Canada!

On Accessibility & The Arts
As an artist, it is important to me to create accessible work with purpose; purpose as small as giving one person joy, to challenging and transforming a whole audiences opinion, constantly exploring the balance between the freedom of the performer in the hands and mind of the spectator. As a child, I was always the loudest and demanded the whole room's attention but learned quickly, and some difficulty, that not everyone would love me the way my mum does. I almost came to discover my talents as a comedic performer through self-preservation against ass-holes which, eventually gave me all the tools I’d need to naturally charm any audience put in front of me.
On Studying With Philippe Gaulier
This past year I’ve had privilege of studying with and under clown pedagogue Philippe Gaulier and his right hand man, Carlo Jacucci, who both led me to reshape my world and viewpoint as an performer, away from myself and onto the audience. I have always been creatively impacted by the art and the actors I was exposed to from a young age; from the Marx Brothers to Chaplin, Hitchcock, and Woody Allen, but didn’t, until arriving at L’école Philippe Gaulier, find the mentors and peers that spoke my same language. I now strive to continue to work in the way I began there, surrounded by inspiration, and always following my pleasure, sharing what makes me and in turn others, happy.

Contact:

lara@thetheatre.com