Brno’s theatre scene is rich and cosmopolitan, and there is increasingly something for everyone. A newcomer on the scene is ALM Theatre, which brings together local and foreign creatives to perform in both English and Czech. They will perform in English for the first time soon, and even sooner in Czech, with a performance of Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ on 21 and 23 March. Brno Daily went along to one of their rehearsals ahead of their next opening to learn a little bit about their company.
BD: Hi! Who are you?
Lucie and Marco: We are ALM (A Lot More) Theatre; although the A, L and M are also our initials, Antony, Lucie and Marco.
We have been professional actors and directors for close to 25 years, although we started our careers on opposite sides of the Atlantic; Lucie training at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York and Marco training at the Oxford School of Drama.
Marco: I came to acting relatively late, starting my career when I was 30. I am from a working-class background where a life in the theatre was unheard of, so I had many obstacles to overcome before I arrived at where I wanted to be. Since graduating in 2001, I have worked extensively in film, television and theatre. Some recent highlights include the Anglo-Italian productions Addio all’Arme and Homo Sacer (with Lucie) both of which toured the UK and Italy, and appearing in the films Bad Company and Milk of Human Kindness as well as the online series Brunching Britain.
Lucie: I have always known I wanted to be an actress. At six years old, I told my parents, and despite their initial hesitation, they supported me. I began my journey in a local drama club in Choceň and later trained at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, where I studied the Meisner technique under C.C. Courtney and Richard Pinter from 2002 to 2004. I was the first and only Czech graduate of the program. I also studied theatre acting at Brooklyn College, City University of New York.
In 2012, I co-founded ALM Productions (formerly Purple Hibiscus) with Marco Rossi. Our first production was Pinocchio, where I played the title role. Later, we produced and starred in an all-female Hamlet in London, which led to an invitation to perform at Shakespeare’s Globe for his birthday celebration.
Today, I teach the Meisner technique at JAMU in Brno and internationally, helping actors develop their craft. Currently, with ALM Theatre, we are working on The Crucible – Čarodějnice ze Salemu.
BD: What is the story of your group/company? (Is there a difference?)
Marco: Lucie and I met when I was helping audition candidates for a theatre production in 2012. We found that we worked very well together and quickly decided to continue our professional relationship with our own theatre company. We felt that we could bring a unique voice to theatre in the UK as we had varied cultural backgrounds and experiences. Under a different name (Purple Hibiscus), we produced two plays: a darker (and more Italian) retelling of Pinocchio and an all-female production of Hamlet. We have also produced two short films; Black Hair based on the story by Lafcadio Hearn and the original Unwanted.
Since relocating to Brno, we have spent a while experiencing the theatre scene and now have decided to carry on our work for a new audience in the Czech Republic.
BD: What brought you to Brno and what has the change been like?
Marco: We have long loved Brno from our previous visits and when we decided to relocate to the Czech Republic, there was only one place we wanted to live. This city has an incredible cultural heritage and a vibrant artistic life as well as being the perfect home for a family. Although my Czech is very poor (some would even say nonexistent), I have never had any trouble communicating with anybody in this city. I feel at home here.
Lucie: At first, I struggled with the idea of coming back home. I thought I would be coming to the Czech Republic of my past, but with every visit we’ve made I’ve realized that this country has grown and that living here would be a wonderful new step for our little family and Brno was and is a city of magic and we understood on a deeper level that it is going to be our new home. It’s a perfect place for our son to grow up in and discover his passions. In fact, Antony has already started on his theatrical road, having appeared in two films, three theatrical productions by Narodní Divadlo Brno and one at Husa na Provázku.
BD: What makes you stand out from other theatres here in Moravia?
Marco: We are a professional company with extensive international experience, and we are eager to bring that to Brno. As we have enjoyed a great degree of success in our previous ventures (both as a company and individually as actors) with many well-known professionals, we can come to the theatre scene with a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective. We will also be able to produce plays in both English and Czech; we are especially looking forward to producing Shakespeare in its original language for the theatre going public of Brno. We had great success with our previous production of Hamlet at both the Space and at the Globe in London, as well as appearing as actors in productions including Titus Andronicus and Twelfth Night.
BD: What is your relationship to JAMU?
Lucie: I started to teach at JAMU in September 2021 with a weekend workshop of Meisner technique for Aleš Bergman’s drama atelier and due to its success and the student’s desire to learn more, I continue to teach there. Nowadays, I teach in two programs and I’m hoping that my teaching of Meisner technique continues to grow not only at JAMU but also internationally.
BD: What are you currently working on?
Lucie: I’m currently scheduled to lead a Meisner workshop in Prague for Divadlo Procity and also Kaphka Studios, the first in Czech and the second in English which is a follow up on a workshop that I did last fall. We’re also in rehearsals for The Crucible – Čarodějnice ze Salemu that will open on 21 March, with a second showing on 23 March both starting at 7pm in Káznice, Brno. We’ll also be preparing for rehearsals of our next production, this time in English.
BD: What is coming next for you?
Marco: Our next production will be an original play in English, Faceless, Nameless (written by me) with a cast of four actors. This one has taken some time to come to production, what with moving to another country, having a child and various other things. Both Lucie and I will be acting in it too.
