Danteatro is a friendly and passionate community theatre group formed in February 2017 as part of the Dante Alighieri Society in Brisbane. We come from a variety of different cultural backgrounds, work experience and age groups and share a common love for Italian language and culture. In particular, we are fond of Italian theatre and want to promote it in its original language here in Brisbane.

Our artistic directors

Eleonora Ginardi

I have recently returned to the arts, my first love, and have been teaching and performing with Access Arts. I have also performed with heartBeast Theatre as Eurydice in Antigone last year, and previously the Mother in Six Characters in Search of an Author. I have completed a Master in Performing Arts at the University of the Sunshine Coast. I enjoy exploring different acting disciplines, and I have trained in physical theatre, Impulse Response Training, Practical Aesthetic, Viewpoints and Butoh. My most recent appearance was in Equus, directed by Jaqueline Kerr. I greatly appreciate this opportunity to work with Danteatro in Italian – my mother tongue. My approach to the direction of our performances is collaborative, and I truly enjoy working with dynamic, passionate artists. If you want to learn more about theatre training, read about our workshops.

Matteo Melzi

I began performing as a child of 10, working with Alberto Mancioppi, actor and teacher at the Accademia dei Filodrammatici. My first performance – in The Little Prince – made me fall in love with the theatre. At 20 I enrolled in the Teatro Arsenale School where my understanding of theatre, and especially physical theatre, developed greatly. I have worked with directors such as Marina Spreafico, Gianbattista Storti, Kuniaki Ida and Gustavo La Volpe. I have performed mostly in comedies of errors, by French, American and British playwrights, and in works of political and social critique. I also have experience in the Theatre of the Absurd and tragedies (especially Shakespeare and Beckett) and in original works by young writers. In Brisbane I have performed at the Woodford Fire Event and in the Anywhere Theatre Festival with Heidi Manché, and more recently in Summer Wonderland, with Growl Theatre. In my directing experiences with Danteatro I am seeking to make best use of the skills I have learnt from all these extraordinary people I have worked with. Our company is now in its third year and has several new members in the cast and crew. It is an honour and great pleasure to work with both new and familiar actors, with varying levels of experience, including some taking to the stage for the first time.

Our CAST