Lingue Senza Frontiere - A Guide
When I first auditioned to work with this company, there was little information on the roles and responsibilities, or even what to expect and bring. So, I have decided to make a post based off of my experience to help guide those who are considering working for this company.
For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Lingue Senza Frontiere (or LSF as I will call them from now on) are an Italian Educational Theatre Company that gets groups of actors to tour the north of Italy. The actors perform a variety of plays to a variety of schools as well as running workshops after shows. They also run summer camps. If you want to check them out, I’ll link their website but it is in Italian so you might wanna get google translate on it:- https://www.linguesenzafrontiere.com/
Tip 1:- Check your journey price and time frame
LSF offer 100 euros for your first travel over to Italy. They will not pay you for any other trips in and out of the country you may make during your contract with them. So look at how much it’s going to cost you to get from where you live to the Sanremo station in Italy, as that is where the company picks you up to take you to the accommodation. The nearest airport is Nice and there’s normally buses and trains that can take you from there. But also be aware of how long the journey will take. There may not be a direct flight from your local airport to the Nice airport, or your arrival time may not work out for getting a train to Sanremo. The company will want you to be at Sanremo station by 6pm European Time at the latest, since they close their office at 6pm and might not offer to collect you should you need to arrive later than that. But also think about your own health in the journey. You don’t want to be taking two planes, a train and a bus all in one day just so you don’t have to pay to sleep overnight somewhere. Consider what’s going to be the best route, work out the cost including luggage and if it comes to over 100 euros see if you can speak with LSF about covering the extra charges so you can meet their required arrival time.
Tip 2:- Don’t over pack
So you’re going to another country for possibly 8 months without returning home. You’re not sure what weather you could be facing, so you should probably bring a lot of stuff, right? Wrong. You’re only staying in Sanremo during your rehearsal period so when you go off to act you need to fit your suitcase, as well as the suitcases of the other actors and all of the props and costumes for the shows into a Peugeot car, maybe a small Peugeot van at best. You won’t have time to wear your beautiful summer clothes or fashionable winter jeans. Pack black trousers, leggings and jeans. You have to wear black for the shows, so make sure you have a few pairs in case any get damaged during performances. It does get cold at winter and we all heard how hot Europe was this summer so yeah make sure you have a variety, just a variety of black, with a few bits for weekends and potential evening meals out. Maybe pack one of them thingies for checking the weight of your case for your journey back. There are launderettes at both flats, both of which don’t require washing powder. And as someone who uses non-bio washing powder, I never had an issue with itchy clothes.
Tip 3:- Take a rucksack and a microwaveable food box
Speaking of keeping things light, take a rucksack. After you move from Sanremo, you settle in a flat in Capriate San Gervasio where you’ll spend most of your weekends. You can leave your suitcase there. Most of your accommodation during the week will be in hotels, flats and airbnb’s. Not all of them will have lifts. Not all of them will have cooking facilities. Trust me, you don’t want to be lugging an entire suitcase into a hotel you are staying in for one night. Take a rucksack with a weeks worth of essential clothes and toiletries. Make yourself some pasta for lunch and store it for the car journey.
Tip 4:- Bring an Italian adaptor
Yeah, that title’s right. Not a European adaptor, an Italian adaptor. One with three, thin prongs rather than the two fat ones European adaptors have. Both company accommodations only use Italian adaptors and most flats also use the same plug system. Here’s one for reference:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADAPTOO-ADV-12-ADAPTOR-UK-ITALY/dp/B002YKNTUM/ref=asc_df_B002YKNTUM/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311075391090&hvpos=1o8&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13891911048839537870&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006679&hvtargid=pla-562449714173&psc=1
Tip 5:- Learn some basic Italian
LSF will tell you that you don’t need to know Italian to do your job. They’re lying. Not only does most of the accommodation not understand basic English (which, let’s face it some little town that never gets tourists aren’t going to bother learning a language they’ll never use in day-to-day life) but sometimes the teachers who had requested the performance didn’t understand English. Part of the job is calling accommodation to confirm the time you will arrive, and calling the teachers to confirm what they’ve paid for. So here’s a bit of Italian that will save your skin:- Ciao, siamo LSF. Abbiamo una prenotazione/ un spettacolo con te domani. Posso parlare Inglese? This means:- Hello, we are LSF. We have a reservation/ a show with you tomorrow. Can I speak English? A good way to learn is through Duolingo, though you’re bound to pick up things the longer you’re in the country and practising the language.
Tip 6:- Learn the scripts and songs before you arrive
You have two weeks to block out and rehearse like, 5 plays as well as learn how to run the workshops and practice driving. You don’t want to shove learning lines and songs on top of that too. Though be prepared for the company to add in audience interaction into the script.
Tip 7:- Make sure to read the contract in detail before signing
The company will try to guilt you into doing more for the company, such as working over the weekend to learn new workshop styles. They will state that it is in the contract for you to do these things. Whilst this is kind of true, sometimes the company will try to spring things on you last minute such as last minute bookings. Make sure to communicate your concerns with the company about any issues that may rise with their expectations from you in the role.
Tip 8:- Have a phone plan that provides lots of data
The company provides a WiFi router for the Capriate flat, but it only has 30G of data per month for the 10 people who are living in the flat. That’s 3G of data per month per person. Plus the SatNav the company provides tends to take you down narrow roads and dead ends so it is always good to make sure you can use your own google maps to look for a safer route.
Tip 9:- Look after the company car and your locations
The company will provide you with a car to get from place to place, as well as funds for petrol and emergency funds for washing costumes, cleaning facilities for flats etc. The company base your potential bonus at the end of the contract on the maintenance of the car and the flats. If you receive a speeding ticket, it is taken off of your bonus. Even if you weren’t the one driving, as the company states that everyone in the group is responsible for the car regardless of if they drive or not. If you do damage the car, make sure to contact the company immediately to ask them what to do. Little scratches and bumps are inevitable but communication is key when making sure you are covered for any damage caused. The same with the flats. If you do not recycle your waste correctly, the flat could be fined. If the flat is unclean or the toilets and drains become blocked, the company may need to pay for these fixing and thus your bonus deducting for said fixes.
Tip 10:- Make the most of your free time
Be aware of how long it will take you to journey from one accommodation to the next. Ask the accommodation owners when the earliest and latest times are to arrive. Look at how many shows you will be performing and take time to enjoy your surroundings. If you are performing near to Verona and you have 3 hours free before you need to leave, take some time to go and sight-see. Italy is a beautiful country and there’s lots to experience. So enjoy the time you have out there. Treat yourself to a Michelin star restaurant. Stuff your face at an all-you-can-eat Chinese. Experience the towns people pay hundreds of pounds to visit for a weekend and you get to see simply by performing to a school nearby. Visit the neighbour at the Capriate flat and learn to play a card game in Italian.
In conclusion, working for LSF was an experience I was proud to obtain. Sure, sometimes the other actors drove me a little crazy. But that is inevitable when you’re basically spending 24/7 with the same people. Sharing rooms and sometimes even beds wasn’t exactly what I expected but it wasn’t too bad. Most stuff you learn as you go, growing stronger with each new challenge the role brings your way. You’ll learn how to be smart with both the company’s money and your own money. You’ll learn when and where the best place to wash and dry your clothes is. You’ll learn to balance your work relationship with your friendships with your fellow actors, and when sometimes you just need a few minutes to yourself. You’ll learn to balance the company’s duties amongst the group and work together to bring joy to the children you perform to.
If you have any more questions about what to expect, don’t be afraid to ask the company, or even ask me.
