Anna Zapparoli

Anna Zapparoli is half English half Italian. She was born in England, but was brought up in Milan,
where she studied drama at the Scuola del Piccolo Teatro, the most important Italian theatre,
directed by Giorgio Strehler. Since 1979 she has been working as an actress under many
prestigious authors and directors such as Dario Fo and Luca Ronconi to name but two.

Because of her rich contralto voice she has frequently been cast in straight roles where
singing was involved. She is married to Mario Borciani. He and Anna have often worked
together, and have often collaborated on rhytmic adaptations and translations of lyrics for
many songs in plays. Encouraged by the praise and the success of their work together,
Mario and Anna decided to write songs of their own. In less than a year they won the prize
for the best lyrics at the 1996 San Remo Authors' Festival, and in 1997 their first CD of
Italian songs was released. Meanwhile Anna's English bit began to break out. She took
part in a series of films on the Bible: in the episode entitled Jacob directed by Sir Peter Hall
and in Joseph directed by Roger Young. A part in the tv film Paparazzo directed by Ed Bennett
with Nick Berry introduced her to the rough-and-tumble of the universe of London: in 2000 Anna
and Mario's controversial musical Molly Bloom: A Musical Dream (an adaptation of the Molly Bloom
monologue from James Joyce's Ulysses) transferred to London from the Edinburgh festival.

Their 2001 Fringe show, 1933 and All That, was brilliantly received and also transferred to London
in 2002, and returns to Edinburgh Fringe 2004 for the fourth year running. They have published two
CDs of their shows, which can be bought online at www.dresscircle.com

Anna and Mario live in Milan and have two children: Benedetta (20) and Beniamino (11).