Anna Cottis

United Kingdom / France | Director, Performer, Educator
Born in London, Anna Cottis staged her first directorial work at the Edinburgh Fringe at the age of 17. She later trained in physical theatre with Philippe Gaulier and Monika Pagneux in Paris, where she also encountered the art of circus under Annie Fratellini and developed clown dramaturgy with guidance from Pierre Étaix.
In 1998, she met Carlo Boso and began intensive study of commedia dell’arte and masked theatre. Since 2000, she has focused on teaching and developing contemporary expressions of commedia in France, the UK, and the US. A founding member of the French Mask Makers Association, she is also Artistic Director of her theatre company Les Ouvriers de Joie (“The Workers of Joy”), based in Montreuil since 2007. The company resides at La Noue Theatre, where she curates a program centered on body-based storytelling.