Dean Marriott was born in London and educated in the UK and Germany. He retired from a career in finance, aged 33, and subsequently retrained as an actor and teacher. From an early age, his passion for languages and the arts has underpinned both his professional and social lives. In his quest for leisure activities, Dean keeps one key thought in mind: if Shakespeare’s words are true and ‘All the world's a stage’, we shouldn’t have to look far in order to be entertained. We just have to make the time to appreciate it.
If you are searching for an element of entertainment in your leisure pursuits and have a desire to look beyond the obvious, then Dean will use his artistic eye to point you in the right direction.
Dean left Switzerland in July 2017 and is currently studying towards a Masters in Film Directing in Berlin, although he is still managing to squeeze in some acting, where possible.
By Dean Marriott
Lights, cameras and plenty of action – that’s what awaits all attendees at the Locarno Film Festival. This year the festival ran from 3rd until 13th August, attracting films and participants from all over the world. Although films are screened at 10 different venues, the most breath-taking and unforgettable experience is to be had on the majestic Piazza Grande. The piazza transforms into an open-air cinema and thanks to the wonderful summer temperatures this year, provided the perfect setting for some incredible films, originating from all continents.
As a British actor based in Switzerland, I was honoured to receive my accreditation pass this year, giving access to all of the screenings and events during the festival. Integrating into the Swiss acting scene is no mean feat, so seeing my name on the attendee list alongside other Swiss actors was quite something.
By Dean Marriott
This year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. To mark this, the British Council is supporting a series of global events, as well as offering a huge number of online resources.
For those of you who have a spare couple of hours per week and would like to brush up on your knowledge of Shakespeare, it would be worth considering a free 6-week online course with the British Council. After looking into the life of Shakespeare during week 1, the course will then take you on a journey of his works, discovering a new play each week: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest and Macbeth. The next course begins on 18th April and you can sign up for free on the following link: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/explore-english-shakespeare
I often explore the works of Shakespeare during classes and workshops with children and am always excited by their discoveries as they bring the text to life and discover the origins of certain expressions. Currently, I am working on Romeo and Juliet with my Wednesday afternoon Advanced English learners aged 8-13. Some parents are often surprised to hear that their children are studying Shakespeare as part of a language acquisition course. However, to me, as an actor teaching English through theatre, this has always seemed a natural part of the language acquisition process. The themes are so relevant today and the language so rich, that it would be a shame to avoid it.
By Dean Marriott
What would happen if you were to die tomorrow? Would the world end? Would your work colleagues be unable to recover from your absence? Or would people simply learn to cope without you?
I don’t usually start a blog with such a sombre thought, however, I think that sometimes we need a kick to wake us up: a short, sharp reality check. Life and work can continue without you – whether it’s for an hour, a day, a week or longer. So learn to accept, embrace and enjoy this freedom from time to time.
Freedom from work and the chores of daily life has become a luxury today. Technology in our pockets mean that there is little escape. Just look around you. Whether it’s at the train station or on the train, walking in the street or by the lake, in fact where ever you go, people are looking down, obsessively checking emails, Facebook or other social media. The modern day drug called the internet has created nations of addicts with a need to be connected. But what is this inability to switch off doing to us mentally?
By Dean Marriott
One of the things I love about being based in Switzerland is the ability to drive anywhere and everywhere at a moment’s notice. Whether it’s popping across the border into France for a bit of shopping or venturing into the other neighbouring countries of Germany, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein as part of a more comprehensive trip, having a car here is truly liberating.
However, it’s also easy to forget that every time you cross the border, you are entering into a new jurisdiction, not only for your car insurance, but also your car breakdown/recovery insurance. In addition, the rules regarding compulsory equipment that you need to have in your car can differ considerably from one country to another. If in any doubt about what you should have in your car in order to avoid a potential fine, you may find this document from the British Automobile Association very useful: Compulsory equipment for motorists in Europe
By Dean Marriott
When looking at the A-Z of places to visit in Switzerland, Zurich, through no fault of its own, may unavoidably be towards the end of the list alphabetically. However, it tops the list in Switzerland as the largest and richest city, surpassing Geneva in terms of resident millionaires, with over 27% of its inhabitants falling into this category. That said, Zurich is accessible to all, no matter what your budget may be. It is a vibrant and diverse city in terms of population and culture, having 31% of the city's population made up of non-Swiss from a total of 166 different countries.
This year, the 24th Street Parade took place on 29th August 2015 and what a spectacular day this was. With temperatures hitting 32 degrees, in excess of 1 million people descended on Zurich which literally transformed, not simply into the pulsating heart of Switzerland, but that of Europe.
