At Hurtwood we are very used to seeing the faces of our talented ex-students on the television or cinema screens, but to have three alumnae in one show is a first. Indeed, not one, not two but three of our wonderful actors have taken the film world by storm in the acclaimed period drama ‘Hotel Portofino’. Olivia Morris, Louisa Binder, and Bethan Cullinane star in this glamorous, beautifully shot series set in 1920s Italy, the era when Benito Mussolini's fascist regime was on the rise. The show, which premiered on BritBox (now available on ITVX, Prime and Apple TV) has captivated audiences worldwide telling the story of an English family running a picturesque hotel on the Italian Riviera, blending personal drama with the tense political backdrop of the era.
The girls may all have studying at Hurtwood and ‘Hotel Portofino’ in common, but they all have different routes to success. Olivia, who plays Alice Mays-Smith in the series, graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama after Hurtwood and then quickly landed her first professional job in 2019 playing the leading female role in the feature film ‘RRR’ starring alongside Alia Bhatt. Alternatively, Bethan trained at RADA after Hurtwood and is known for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the TV series ‘Trigger Point’. Louisa, the youngest of our trio, who stars as Constance March, trained at Mountview before landing her first TV role in ‘Hotel Portofino’. She has featured in every episode of all three seasons. Louisa shared her thoughts on playing Constance, saying, "Playing Constance has been one of my favourite experiences to date. Despite a difficult past, she moves through the world with such warmth and kindness, and experiences everything in such an honest, sensory way – it feels very calm to exist in her space. I love her a lot."
Life as a busy actor is never dull and since the series Louisa has starred in Quentin Blake’s ‘Box of Treasures’ and is currently making her professional stage debut at Chichester Festival Theatre in Anna Ledwich’s production of ‘Coram Boy’.
