Bell Shakespeare
Founded | 1990 |
---|---|
Founder | John Bell |
Headquarters | Sydney, Australia |
Key people | Peter Evans (Artistic Director), Gill Perkins (Executive Director) |
Products | Theatre Productions, Learning Programs |
Website | bellshakespeare.com.au |
Bell Shakespeareis an Australian theatre company specialising in the works ofWilliam Shakespeare,his contemporaries and other classics. It is based inSydney.
They are Australia's only national theatre company.[1][2]Each year they perform a Mainstage season consisting of three theatre productions, including an annual National Tour, and a Learning program to support students, teachers and communities nationally. Bell Shakespeare's Artistic Director is Peter Evans[3]and the Executive Director is Gill Perkins.[4]
One of the Company's artistic goals is "to use Shakespeare as Australians",[5]and Bell Shakespeare is well known for using contemporary styles to make Shakespeare accessible for modern audiences.[6]
Company history
[edit]Founded byJohn Bellin 1990, Bell Shakespeare began as a theatre company dedicated to producing the plays of William Shakespeare in a way that was relevant and exciting to Australian audiences.[7]With the support of an enlightened philanthropist, the late Tony Gilbert AM, and a small number of imaginative corporate and private supporters, Bell Shakespeare was able to mount productions and attract audiences.[8]
Bell Shakespeare is listed as a Major Festival in the bookShakespeare Festivals Around the World.[9]
In 2016, theAustralian Federal Governmentannounced a $1 million contribution to the Bell Shakespeare capital campaign, which will help the Company secure a permanent home at Sydney's Pier 2/3,Walsh Bay.[10]
Artistic leadership
[edit]In 2012, John Bell announced the promotion of associate artistic director Peter Evans to the position of co-artistic director.[11]In 2015, John Bell retired from the Company, and Peter Evans was made sole Artistic Director.[12]
Learning
[edit]Bell Shakespeare has a range of learning opportunities for students and teachers in every Australian state and territory throughout the year. This includes in-school performances by The Players.[13]Inspired by the troupe of actors who appear inHamlet,Bell Shakespeare's Players have been performing abridged adaptions of Shakespeare's works in schools since 1991.[8]A number of tailored workshops, masterclasses and residencies are also available to make Shakespeare accessible to students in an immersive and fun way. Each year, the company creates a theatre production specifically for students. Bell Shakespeare also provides professional learning for teachers.
A range of scholarships to support students and teachers are also provided. This includes the John Bell Scholarship, which provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students living in regional or remote areas who are interested in a career as a performer, and the regional teacher mentorship which is a fully funded year-long mentorship for teachers in regional, rural and remote Australian schools.[14]
Productions
[edit]Recent productions
[edit]- Hamlet(2015), directed by Damien Ryan and starringJosh McConville.
- Romeo and Juliet(2016), directed by Peter Evans and starringKelly PaternitiandAlex Williams.
- Othello(2016), directed by Peter Evans and starring Ray Chong Nee and Yalin Ozucelik.
- The Literati(2016), directed by Lee Lewis and starring Kate Mulvany andMiranda Tapsell.
- Richard 3(2017), directed by Peter Evans and starringKate Mulvany.
- The Merchant Of Venice(2017), directed byAnne-Louise Sarksand starringMitchell ButelandJessica Tovey.
- Antony and Cleopatra(2018), directed by Peter Evans and starringCatherine McClements.
- Julius Caesar(2018), directed by James Evans and starring Kenneth Ransom.
- The Misanthrope(2018), directed by Lee Lewis and starringDanielle Cormack.
- The Miser(2019), directed by Peter Evans and starring John Bell.
- Much Ado About Nothing(2019), directed by James Evans and starringZindzi Okenyo.
- Titus Andronicus(2019), directed byAdena Jacobsand starring Jane Montgomery Griffiths andMelita Jurisic.
- Hamlet(2020), directed by Peter Evans and starring Harriet Gordon-Anderson andLisa McCune.
- A Midsummer Night's Dream(2021), directed by Peter Evans and starring Jane Montgomery Griffiths andGabrielle Scawthorn.
- The Lovers(2022), Bell Shakespeare's first musical, based onA Midsummer Night's Dream,directed by Shaun Rennie.
Production history by play
[edit]List of Bell Shakespeare productions (not including Learning productions or special events):[15]
Shakespeare
[edit]- Antony and Cleopatra(2001, 2018)
- As You Like It(2003, 2018, 2015)
- The Comedy of Errors(2002, 2013)
- Coriolanus(1996)
- Hamlet(1991, 2003, 2008, 2015, 2020)
- Henry IV[Henry IV, Part 1;Henry IV, Part 2] (1988, 2013)
- Henry V(1999, 2014)
- Julius Caesar(2001, 2011, 2018)
- King Lear(1998, 2010)
- Macbeth(1994, 1997, 2007, 2012, 2023)
- Measure for Measure(2005)
- The Merchant of Venice(1991, 1999, 2006, 2017)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream(2000, 2004, 2014, 2021)
- Much Ado About Nothing(1996, 2000, 2011, 2018)
- Othello(2007, 2016)
- Pericles(1995, 2009)
- Richard III(1992, 2002, 2017)
- Romeo and Juliet(1993, 1999, 2006, 2016, 2023)
- The Taming of the Shrew(1994, 2002, 2009)
- The Tempest(1997, 2001, 2006, 2015)
- Titus Andronicus(2019)
- Troilus and Cressida(2000)
- Twelfth Night(1995, 2004, 2010, 2023)
- The Two Gentlemen of Verona(2005)
- Wars of the Roses[Henry VI, Part 1;Henry VI, Part 2;Henry VI, Part 3] (2005)
- The Winter's Tale(1997, 2014)
- Venus and Adonis(2008)
Other
[edit]- Long Day's Journey into Night(1999)
- Dance of Death(2000)
- Shakespeare's R & J(2001)
- The Servant of Two Masters(2003)
- Moby Dick(2005)
- The Government Inspector(2007)
- Anatomy Titus Fall of Rome: A Shakespeare Commentary(2008)
- The Alchemist(2009)
- Faustus(2011)
- The Duchess of Malfi(2012)
- The School for Wives(2012)
- Phèdre(2013)
- Tartuffe(2014)
- The Literati(2016)
- The Misanthrope(2018)
- The Miser(2019)
- One Man in His Time(2021)
- In a Nutshell(2022)
- The Lovers(2022), based onA Midsummer Night's Dream
References
[edit]- ^"Bell Shakespeare shows".StageCenta.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^"Bell Shakespeare".www.ampag.com.au.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^Hook, Chris (2015)."After a long handover Bell Shakespeare artistic director Peter Evans reveals his first season".Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^"Staff & Board".Bell Shakespeare.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^"Vision, Mission & Artistic Goals".Bell Shakespeare.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^Litson, Jo (2014)."Bell Shakespeare turns 1664 classicTartuffeinto a modern comic masterpiece ".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^Bell, John (2004).John Bell – The Time of My Life.Sydney: Currency Press.ISBN1-74114-134-6.
- ^ab"History Of Bell Shakespeare – Bell Shakespeare".Bell Shakespeare.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^Gregio, Marcus D. (2004).Shakespeare festivals around the world.Xlibris.ISBN1413459072.OCLC85474058.
- ^WBPA."Belle Shakespear. New Home at Pier 2/3".www.walshbay.com.au.Archived fromthe originalon 15 May 2018.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^Dow, Steve (4 October 2012)."Almost 'fat enough', Bell takes onFalstaffand hints at retirement ".The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^"Artistic Director – Bell Shakespeare".Bell Shakespeare.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^In-school performances,bellshakespeare.com.au
- ^"'Shakespeare intended it be performed': The key to helping children understand his texts ".ABC News.8 April 2018.Retrieved15 May2018.
- ^"Bell Shakespeare".AusStage.Retrieved24 February2017.