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EXPLAINED: Bell shakespeare | Vintage Vibes

Man or monster? Macbeth holds a mirror to modern morals

Australian audiences may reflect on modern politics in a touring production of Macbeth, as the tortured protagonist embarks on a merciless quest for power.

AAP

What if Macbeth was a 13-year-old child star? Shakespeare meets stage mums and sparkles in riotous adaptation

When Bell Shakespeare’s Mackenzie begins, it is with the clap of thunder and flash of lightning you might expect from any adaptation of Macbeth. And yet, what follows is no ordinary production of the much beloved Scottish play.

The Conversation

Op-shopping, worm farms and cornstarch blood bags: how Australian theatre is staging a greener future

Theatre has long gathered and connected communities through story and shared experience. The performing arts can educate, provoke and inspire climate action. Yet the industry grapples with its own environmental footprint.

The Conversation

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As one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays, Coriolanus is startlingly relevant under Trump 2.0

Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays; perhaps because the hero is so pugnacious and classist, impressive in his strident vehemence, but lacking the vulnerability of a Macbeth or Othello.

The Conversation

Inflexible autocrat, unchecked power – Coriolanus is ‘never not timely’. So why is this Shakespeare play so rarely staged?

The bruising exploration of politics, power and civic identity plays out in front of an audience split into two sides for Bell Shakespeare’s take

The Guardian - AU

Sydney’s beloved Footbridge Theatre launched some of our biggest stars. After nearly 20 years, it’s making a grand return

After nearly 20 years as a lecture theatre, the University of Sydney’s Footbridge Theatre is reopening as a live performance venue in the university’s arts precinct.

The Conversation

Bell Shakespeare’s new King Lear understands the joy of a good tragedy

It is a common reflex to reach for Aristotle’s Poetics to determine what a good tragedy should be. Aristotle says there are good reasons to enjoy a good tragedy, especially if its ergon or telos (its function) works well. This function is to trigger the pleasure (in an audience) of…

The Conversation

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Australian theatre companies are shunning Shakespeare. A much-needed break, or a mistake?

A decade ago, William Shakespeare was the most performed playwright in Australia. In 2024 not one mainstage theatre company in Australia will perform Shakespeare. The only exception will be Bell Shakespeare.

The Conversation

Bell chimes in with a Succession plan fit for a king

Bell Shakespeare is staging its first production of the Bard's classic play King Lear in 13 years, as part of its 2024 season.

AAP

Crown duel: Monarchists accuse ABC of coronation panel ‘blatantly stacked’ with republicans

Coverage a scaled back affair after criticism of reverential tone for Queen’s funeral. Plus: Bell Shakespeare complains about ‘cruel and unfair’ review

The Guardian - AU

Kate Mulvany returns to the stage after Amazon's Hunters to star as Sarah Bernhardt in Melbourne Theatre Company's Bernhardt/Hamlet

Actor and writer Kate Mulvany has recently played a Nazi-hunting nun for Amazon and an artist accused of murder for Foxtel. Now, she returns to the stage.

ABC News

Bell Shakespeare's The Lovers is a sugar-fuelled, ironic adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream for Gen Z

Review: The Lovers, directed by Shaun Rennie.

The Conversation

The Lovers review – Shakespeare musical charms, but doesn’t always deliver

The Playhouse, Sydney Opera HouseBell Shakespeare’s first ever musical puts some pop into A Midsummer Night’s Dream – and it is good fun, if you don’t think too hard about it

The Guardian - AU

‘What if we stopped?’ How Australian arts tours are changing to save the planet

From booking fewer flights to mending socks, companies are focusing on cutting emissions. Can their small changes add up?

The Guardian - AU

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Bell Shakespeare’s Hamlet highlights the 'claustrophobic personal dynamics' of Shakespeare's play

Review: Hamlet, directed by Peter Evans.

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