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The Misanthrope

Photo by Brett Boardman Bell Shakespeare in association with Griffin Theatre Company present THE MISANTHROPE, by Moliere. A new version by Justin Fleming. In The Playhouse, at the Sydney Opera House. 28th August – 28th September. Justin Fleming has created a new, Australian version of Moliere’s LE MISANTHROPE. Lee Lewis has Directed it. This is the fourth Translation/Adadptation of a Moliere play that we have seen from Mr Fleming: TARTUFFE or THE HYPOCRITE, THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES and THE LITERATI – and there is another one coming next year, THE MISER, with John Bell. Lee Lewis has Directed three of these works. Peter Evans,…

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The Merchant of Venice

Photo by Prudence Upton Bell Shakespeare present THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, by William Shakespeare, in the Playhouse Theatre, at the Sydney Opera House. Until 26 November. I went to see this Bell Shakespeare production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, Directed by Anne-Louise Sarks, on the favourable ‘word-of-mouth’ I had, mostly, received from friends, who, like me, had had a very dispiriting experience with their production of OTHELLO***, last year, and, of course, because of my continuing interest in this very vexing play. Vexing? Says Norrie Epstein in his book THE FRIENDLY SHAKESPEARE: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE  is a troubling play.…

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Richard 3

  Bell Shakespeare present, RICHARD 3, by William Shakespeare, in the Playhouse Theatre, at the Sydney Opera House. 25 February – 1st April. RICHARD III is a play written by William Shakespeare c. 1592, early in his career. The Bell Shakespeare present at the Sydney Opera House RICHARD 3,  a dramaturgical collaboration between Director, Peter Evans and actor Kate Mulvany using the Shakespeare original. The play has been hand-crafted with this actor and company in mind, it seems. This is their third collaboration, JULIUS CAESAR and MACBETH, being the previous two. Kate Mulvany is also playing this Richard 3, and…

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Othello

Photo by Daniel Boud Bell Shakespeare presents, OTHELLO, by William Shakespeare, in the Playhouse, at the Sydney Opera House, 24 October – 4 December. OTHELLO is a riveting play. A play concerning the plot of a man who outwardly seems a charming man – a flower external that has a serpent beneath. Of a man who has no conscience at all. A man who takes the witnessing audience into his confidence and shows us a duplicity so heinous, wicked and clever that we cannot look away. It is Iago and we step willingly onto the roller-coaster of his doings and…

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The Literati

  Griffin Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare present THE LITERATI, by Justin Fleming after Moliere’s LES FEMMES SAVANTES, at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, 27 May- 16 July. THE LITERATI, is an adaptation by Australian writer Justin Fleming, of Moliere’s LES FEMMES SAVANTES, presented in a co-production by Bell Shakespeare – a company dedicated to texts of classic heritage – and the Griffin Theatre Company – Sydney’s company dedicated to present new Australian work. Moliere was the stage name of Jean Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673), an actor, and the author of a series of comedies that has some regard him…

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Hamlet

Bell Shakespeare present HAMLET by William Shakespeare, in the Playhouse, at the Sydney Opera House, 27 October – 5 December. Belvoir Theatre gave Sydney its last Hamlet in Toby Schmitz, under the Direction of Simon Stone – 2013. Bell has given many Hamlets, the biggest offer being that of Brendan Cowell with Marion Potts steering the task, in a lavish production in the much larger Drama Theatre of the Sydney Opera House (SOH) – 2008. This production is another Bell Shakespeare offer with Josh McConville, directed by Damien Ryan, this being the Director, Mr Ryan’s second offer to Sydney, having…

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