Skip to main content

Romeo and Juliet

Sydney Theatre Company presents The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare in the Drama Theatre at the Sydney Opera House. Kip Williams, the Director of this production of ROMEO AND JULIET, tells us in his program note: … When I came to reread ROMEO AND JULIET with a mind to direct it, I was struck less by the differences between the Montagues and Capulets, and more by the similarities: excessive wealth, unchecked ego, dominant patriarchs, packs of arrogant young men. The ancient grudge between the families felt like it could easily be the kind…

Read More

Othello

Seymour Centre in association with Sport For Jove Theatre present OTHELLO by William Shakespeare in the Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre. OTHELLO is one of the great tragedies in the Shakespearean canon. It is not often shown on the professional stage in Australia, although I have seen several productions in Drama schools (in the past few years) and, of course, in the United States. There are many films including, the Orson Welles and Michael MacLiammoir (1952), the National Theatre production with Laurence Olivier, Frank Finlay (1964); Anthony Hopkins, Bob Hoskins (1983) and the Laurence Fishburne, Kenneth Brannagh (1995). (Verdi’s operatic version,…

Read More

Julius Caesar

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY DRAMA SOCIETY (SUDS) presents William Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR provided by University of Sydney Union in The Cellar Theatre, Science Road, Sydney University. Sydney University Drama Society presents William Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR. This is one of many productions of JULIUS CAESAR that I have seen in recent years. “Metellus Cimber kneels before Caesar begging the repeal of his brother’s banishment. … Brutus, with a kiss that reminds us more of Judas than of Brutus, … seconds the petition … Caesar, refusing … The moment has come. Casca stabs him from behind, the others follow, Brutus significantly, striking last. “Et tu,…

Read More

Hamlet

Photo by Seiya Taguchi Seymour Centre in association with Sport For Jove Theatre present HAMLET by William Shakespeare in the York Theatre at the Seymour Centre. Commissioned by the Seymour Centre, the Sport For Jove Theatre under the direction of Damien Ryan have prepared and present a version of William Shakespeare’s HAMLET with school audience’s in mind. Mr Ryan has “…worked heavily in the Australian education sector, and bringing Shakespeare and theatre to young audiences is his life’s passion.” His production of ROMEO AND JULIET for Bell Shakespeare/ Sydney Opera House is at present on tour in Melbourne. His production…

Read More

The Merchant of Venice

Genesian Theatre presents THE MERCHANT OF VENICE by William Shakespeare at the Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St, Sydney. In the ‘dark’ week of production at Belvoir, as the Downstairs Theatre is not utilised for outside productions, and so nothing was on in their spaces, and the Sydney Theatre Company had not any ‘mainstream’ performances in any of their usual venues for three weeks, (the major subsidised company in Sydney not showing work for three weeks – how can that BE?), and as I had seen the Darlinghurst and Griffin shows, when looking at the guide of What’s On in the…

Read More

As You Like It

  Belvoir St. Theatre present AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare in the Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St. Surry Hills. Eamon Flack follows on from his 2009 production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM in the Downstairs Theatre at Belvoir Street, with AS YOU LIKE IT in the Upstairs Theatre – a promotion (?) In the program notes to the 2009, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Mr Flack tells us that he and his company had “…embraced the spirit of Shakespeare’s play and therefore not the letter.” Two years later, Mr Flack and his company in presenting AS YOU LIKE IT similarly,…

Read More