“Hamlet is like the kettle is boiling and no one can take the lid off.” Composer and Sound Designer, Max Lyandvert to discuss his approach to composing for the stage. What can you tell us about your journey to becoming a composer and sound designer? All composers are musicians. It’s not a trade you can learn through a degree or an apprenticeship. It’s a lifelong practice. I started as a kid learning piano. I played in rock bands as a teenager. I then discovered jazz and began moving away from commercial / pop-oriented music towards genres and styles that were interesting and challenging. Aft ..read more

At the end of their week at Bell Shakespeare, this year’s deserving John Bell Scholarship recipients told us about their experiences. The 2019 recipients of the John Bell Scholarship were: Grace Ebelebe, Darwin High School NT Stella Gavey, Scots All Saints College Bathurst NSW Promise Mudzingwa, Guilford Young College, Hobart TAS Hanna Bourke, Emmaus College, Rockhampton QLD How would you describe your experience of the John Bell Scholarship in 3 words? Stella: Amazing, inspirational, thrilling. Grace: Wonderful, informative, creative. Promise: Exciting, adventurous, life-changing. Hanna: Eye ..read more

For the last seven years, Bridget Samuel has spent half the year living out of her suitcase working as the Deputy Stage Manager on the Bell Shakespeare National Tour. Much Ado About Nothing is Bridget’s last tour with us for a while so we sat down to chat all things Stage Management, life on tour, and why she kept coming back to the Bell family. Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m a collector of random items like teapots and telephones. I’m based in Adelaide, have two brothers and both of my parents were English teachers. They were always taking us to see shows, encouraging us to read books; Sha ..read more

Depending on who you believe, the English language owes a debt of gratitude to Shakespeare for the invention of anywhere between 400 and 2500 words and phrases that we still use today. It makes sense. Shakespeare was changing the way humans tell stories. Some people even believe he was changing what it meant to be a human being, so it stands to reason that he would need some interesting new words to help him do that. On closer inspection, it may be that Shakespeare’s greatest skill wasn’t inventing words but rather for listening to how language was changing around him, and a knack for lots of ..read more

Much Ado About Nothing is the original romantic comedy. But like all of Shakespeare’s comedies, tragedy hovers dangerously close. Claudio’s appalling treatment of Hero, her supposed death, and subsequent ‘rebirth’ sit disruptively alongside the sparkling wit of Beatrice and Benedick, and the buffoonery of Dogberry and the Watch. Shakespeare was never constrained by the limitations of genre. Much Ado About Nothing is technically a comedy, insofar as in the final scene people get married instead of killed, but it is essentially a hybrid play. The Hero/Claudio storyline is based on the work of ot ..read more

Walk us through the process of lighting design, from first concept to being in the theatre. It’s a mixture of processes ranging from technical to artistic. It’s in an intermediate zone of outright being an artist and being a skilled craftsperson. In many ways, my job is to be a mind reader, I have to get inside the head of the Director and try and interpret how they imagine the show and then I work with skilled individuals who can help build those ideas in a realistic way, which for me, involves lights. What type of lights are you using for this production? There’s standard in house rigs that ..read more

Walk us through the process of lighting design, from first concept to being in the theatre. It’s a mixture of processes ranging from technical to artistic. It’s in an intermediate zone of outright being an artist and being a skilled craftsperson. In many ways, my job is to be a mind reader, I have to get inside the head of the Director and try and interpret how they imagine the show and then I work with skilled individuals who can help build those ideas in a realistic way, which for me, involves lights. What type of lights are you using for this production? There’s standard in house rigs that ..read more

Bell Shakespeare Artistic Director Peter Evans and La Trobe Financial President & CEO Greg O’Neill OAM reflect on their shared mission to make a positive difference in the community. By Andy McLean It may not be obvious at first glance, but Bell Shakespeare and La Trobe Financial have a great deal in common. Bell Shakespeare performs and shares William Shakespeare’s works with audiences in theatres, schools and communities across Australia. La Trobe Financial is Australia’s $9 billion Assets under Manager diversified wealth manager. On the surface, they may sound like very different organi ..read more

What was your inspiration for the set and costume design of Much Ado About Nothing? The Director James and I were inspired by the design style of contemporary kitsch minimal homes, restaurants and foyers, to create a space that suggests a summer playground for the rich. We wanted it to be visually appealing and familiar to the audience, slightly reminiscent of somewhere you might come across while on holiday ; a posh bar, a hotel lobby or a fancy home. Carefree and fun, yet as shown by the text also accompanied by some of the darker undertones associated with wealth and celebrity. Much Ado A ..read more

Speak low if you speak love Returning from battle with Claudio and Benedick, Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, visits Leonato, Governor of Messina. Claudio falls in love with Leonato’s only daughter, Hero, while Benedick swaps insults with Leonato’s quick-witted niece Beatrice. Don Pedro agrees to woo Hero on Claudio’s behalf at a masquerade ball. Don John, Don Pedro’s malevolent brother, uses the ball as an opportunity to stir up trouble. The misunderstanding is quickly resolved, and Claudio and Hero get engaged. With nothing to do in the week before the wedding, Don Pedro plots to trick Beatrice ..read more