Presented by Bell Shakespeare
The
Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre – 14th and 15th April
2021.
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
This is a
show that should be seen by every aspiring actor, and everyone else with even a
passing interest in theatre or Shakespeare. For a little over an hour, John
Bell, consummate actor, superb raconteur and living national treasure, held his
audience spell-bound with his mastery of his craft and the power of his
story-telling, dressed simply in a smart grey casual shirt and jeans, alone on
the stage, except for a chair and small table carrying a glass of water and a
script to which he occasionally referred.
Commencing
with Oberon’s monologue “I know a bank where the wild thyme grows” from “A
Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Bell explained that this was the play that captivated
him at the age of 15 and ignited his lifelong passion for Shakespeare and his
writing.
He told how
he studied Shakespeare from the age of 18 and performed his first “Hamlet” at
age 22. He shared some of the knowledge,
explaining the difference between a speech and a soliloquy. He even gave some
directorial hints enlisting some willing audience members to assist him in an
engaging demonstration, for which he chose a soliloquy from “Macbeth”.
But mostly
he talked about Shakespeare’s characters, and their relevance to present day
circumstances and events. Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” to illustrate a point
about suicide and “He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million”,
Shylock’s Act 3 speech from “The Merchant of Venice”, as a wry comment on
recent politics.
Some quotes were
familiar, others less so. Enthusing about Shakespeare’s lesser known characters,
without the aid of any props, he effortlessly assumed character, to deliver Jack
Cade’s speech from “Henry V1”; a hilarious exchange between Justices Shallow
and Silence from “Henry 1V”; and Falstaff’s “Honour” speech.
After describing
the meeting between Anthony and Cleopatra, he performed Cleopatra’s “Lament”
with the reminder that in Shakespeare’s day all the female roles in his plays
were played by men.
Crammed with
similar examples, this gem of a show is no mere recital of Bell’s favourite
roles. More a memorable masterclass
delivered with the freshness and enthusiasm belying a man in his 80th
year, most of which have been spent sharing his enthusiasm for the work of
William Shakespeare.
Of course there was a standing ovation from the capacity audience, as much to honour his outstanding contribution to the art of fine theatre as for his gift of this superb Shakespearean treasury.
Image by Brett Boardman
This review appears in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
