Bell Shakespeare's 2020 Season

Bell Shakespeare has unveiled its splendid 2020 season exploring two of William Shakespeare’s most popular and classic plays, re-imagined for 21st century audiences, Hamlet and The Comedy of Errors. Touring to Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, these two productions are bound to be a hit with audiences as Shakespeare's universal insights bring inspiration and truth to the uncertain world in which we live in today.

"From humble beginnings in a circus tent, to presenting a program I couldn’t be more excited to share on stages around Australia in 2020, Bell Shakespeare has come a very long way in 30 years.” says Artistic Director Peter Evans. “Shakespeare and the other classic plays we present challenge our beliefs and urge us to see ourselves in a new light. Their ability to discover the things that make us human inspires us to make work that challenges preconceptions and encourages new interpretations and contemporary parallels – work that speaks to every age."

To be directed by Evans, Hamlet will feature Harriet Gordon-Anderson as a young man struggling with the death of his royal father, his mother's hasty remarriage to his uncle and the visage of his father’s ghost looming in his mind’s eye. A story of revenge, passion, and deception, this version of Hamlet will be set against a classically timeless Danish backdrop, where family cannot be trusted, friendships turn adversarial and the ghost of Hamlet’s father pushes his entire world to its brink.

Things take a lighter turn with the hilarious romp of swapped identities, misguided love, mistaken imprisonment and chaotic mishaps in The Comedy of Errors. To be directed by Janine Watson and featuring Julia Billington, this day of mistaken identity that leads to unfair thrashings, wrongful arrests and false charges of infidelity, robbery and madness guarantees to be an evening of entertainment and laugher.

Bell Shakespeare began its journey in 1990 based on a daring idea to create a theatre company dedicated to producing the plays of Shakespeare in a way that was relevant and exciting to Australian audiences. Now, on the eve of its 30th anniversary, it's fair to say the company has continued to do so with its 2020 offerings.

Hamlet Dates:
Sydney Opera House | 5 March – 4 April
Canberra Theatre Centre | 11 April – 18 April
Arts Centre Melbourne | 25 April – 10 May

The Comedy of Error Dates:
Arts Centre Melbourne | 17 July – 25 July
Canberra Theatre Centre | 3 October – 10 October
Sydney Opera House | 16 October – 15 November

For booking and subscriptions, please visit the Bell Shakespeare website.