Speak The Speech by Bell Shakespeare

Prince Hal from Henry VI Part 1 Act 1, Scene 2 performed by Huw McKinnon  

Huw McKinnon joins James on Speak The Speech performing Prince Hal’s speech from the Act One of Henry IV Part 1. Huw shares stories of his work teaching Shakespeare in juvenile justice centres, working with teachers to unlock Shakespeare in the classroom and considers why audiences continue to find relevance in Shakespeare’s works. Huw McKinnon is an actor, director and Bell Shakespeare’s Resident Artist in Education. He has taught in schools and communities across Australia and internationally. For Bell Shakespeare he is a director in the Players program and has co-directed a production of Macbeth for young audiences, and as and actor has appeared in Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and The Players.

Poem from Venus and Adonis performed by Anna Tregloan 

This week on Speak The Speech we are joined by Designer Anna Tregloan, who performs an excerpt from Shakespeare’s narrative poem ‘Venus and Adonis’. She discusses collaboration in the design process and how designers and directors work together to create the world of a production. She shares past creative projects, including her recent work The Impossible Project, which recorded the works cancelled, postponed or derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Anna Tregloan is an award-winning designer, artist and creative producer with extensive experience in theatre, dance, opera, contemporary performance, and the many different forms of installation art. She’s designed numerous productions for Malthouse Theatre, Legs on the Wall, Circus Oz, Sydney Chamber Opera and Force Majeure. For Bell Shakespeare, her credits include Venus and Adonis, Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, The Miser and most recently Hamlet. She was curator of the Australian exhibition for the most recent Prague Quadrennial of Performance, Space and Design. 

You can view The Impossible Project here: https://theimpossibleproject.com.au/  

Titus Andronicus from Titus Andronicus Act 3, Scene 1 performed by Jane Montgomery-Griffiths 

In this episode Jane Montgomery Griffiths joins James to perform and speak about Titus’ speech from Act 3 Scene 1 of Titus Andronicus. Jane discusses Shakespeare from the perspective of an actor and scholar, how Shakespeare finds language and expression for unimaginable scenarios, and the different pathways to create meaning in theatre. Jane Montgomery Griffiths is an award-winning actor, writer, scholar, and director. She is the former director of the Centre for Theatre and Performance at Monash University. As an actor Jane has worked with Bell Shakespeare, Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir, Melbourne Theatre Company, The Royal Shakespeare Company and many more. As a director she has produced work ranging from the classic and modern repertoire through to devised projects and new writing.

Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet Act 2, Scene 4 performed by Nigel Poulton 

This week on Speak The Speech we are joined by Fight and Movement Director Nigel Poulton, performing Mercutio's speech from Act 2, Scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet. He talks about fighting styles and their meaning in Shakespeare's works, how he approaches choreographing fight and movement sequences and how creating a physical language within a production allows for richer storytelling. Nigel Poulton is an award-winning movement and fight director, stunt performer, intimacy director and actor. For Bell Shakespeare his credits include Much Ado About Nothing, Richard 3, Macbeth, three productions of Hamlet, three productions of Romeo and Juliet and many, many more. He has also worked with Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Washington Opera, the New York City Ballet, Opera Australia and Circus Oz. His screen credits include Pirates of the Caribbean V, The Water Diviner, The Bourne Legacy, The Good Wife, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, 30 Rock, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Hamlet from Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2 performed by Ben Elton 

Welcome to season two of Speak The Speech! In this episode, Ben Elton joins James to speak about Hamlet’s speech from Act 3, Scene 2 (the very speech our podcast derives its name from). They talk about Ben's discovery of Shakespeare and theatre, his comedy series Upstart Crow, and how Shakespeare is the classic British sitcom character. Ben Elton is a multi-award-winning writer, comic, actor and director. His TV writing credits include The Young Ones, Blackadder, The Thin Blue Line and Upstart Crow. Since 1989 he's published 16 novels and written West End plays and musicals, including We Will Rock You, Love Never Dies, and a stage adaptation of Upstart Crow, which opened in London in 2020.

Rosalind from As You Like It Act 5, Epilogue performed by Zahra Newman 

In the final episode of season one of Speak The Speech Zahra Newman joins James to perform the epilogue from As You Like It. Zahra discusses her introduction to theatre in Jamaica, what it's like performing in theatre and musicals, and the current state of theatre criticism in Australia. Zahra Newman is a Green Room award-winning actor and singer who has worked for most of the major theatre companies in Australia. Her credits include Wake in Fright, Miss Julie, The Cherry Orchard, Clybourne Park, Richard III, Private Lives and many more. She also appeared in the original Australian casts of An Officer and a Gentleman and The Book of Mormon. For Bell Shakespeare she played Rosalind in the 2015 production of As You Like It. 

Chorus from Henry V Act 1, Scene 1 performed by Darren Gilshenan 

In this episode actor and writer Darren Gilshenan joins James to perform and discuss the “O for a muse of fire” speech from the opening of Henry V. Darren talks about his favourite Shakespearean roles and productions, what it’s like touring an Australian Shakespeare production to the UK and the exact science of performing comedy on stage. Darren is best known for his roles in The Moodys, Rake, Chandon Pictures and Full Frontal. For Bell Shakespeare he has performed in The Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure, The Government Inspector, War of the Roses, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra and Henry V.

Hamlet from Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1 performed by Harriet Gordon-Anderson 

Harriet Gordon-Anderson joins James to perform and unpack arguably the most famous speech in all of Shakespeare’s oeuvre from Act 3, Scene 1 of Hamlet: “To be, or not to be”. They delve into the world of Hamlet, pulling apart the character’s motivations, how the play’s gender politics play out in the 21st century and how Shakespeare’s language so perfectly encapsulates our emotions and experiences. Harriet Gordon-Anderson is an actor who has appeared for Bell Shakespeare in The Miser (2019) and Hamlet (2020). She returns to the stage in 2021 to reprise her critically acclaimed role as the Prince of Denmark in Hamlet.

Prospero from The Tempest Act 5, Scene 2 performed by John Bell 

This week John Bell joins James on Speak The Speech performing Prospero’s speech from Act 5, Scene 1 of The Tempest, and discusses his lifelong relationship with Shakespeare’s work. They discuss his career in theatre, from performing in university plays, to the Royal Shakespeare Company, before returning to Australia and founding the Nimrod Theatre, and eventually Bell Shakespeare. They delve into the complexities of Shakespeare’s works and how they are forever evolving as new audiences grapple with their themes and experiences. John Bell is the Founding Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare and one of Australia’s most acclaimed theatre personalities. In a career of acting and directing, he’s been instrumental in shaping the Australian theatre industry as we know it. He is a multi-award winner, Officer of the Order of Australia and an Australian National Living Treasure.

Emelia from Othello Act 4, Scene 3 performed by Ray Chong Nee 

Ray Chong Nee joins James to perform and unpack Emilia’s speech from Act 4, Scene 3 of Othello. They discuss misogyny and racism in Shakespeare’s tragedy and how creative teams address these issues in contemporary productions. Ray talks about representation on stage, what it is like to tour Shakespeare’s works around Australia on the mainstage and in schools, and how important it is to be muscular with Shakespeare’s language. Ray Chong Nee is an award-winning actor. For Bell Shakespeare he has appeared in Othello, Antony and Cleopatra and was a member of The Players. His other credits include I Call My Brothers for Melbourne Theatre Company, and Emerald City and Noises Off for Queensland Theatre and MTC. His screen credits include Tomorrow When the War Began, Glitch, Offspring, Rescue Special Ops and Dance Academy.