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ONLINE BOOKINGS HAVE NOW CLOSED. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR (CARD ONLY PLEASE).
Welcome to the 16th annual 4MBS Brisbane Shakespeare Festival!
Experience the world of the Bard in Brisbane!
Join us for three, fully-staged professional performances of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy ROMEO AND JULIET in the lush Roma Street Parkland Amphitheatre. Come early for live music, swordplay, talks, dance, and more family fun!
Romeo & Juliet – Program
The festival also includes FREE events for adults and children in Brisbane City Council Libraries, and more!
Festival overview (click to view events)
- Shakespeare in the Park | ROMEO AND JULIET | Fri 14 Oct 2022
- Shakespeare in the Park | ROMEO AND JULIET | Sat 15 and Sun 16 Oct 2022
- Talk | ‘Shakespeare in Opera’ with Peter Bassett
- Library Talks with Live Music | ‘Shakespeare’s Great Romantic Plays’ | Gary Thorpe & Angel Strings
- Library Kids’ Classic Shakespeare | Interactive Performances
- Shakespeare on Radio
CH-CH-CHANGES
After being able to offer ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ events for free for the last 15 years, this year we unfortunately need to charge a small amount for adult tickets, to help cover costs. Friday tickets will be $10, and Saturday/Sunday tickets will be $15. The festival will still be free for children, full-time students and Companion Card holders.
Events in Brisbane City Council Libraries will also be free (with thanks to Brisbane City Council!).
O SANDGATE, SANDGATE, WHEREFORE ART THOU SANDGATE?
Unfortunately, our grant application to the State Government was unsuccessful, so we are unable to afford to bring the Shakespeare Festival to Sandgate this year. But please do take the train to Roma Street Parkland and join us there!
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
Experience the world of the Bard amongst the drama of Brisbane’s nature!
Come early for live music, swordplay, talks, dance, and more family fun!
Roma Street Parkland Amphitheatre | 1 Parkland Blvd, Brisbane City
Friday 14 October 2022
Come early for live Renaissance music and authentic swordplay demonstrations! Pack a picnic or purchase tasty food and beverages from our food trucks.
Friday Tickets:
$10 for Adults | FREE for Children / Full-time students / Companion Card Holders
4pm LIVE MUSIC | BRISBANE MONTEVERDI ENSEMBLE
Hear lively Renaissance music performed on period instruments, including the cornet, shawm and sackbuts. The exciting new Brisbane Monteverdi Ensemble specialises in the performance of cornerstone works from 16th and 17th Century Europe.
4.15pm SWORDPLAY DEMONSTRATION | Prima Spada
En garde! Agente! Watch authentic Shakespearean swordplay by Prima Spada School of Fence and learn about the skills and weaponry used in historical fencing. Based on the work of European masters of the 16th and 17th centuries.
5pm ROMEO & JULIET
Live the passion of Verona’s young star cross’d lovers, caught in the crossfire of powerful feuding families. Experience Shakespeare’s iconic romantic tragedy in the open air, directed by Xanthe Jones with an outstanding cast of Brisbane Shakespearean actors.
2.5hrs including interval.
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 October 2022
Come early for a Shakespearean dance workshop, live music, kids’ activities, a Shakespearean language talk, swordplay and roving performers!
Pack a picnic or purchase tasty food and beverages from our food trucks.
FREE facepainting for kids!
2.30pm SHAKESPEAREAN DANCE WORKSHOP & DEMONSTRATION
Learn to dance like you’re at the Capulet ball! Join dance historian Dr Heather Blasdale Clarke as she teaches beautiful dances from Shakespeare’s time. Watch Dr Heather and her dancers demonstrate a few more dances, with live Renaissance music.
3pm LIVE MUSIC | The Stowaways
Tap your feet to traditional English and Italian dance tunes – the kind of music that Shakespeare may have heard in his day! Expert folk trio The Stowaways are Sebastian Flynn (violin), Martin Reese (mandolin), and Christian Rizzali (bouzouki).
Impromptu dancing encouraged!
3.30pm KIDS’ CLASSIC SHAKESPEARE
Come and meet our storytellers Maxine Mellor and Nadine Kelly to learn about the famous playwright William Shakespeare, then take part in an interactive performance of the basic story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’! What role will you play?
Recommended age 3-12 years.
4pm SHAKESPEAREAN LANGUAGE TALK | Roly Sussex
What’s in a name? Discover how Shakespeare’s way with words made him one of the most famous playwrights in history! Roland ‘Roly’ Sussex is Emeritus Professor of Applied Language Studies at UQ. He has been broadcasting language segments on ABC Radio in Queensland for 23 years.
4.15pm SWORDPLAY DEMONSTRATION | Prima Spada
En garde! Agente! Watch authentic Shakespearean swordplay by Prima Spada School of Fence and learn about the skills and weaponry used in historical fencing. Based on the work of European masters of the 16th and 17th centuries.
5pm ROMEO & JULIET
Live the passion of Verona’s young star cross’d lovers, caught in the crossfire of powerful feuding families. Experience Shakespeare’s iconic romantic tragedy in the open air, directed by Xanthe Jones
with an outstanding cast of Brisbane Shakespearean actors.
2.5hrs including interval.
DRESS THE PART! (optional)
Thou art welcome to wear a Venetian-style masquerade mask to the Capulet ball (the ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ events). Consider making your own if you don’t have one already!
Renaissance-inspired clothing also welcome! (Fear not; modern clothes will not have you exiled to Mantua).
OTHER EVENTS
SHAKESPEARE IN OPERA | Talk
Join 4MBS Lecturer in Residence Peter Bassett as he discusses Shakespeare’s influence on opera. This lecture focuses on the sheer beauty and emotive strength of Shakespeare’s language, and the ways in which his plays have led naturally into the worlds of song, opera, and music drama. (60 mins)
Tue 18 October 2pm
4MBS Performance Studio, 384 Old Cleveland Rd, Coorparoo
Tickets |Adult $20 | 4MBS Sub/Conc $15
FREE LIBRARY EVENTS
Library Talk | Live Music | FREE!
SHAKESPEARE’S GREAT ROMANTIC PLAYS
Delve into the romance of Shakespeare’s plays in this talk with live music! Join Gary Thorpe OAM, 4MBS Classic FM General Manager, as he explores themes of romance in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Swoon to live classical music inspired by the plays, performed by Angel Strings. (45 mins)
Please phone the libraries to book:
- Tue 4 Oct 11am | New Farm Library | Ph 3403 1062
- Wed 5 Oct 11am | Indooroopilly Library | Ph 3407 0009
- Thu 6 Oct 11am | Carindale Library | Ph 3407 1490
- Fri 7 Oct 11am | Mt Ommaney Library | Ph 3407 7010
Kids’ Classic Shakespeare | FREE!
Come and meet our storytellers Maxine Mellor and Nadine Kelly to learn about the famous playwright William Shakespeare, then take part in an interactive performance of one of his classic love tales! What role will you play? Recommended age 3-12 years.
Please phone the libraries to book:
- Sat 1 Oct 11am Grange Library | Ph 3407 2523
- Sat 1 Oct 2.30pm Holland Park Library | Ph 3403 7755
- Sat 8 Oct 11am Coopers Plains Library | Ph 3403 1530
- Sat 8 Oct 2.30pm Kenmore Library | Ph 3407 0258
SHAKESPEARE ON RADIO
Tune into 4MBS Classic FM for these Shakespeare-themed music programs, and more! Listen in South East Queensland on 103.7FM, or livestream from anywhere in the world.
4MBS Subscribers can access full radio program details.
Become a 4MBS Subscriber.
Thu 13 Oct 8pm THURSDAY NIGHT OPERA – Complete Opera – Berlioz: Beatrice et Benedict
Prepared and presented by Leslie Martin-Nightingale
Hear Hector Berlioz’s opéra comique inspired by Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
Fri 14 Oct 9am MUSICIAN OF THE DAY
The Bard of Avon | Prepared by Jenny Dawson
Enjoy Kabalevsky’s Romeo & Juliet, and more!
Fri 14 Oct 10am MORNING MUSIC
Romeo and Juliet | Prepared by Louise Strasser
Swoon to Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet, Suite no 1, and more!
Fri 14 Oct 2pm FRIDAY CONCERT HALL – Inspired by Shakespeare
Prepared by Gary Thorpe
Let Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, and more wonderful music, enchant you!
Sat 15 Oct 6am DAYBREAK CLASSICS – Bandstand Collection & Vienna and Beyond
Prepared & presented by Ross Sadler
Start your Saturday morning with delightful music inspired by Shakespeare!
Sat 15 Oct 2pm SATURDAY AFTERNOON
An Afternoon With Shakespeare | Prepared by Jenny Dawson
Tap your toes to Korngold’s Much Ado About Nothing, and more!
Sat 15 Oct 4pm SATURDAY FEATURE
Palmer Collection Rarities: A Stylus for, by and of Shakespeare | Prepared by Ross Sadler
Hear a banquet of music inspired by Shakespeare’s plays – including music from Shakespeare’s time, such as Morley’s It was a lover and his lass!
Thu 20 Oct 8pm THURSDAY NIGHT OPERA – The Story of Macbeth
Salvatore Regano will tell us the story of Verdi’s Macbeth and play some of its best music.
SHAKESPEARE ON DEMAND
4MBS Subscribers:
to listen to Shakespeare On Demand programs including an Opera Double (Gounod and Benda) and Making Friends with the Classics: Prokofiev’s ballet score.
Festival at-a-glance (printable brochure)
Images from previous festivals:
Stay COVID Safe
Keep the ‘rona out of Verona! Please follow COVID Safe practices when attending Festival events.
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