The Wars of the Roses

The Wars of the Roses
Bell Shakespeare Company

When you think of a Shakespearian play, most conjure up memories of high-school productions, period costumes, and long and flowery speeches in an outdated and hard to understand language.

Director John Bell’s Bell Shakespeare Company is in its 15th year of changing that preconception by taking a modern approach to Shakespeare’s plays – to the appeal of young audiences – as he returns the joy of Shakespeare to the masses.

In his latest blockbuster, The Wars of the Roses, Bell takes Shakespeare’s Henry VI trilogy of power struggles and betrayal, and condenses them into a rollicking and uncompromising four-hour production, that is distilled into two parts, Harry VI and Edward IV.

For the non-Shakespearian scholars (such as myself), I’d recommend arriving 15 minutes early, buying a program and getting a quick heads-up on what the play is about, as although it is a modern interpretation, Bell has maintained

the integrity of the Shakespearian language. Also, true to Shakespeare, if you stop concentrating you can lose track of what’s happening and end up guessing.

The synopsis is: England is in turmoil after the death of its inspirational leader and France again challenges the country in war. Amid this turmoil, deceptive and ambitious forces plot together, and against each other, employing all manner of underhanded tactics to take England’s throne.

A number of political parallels can be drawn from The Wars of the Roses, which adds to its entertaining mix of comedy and its eclectic modern-style costumes that include a myriad of sporting and military equipment, lend a tribal feel to wellchoreographed fight scenes.

There are some brilliant performances, with Blazey Best demanding attention as the vivacious and fiery Margaret, and Greg Stone is fabulous as York and Rivers, as is Richard Piper as Warwick and Robert Alexander as Exeter.

Many of the 16 performers take on multiple roles, and at my count Georgia Adamson took out the title of being killed the most amount of times during the play.

But undoubtedly my favourite was Darren Gilshenan, who among three roles played Richard, Duke of Gloucester. His portrayal of the man as twisted and depraved in mind as he is in body, is worth every cent of the price of admission, and his version of the “winter of our discontent” is a truly unexpected ending.

www.bellshakespeare.com for dates and ticketing.

– Cpl Damian Shovell

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