A thousand natural shocks

A brief oral history of Bell Shakespeare by Beatrice Waller

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“...To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to…”

(Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 2)

These are some of the words from Hamlet’s famous ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy, where he contemplates whether it is preferable to live or die. In anguish, he refers to the ‘heartaches and the thousand natural shocks’ that are an inevitable part of the human experience.

This line is quoted on a plaque in the boardroom of Australia’s only exclusively Shakespeare company. Dedicated to the founding philanthropist, late Anthony Gilbert AO, the plaque says, “In memory of founding benefactor Tony Gilbert, who shared John Bell’s vision and sustained the company through the heartaches and the thousand natural shocks that a theatre company is heir to. We wouldn’t be here without him.”  

Bell Shakespeare was founded by theatre actor and director John Bell AO OBE with the help of Tony Gilbert in 1990, built on a dream of bringing Shakespeare to everyone, everywhere and making this iconic work relevant to a contemporary Australian audience. At a glance, 35 years on, their vision seems to have been successfully implemented, and Bell Shakespeare is a staple fixture in the Australian theatre scene.

But things weren’t always so certain, as is suggested in the boardroom’s dedication. Bell Shakespeare is no stranger to the natural shocks we all face, particularly common in the performing arts. The history of Bell Shakespeare is defined by its everyday struggles.

But these struggles are not stains on the company’s reputation, or hidden secrets divorced from the strength of the company we see today. Instead, Bell Shakespeare is built upon them. Financial struggle and creative setbacks have taught them what needs to be done to create something that lasts, helping them grow a strong base of philanthropic support while staying true to their vision of creating accessible Shakespeare for modern Australia.

In the following articles, we invite you to explore this history through the voices of those who made it, from John Bell himself to board members, supporters, and the staff who worked alongside him. 

A thousand natural shocks was written by Beatrice Waller, a Master of Museum and Heritage Studies student, who explored the history of Bell Shakespeare through oral histories in 2025 as a part of her degree. Oral history refers to the process of recording history in the voice of those who witnessed it and consists of conversational interviews recorded in audio format. Most of the interviews included in this publication were recorded by Beatrice, excluding Tim Cox, who was interviewed by Master of Museum and Heritage Studies student Andy Muir in 2021. 

This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, a partner of Bell Shakespeare. 

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