Ambition and the Aftermath Sydney: Panellists announced!

We are thrilled to announce our Sydney panellists, drawn from the worlds of politics, education and the arts. Join us for Ambition and the Aftermath at Pier 2/3, Sydney.

Power-hungry politicians, scheming masterminds and pursuers of greatness – Shakespeare’s characters are no strangers to ambition. But what happens once they achieve their goal Shakespeare seems just as interested in the aftermath as the pursuit, giving his characters plenty of space to reflect on the ultimate question: was it all worth it?

Does ambition always lead to ruin, or can it be a force for good? Join host Head of Education Joanna Erskine and a panel of experts for this riveting conversation series about ambition in Shakespeare’s plays and in our contemporary world.

Professor Penny Gay

Penny Gay is Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney, where she taught for over 35 years. Her 1994 book As She Likes It: Shakespeare’s Unruly Women pioneered the application of feminist studies to the history of Shakespeare’s comedies in performance. She has subsequently published detailed commentaries on The Merchant of Venice (Bell Shakespeare, 1995), Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare’s Comedies (2008), as well as articles on aspects of many of Shakespeare’s plays, including the tragedies. She also researches 18th-century theatre and performance, focusing on the theatrical context of Jane Austen’s novels. 

Emma Gillespie

Emma Gillespie is a multimedia journalist and Features Editor at leading independent news publisher The Daily Aus. With a passion for human interest storytelling and culture, she has built a career around finding creative ways to engage young Australians with the world around them. At TDA, she helps lead a newsroom of talented creators whose written, podcast, social, and video content reaches millions of young Aussies. When she's not in the podcast studio, prepping an interview or chasing an investigation, Emma is also a regular commentator on ABC TV and radio, 7NEWS and Gold FM. 

Brigid Zengeni

Brigid Zengeni is a graduate of the Drama Centre London. For Bell Shakespeare, Brigid has appeared in Julius Caesar and Coriolanus. Brigid’s stage credits include The Seagull, Do Not Go Gentle, Death of a Salesman and Blithe Spirit for Sydney Theatre Company; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Belvoir St Theatre; The Welkin, I’m Not Running, Twelfth Night and A Winter’s Tale for the National Theatre; Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Christmas Carol and Julius Caesar for the Royal Shakespeare Company; Romeo & Juliet directed by Rob Icke, Yerma, Three Sisters at Birmingham Rep (National Tour), The Duchess of Malfi, & Volpone at Greenwich Theatre, The Wide Sargasso Sea for the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Pandora at The Arcola, The Hyperchondriac at Liverpool Playhouse (National Tour), Pericles directed by James Roose Evans (Riverside Studios), Macbeth for Actors from The London Stage (US Tour), Dr Faustus for Bristol Old Vic, Oliver Twist for the Lyric Hammersmith, Taming of the Shrew for the Southern Shakespeare Festival and The Mikado for the New Vic Theatre. Her screen credits include: Missing You, Better Man, Monolith, The Good Liar, U Want Me 2 Kill Him?, The Hardest Part, The Cry, Zombucha!, He Had It Coming, Motherfatherson, Love Me, The Secrets She Keeps, The Messenger, Bump, Trying, Fortitude, Defending The Guilty, Inside Out, House of Anubis, Sherlock, Holby City, In Defence, The Bill,  Dr Willoughby,  A Touch of Frost, People Just Do Nothing, Totally Completely Fine, The Artful Dodger, Prosper, The Twelve and Home & Away.