Perth Festival Celebrates Shakespeare's 450th Birthday, 4/8-26

WILLIAM Shakespeare is almost without debate the greatest playwright in the English language. He was born in April, 1564, which makes April 2014 the 450th anniversary of his birth.

Three theatre groups - Darlington Theatre Players, Garrick Theatre and the Kalamunda Dramatic Society have combined to produce a repertory-style festival of three of Shakespeare's most important plays: Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dreamand Othello. Each play will have an evening performance as well as weekend matinees.

The festival will end on the April 26, Shakespeare's baptismal day. His birthday is believed to be the April 23, coincidentally the day on which he died in 1616.

The clubs have invited experienced and award-winning directors Lucy Eyre, Peter Clark (Aida, Jesus Christ Superstar) and Douglas Sutherland-Bruce (Romeo and Juliet, My Fair Lady) to direct the productions.

All three productions will be performed on the Marloo Theatre stage in Greenmount which has been built as an Elizabethan stage.

Director Peter Clark said: "A Midsummer Night's Dream inspired 400 years of stories and pictures of tiny, butterfly-winged people living in the woods. Walt Disney's fairies are their descendants."

Festival director Douglas Sutherland-Bruce (who is also directing Marloo's Macbeth) added: "It's a slightly terrifying prospect, directing what is arguably the greatest play ever written in the English language.

"As well as every person in the audience having seen the play at least once before, they've seen it with people like Lord Olivier, Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir Ian McKellen in the part.

"But I'm not worried about the actors handling the play. We have some incredible acting talent here in the West, as we have seen time and again."

A joint season of Shakespeare plays presented at Marloo Theatre.

A Midsummer Night's Dream - April 8, 11, 17, 19, 23 & 25 at 8pm and April 13 at 2pm
Macbeth - April 10, 12, 16, 22 & 26 at 8pm and April 19 at 2pm
Othello - April 9, 15, 18 & 24 at 8pm and April 12, 20 & 26 at 2pm

Tickets: Adult $23, Concession & Children (15 & under) $21.
Bookings at http://www.trybooking.com/CUJW

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Peter Clark (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Douglas Sutherland-Bruce (Macbeth) & Lucy Eyre (Othello)

Produced by Garrick Theatre, Darlington Theatre Players and the Kalamunda Dramatic Society.

Doors & licensed bar open 30 minutes prior to curtain. Enquiries: marloobookings@gmail.com

Marloo Theatre is on Marloo Road (off Innamincka Road), Greenmount.