Melbourne Shakespeare Society Home Page

The Melbourne Shakespeare Society is one of the oldest literary societies in Australia, having been in continuous existence since 1884. It has an active program which includes monthly meetings, and monthly readings of Shakespeare's plays and associated works.

General Meetings are usually held on the fourth Saturday of each month (excluding January). They feature an invited main speaker, often from the arts or academia, or sometimes a Society member speaks on one of their special interests. The talks may be illustrated by short prepared readings by members. As well, meetings may include musical items, book reports, sonnet readings and reports of Shakespearean related events.

Play Readings - The Society's Reading Group performs READINGS of the complete plays of William Shakespeare, in basic chronological order, on the second Saturday of each month (except January). In 2007 the group began a third reading of the complete Canon, over five years.
The rehearsed readings are performed by Society members in the Ballroom of the English Speaking Union at 146 Toorak Road West, South Yarra (between Punt and St Kilda Roads). Public transport access is via the Toorak Road tram or Punt Road bus.
Rehearsals for Readings (first Saturday of the month) are notified by the Readings Convener (9525 4541)

Associated Readings of works which illuminate the Shakespearean Canon are interspersed with the Shakespeare plays throughout the year. These include Shakespeare's poems (eg The Rape of Lucrece), his contemporaries (eg The Massacre at Paris by Christopher Marlowe), classical drama (eg Menaechmi by Plautus), and modern plays for which Shakespeare is an essential reference point (eg Macbett by Eugene Ionesco).

The Society publishes a Newsletter, The Melbourne Shakespearean,with articles, poetry, reviews and reports of Shakespearean interest, which is available free to members and for sale to others.

There are very modest attendance fees at meetings and readings, and guests and new members are always welcome. For further information, contact the President or any others listed in the Contacts.

Items of Note

Our next Reading will be As You Like It and will be held on Saturday, July 11th starting at 1.00 pm.
The venue will be the English Speaking Union, 146 Toorak Road West, South Yarra.
For further information, contact Paul on 9525 4541. Visitors always welcome. Cost $9 includes refreshments.

The next meeting will be held on July 25th, starting at 2.00 pm. The speaker will be David McInnes who will speak on Uses of Knowledge in the New World and The Tempest. David McInnes is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, exploring travel writing in the Renaissance.
The meeting will be preceded, for members, by the Annual General Meeting at 12.30 pm.
The venue is the St. Francis Pastoral Centre, cnr. Lonsdale and Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne.
Visitors very welcome. Cost $9 includes refreshments. For any enquiries ring Paul Roebuck on 9525 4541.

There has been some re-arrangement of speakers and topics for meetings in the latter half of the year. So if you plan to attend a meeting to catch a particular subject it would be advisable to recheck the latest programme or brochure.

Those who attended the Reading of Venus and Adonis last year will remember the accompanying music of the double bass, composed and played by Mark Cauvin. Mark will be performing in four programmes in Melbourne in July, and then in Sydney in August. Click here for Flyer

The Centre for Youth Literature at the State Library of Victoria will present Raising the Bard on Thursday July 30th.
'Get to know Shakespeare old and new at this panel discussion featuring two of Australia's leading writers for young people. Andy Griffiths collaborated with the Bell Shakespeare Company to produce Just Macbeth, and John Marsden was inspired to write his own take on Hamlet. They will be joined by Tony Thompson, teacher and author of Shakespeare: The Most Famous Man in London, and director and actor Jenny Lovell, who trained and performed at the Globe Theatre in London.'
Thursday 30 July. 6.30-8.30pm (7pm start)
Village Roadshow Theatrette, State Library of Victoria
Bookings: 03 8664 7555 or learning@slv.vic.gov.au
Cost: $15, adults, $7 students
The reading programs run by the Centre aim to inform and enthuse children and teenagers about books and reading. Click here to find what else is on offer for young adult readers.

Bell Shakespeare will present Pericles August 6-22 at the Arts Centre Playhouse. They will also tour country Victoria with The Taming of the Shrew in August and September.
www.bellshakespeare.com.au

For those who would like a printable copy of the year's programme or the current brochure, it can be opened from the following
Brochure (PDF 130K)

We have now added our Rules of Association for the convenience of those members who want access to them.

You will also find information about coming events in the theatre world in Melbourne if you go to Whitehat, the Melbourne happenings page (he also does a nice line in weekly newsletters!)

Another interesting site to visit is www.bookandvolume.com.au. This is a 'virtual' bookshop based in country Victoria, which in addition to its wide range of books has a passion for things Shakespearean. There can be found information of events of all kinds to do with Shakespeare, his contemporaries and times.

Our past-President, Jason Freddi, has his own website. It features his Shakespeare-related activities, his music and various bands. The latter includes 'The Swans of Avon' who perform Jason's renditions of Shakespeare's songs. Check it out on http://www.jasonfreddi.com

DVDs of recent Readings are available for a minimal cost. Anybody interested in obtaining one of these is invited to contact Paul Roebuck on 9525 4541.

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Updated July 5, 2009