A thousand natural shocks

David Pumphrey describes the mission of Bell Shakespeare, as defined by their first Board Chair, Virginia Henderson

David Pumphrey (Former Board Director of Bell Shakespeare and long term supporter) describes the mission of Bell Shakespeare, as defined by their first Board Chair, Virginia Henderson
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
This is an extract from a document that was written by Virginia Henderson. I'm not sure when, but I'm on the board, so it must have been 92-ish. So it was really summarizing what had happened and then saying what we're trying to do.So it starts off about what we did in 92 and the planning for that. But then there's a paragraph here which really we've stuck to all the way through. So it goes like this. The new board also determined that the reinterpretation at the highest possible standard, the works of Shakespeare for Australian audiences, would be its principal objective. And that's an important sentence. It is the highest possible standard, Australian audiences. So that's the principal objective which we stick to today is to assist John Bell to build a new generation of young Australian actors, directors and audiences who would evolve their own style of presentation and enjoyment, using as a resource the works and themes of William Shakespeare. John Bell will in turn integrate these works into our national culture and use them as a means to reflect and interpret international events. Well, those two sentences couldn't be more true today than they were when it was written by Virginia. And that's exactly what we've done. I think out of that, another thing we sort of know about Bell from the inside. We've stuck to our beliefs. So this wasn't about a company that would put on anything they thought they put on. It was Shakespeare and it was to interpret in a way that Australian audiences would understand and to build the next generation of actors, audiences to see what we do. So I think we've done all those things pretty well. That was written in 1992 and we're still doing the same thing. So I think that's a pretty good record of achievement and a statement of what we're about.

David Pumphrey describes John Bell’s ability to listen and take on advice as a leader

David Pumphrey (Former Board Director of Bell Shakespeare and long term supporter) describes John Bell’s ability to listen and take on advice as a leader
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
Yeah, what you shouldn't forget in all that is the other, is John himself. John was very good at listening and taking advice, not necessarily agreeing with it and sometimes trying to get us to change it, but he listened. John doesn't have an ego, at least he does on the stage, but he doesn't as a person. He is inclusive. He asks people questions. He talks to people and he'll come to some conclusion, but he'll always share that. So he was the main player, the glue, not in everything else he did with acting, but in keeping a sense about the company. So yes, he wanted artistic license, but he equally realized that we needed financial license. John's just, well, John's a great human being.

David Pumphrey reflects on his experience in the circus tent

David Pumphrey (Former Board Director of Bell Shakespeare and long term supporter) reflects on his experience in the circus tent
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
The first production of the Bell Shakespeare Company in the tent in Moore Park. So Jill and my two daughters all went out to see Merchant of Venice. And I think that would have been in late 91 because it was summer, hot and thundery. Anyway, we went in the tent, about halfway through the first half the thunder and lightning came and an absolute deluge of rain. When we went out for half time the cars were flooded literally up to there or over their axles into the thing. Anyway, we went back inside the tent and this is a cast.doing Merchant Venice with John as Shylock just kept going. And I must say, I said to Jill, said, jeez, got to get to know this man. This is terrific. So I suppose that performance was the one that said, jeez, I'd really like to get involved in a bigger way with John's company and with Shakespeare in general. So that set me on the route to try and find him.The nuances he brought out about human behavior, I thought, gee, this is pretty good. And the other actors as well, some of whom stayed with us for quite some time, were just terrific. And I just thought, wow, this is high caliber stuff. And I thought the tent was an interesting concept. So all those things, so I said to Jill afterwards, gee, got to get to know this guy. So that's what's happened.

David Pumphrey reflects Tony Gilbert’s contribution to the company

David Pumphrey (Former Board Director and long term supporter of Bell Shakespeare) reflects Tony Gilbert’s contribution to the company
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
He was company secretary and finance director of a company called John A Gilbert. But he also had a very keen interest in the theater. He was a director of the Nimrod for some time. And he spotted Bell, John Bell at Sydney University when he was playing Hamlet and thought this is terrific, just probably as I did when I saw him in the tent, but he thought it's terrific. So some years later, obviously, when John was talking to him, I think Tony said, what can I do to help the theatre? Should I just sort of invest some money and John immediately said the first thing you can do is invest in a company to produce Shakespeare and that's how it started and Tony said absolutely and Tony really was the financial brick and yes we got some good donors etc but he was the one we could go to and say we're short and that happened lots of times in terms of can we pay the wages can we keep this thing going and Tony was always there, checkbook in hand to put the money in. Without Tony, there would have been no Bell Shakespeare, there's no question about that. He was a very reclusive type of person, introvert. He didn't like the publicity. But he just thought Shakespeare was the tops and he thought John was pretty good at producing and acting in it. So without him, it wouldn't have happened.

Ilana Atlas recounts the process of moving into Bell Shakespeare’s home on Pier ⅔

Ilana Atlas (Former Board Chair of Bell Shakespeare) recounts the process of moving into Bell Shakespeare’s home on Pier ⅔ in the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
So we had this promise for a home, but a real lack of clarity about where it would be and what it would be and whatever. And then it was just a matter of, you know, government after government, visiting and talking to them about about what where the home would be what it would be I think we went through all sorts of locations from there were you know innumerable innumerable locations considered and then the redevelopment of Pier 2/3 emerged as a possibility. So we just kept lobbying the government and Kathryn Greiner was on the board at the time. She was instrumental in helping us get into government. So it was really just, we just did not let up. So once this became a possibility, we just hung on for dear life and just would not let it go. You know, you can never guarantee these things. But we worked hard at getting a budget for it from the New South Wales Government and it happened.

Ilana Atlas describes John’s character and unique combination of skills

Ilana Atlas (Former Board Chair of Bell Shakespeare) describes John’s character and unique combination of skills
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
John Bell is an extremely impressive person. He's also delightful, charming, generous, humble, all those things. that came through in that first discussion. So it's quite unusual in business actually to find someone who can have a vision and make it real. To find those types of people in the arts is also extremely rare. He's that rare person who can have a vision and absolutely make it happen. He's obviously a great, great actor. But in addition to that, he is a great intellect and also a really good leader of people. He's extremely persuasive so I think he could have a vision but share it, communicate that vision and get a lot of people very excited about it.

Ilana Atlas reflects on finding people to support the company

Ilana Atlas (Former Board Chair of Bell Shakespeare) reflects on finding people to support the company
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
The arts is a hard ask and then within the arts, Shakespeare is like the niche of all niches. So to raise money for a Shakespeare company is really tough. And the way to do it, I've always felt, is to find those people who are passionate about Shakespeare. And there are cohorts of people, you know, there are people like me, I suppose, who for some reason or another, when they were young, were attracted to it, taken by it, usually by the language, usually by speaking it. So you've got to find those people. And that's the challenge.

Ilana Atlas on what the people at Bell Shakespeare have created

Ilana Atlas (Former Board Chair of Bell Shakespeare) on what the people at Bell Shakespeare have created
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
Corporates always talk about innovation. Well, you just come to a place like this and you see innovation on a daily basis. People are creating something out of nothing. It's constantly imagining and changing and developing and coping and adjusting. And so, you know, and people aren't focused on their job descriptions and you know, we all do, we all did everything.

Graham Froebel on the success of Bell Shakespeare and John Bell’s legacy

Graham Froebel (Former Board Treasurer of Bell Shakespeare) on the success of Bell Shakespeare and John Bell’s legacy
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
Ilana and I would meet on the basis of, are we gonna make it? Are we trading insolently? Are we gonna have to shut the doors? So that's how tight it got from time to time. To a position where we are today, which I think is Bell's really here for the long term. So, yeah. Success attracts success. And I think as the company has evolved, as the performances have increased, as the things that have happened in here attract different audiences and different people and they like to be involved and they like to be involved in things that are successful.

Graham Froebel reflects on his experience in the circus tent

Graham Froebel (Former Board Treasurer of Bell Shakespeare) reflects on his experience in the circus tent
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. This project was completed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, partner of Bell Shakespeare.
 
It was quite an amazing experience because we were in black tie event in a tent that was particularly warm, but it was Hamlet and I felt it went really well. were obviously some hiccups trying to perform in a tent as opposed to on stage. I think it was audacious and I think overall it was a success. It's interesting because some things stick in your mind for different reasons but that particular performance still stays with me.