Sydney Hills Shakespeare in the Park 2013 – Sport for Jove

Overview

Two romantic comedies are on the program for the fifth incarnation of Sydney Hills Shakespeare in the Park, presented by inventive and critically loved theatre company Sport for Jove and held at Bella Vista Farm.

Adam Cook will direct Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, while Damien Ryan (Hamlet) will tackle Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. Though written 300 years apart — the former in 1598 and the latter in 1897 — the two works have much in common. Both tell the stories of professional soldiers, who have the courage to face the frontline and yet lack the nerve to confess their love. Both explore the use of wit and pretence to conceal vulnerability and fear. Both question the implications of non-conformity.

Local secondary students will also be flexing their dramatic muscles via three special performances of brand new play Exit, Pursued by a Bear, delivered through Sport for Jove's education initiative, the Second Age Project.

It's a bit out of town, but the quality of Sport for Jove's productions and the lure of a canopy of stars leads to sell-out crowds each year. There's no better way to inject a bit of drama into your weekend excursions.