Shakespeare wrote challenging, glorious roles for female characters well before women were allowed on stage. With often fewer lines than the men, Shakespeare’s women pack a dramatic punch, from cross dressing girls to bloodthirsty villains, and everything in between. Two Australian icons take the stage to discuss what 21st-century audiences want from 16th-century heroines.

John Bell’s passion for Shakespeare resulted in an audacious idea 25 years ago, when he founded Bell Shakespeare - a theatre company dedicated to performing Shakespeare in a way that’s relevant and exciting to Australian audiences. Inimitable feminist icon Germaine Greer has been writing about Shakespeare since 1967. When it comes to the artistic and political puzzle of Shakespeare’s women, it’s hard to imagine a more qualified (and entertaining) duo.”

John Bell is one of the nation’s most illustrious theatre personalities. Award-winning actor, acclaimed director, risk-taking impressario and torch-bearing educationalist, Bell has been a key figure in shaping the nation’s theatrical identity over the past 50 years. He is the founder of Bell Shakespeare theatre company, which is celebrating its 25th year.

Germaine Greer is a writer and academic and is best known for her work as a key figure in modern feminism. Her ideas about gender and sexuality have provoked controversy since the release of her 1970 book The Female Eunuch. Her other works include Sex and Destiny: The Politics of Human Fertility, The Change: Women, Aging and the Menopause, The Whole Woman, Shakespeare's Wife and most recently White Beech: The Rainforest Years.

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