John Bell: The Time of My Life

'It's a tangled tale, part personal, part professional-how do you separate the strands? Most of all it's an attempt to articulate what drives me, and others like me, to follow the road we have chosen.' And so begins the story of John Bell's life in theatre. A life richly varied and much enjoyed. In this captivating memoir, he writes fondly of his humble upbringing and his first schoolboy encounter with Shakespeare as Brother Elgar strode up and down the classroom enacting every part in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bell tells of his student days at Sydney University and at the Old Tote Theatre where he met Anna Volska, an actor with the same driving passion for theatre as himself. Here, for the first time, John Bell shares some of the highs and lows of his four decades in theatre. He weaves personal anecdotes and memories through what is a delightfully entertaining look at the inside world of theatre in Australia. There are tales of his time in England at the Royal Shakespeare Company, of Kenneth Branagh and Sir John Gielgud, as a teacher at NIDA, of the Old Tote, the irreverent Nimrod Theatre and the extraordinary Bell Shakespeare Company. And there are stories of some of the most familiar names in Australia's cultural life-Ken Horler, John Gaden, Richard Wherrett, Bruce Beresford, Jacki Weaver, Robyn Nevin, Bill Hunter, Judy Davis, Colin Friels, Barrie Kosky and many others. The Bells are arguably Australia's first theatrical family. John Bell and Anna Volska enjoy exciting and demanding lives in theatre and their daughters, Lucy, an actor, and Hilary, a playwright, are now forging their own successes. In this book, John Bell discusses the vital entwining of his family and professional life-the birth of his first child just before his evening performance of Hamlet, the joys of having his family on tour even though it often meant the girls went to sleep under the bleachers while their parents rehearsed and the amazing 'teeny-bopper' shows that Lucy and Hilary put on with other children such as Miranda Otto and Felix Williamson. Fascinating, funny and passionate, John Bell: The time of my life shines with Bell's belief of theatre as a living tradition, his approach of mutual respect and mentorship, and his desire to pass on the torch in a spirit of affection and dedication to a priceless heritage. With thirty-two pages of stunning photos, this outstanding memoir is an ideal gift for anyone who has ever been interested in the theatre.

About the Author :
John Bell is one of Australia's most acclaimed theatre personalities. In a career spanning four decades and incorporating both acting and directing, John has been instrumental in shaping the Australian theatre as we know it today. In particular, his contribution to the appreciation of the works of William Shakespeare has been pervasive and invigorating, while his many interpretations of roles have become performance benchmarks in Australian theatre. John's list of theatre credits include work for the Old Tote Theatre Company, all of the major state theatre companies and five years with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Great Britain. As co-founder of the legendary Nimrod Theatre Company in Sydney, John presented many of Australia's premiere and landmark productions of Australian plays in the 70's and 80's, including David Williamson's Travelling North, The Club, The Removalists and Peter Kenna's A Hard God. In 1990 John founded The Bell Shakespeare Com