Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By John Bell, Pantera Press, $29.99.
It’s easy to understand why lessons on leadership are taken from Shakespeare by one of his greatest admirers — John Bell.
Some Achieve Greatness contains invaluable lessons on leadership, drawn from Bell’s extensive relationship with Shakespeare and his own experience as a cultural leader, illustrated with an irreverent and contemporary set of cartoons by Cathy Wilcox.
John Bell is one of Australia’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, as we know it over the past five decades.
As co-founder of Nimrod Theatre Company, Bell presented many productions of landmark Australian plays, and in 1990, Bell took on an even greater challenge, founding The Bell Shakespeare Company.
Having started and run two highly successful theatre companies, Bell has addressed many workshops and conferences over the years. This collection ‘pulls together the material from these talks, blending stories from Bell’s experiences with both Nimrod and Bell Shakespeare, discussion of Shakespeare’s works and general advice on leadership’.
The Bard has been Bell’s greatest mentor, and it’s fascinating to see how one can pick out the best lessons from the classics. An accessible text on Shakespeare, we’re guided through some of his famous and lesser-known works. The quotes are commanding. Starting to get a little heady with power? Remember what happened to Julius Caesar. Feeling ambitious? Take a lesson from Macbeth. Are you a leader whose organisation is facing a crisis? Turn to Henry V.
From the leadership point-of-view, it is possibly Bell’s own experiences that speak frankly to us. As both a director and artistic director, he has had to deal with a lot: dispute tight budgets, creative egos, strict deadlines and funding cuts. Still Shakespeare’s more universal lessons sit underneath the feasibility of management.
This compilation not only makes for rewarding reading, but it also entertains, is helpful – and perceptive.
