Bell Shakespeare’s 2026 season features a world premiere from ‘FANGIRLS’ creator Yve Blake, a new production of ‘Julius Caesar’, and an extensive national tour of ‘Macbeth’.
‘Julius Caesar’, a thrilling new staging from Artistic Director Peter Evans, will open the year. It stars Leon Ford as Cassius, and Brigid Zengeni as Brutus.This political masterpiece explores the cost of ambition, loyalty and power, as well as what happens when an electorate is asking for an autocracy.
The production will tour to Canberra and Melbourne after its Sydney season.
Then, fresh off a stint of touring her hit musical ‘FANGIRLS’ in London, award-winning creator Yve Blake premieres her new work ‘Mackenzie’ – a hilariously twisted, deeply camp reimagining of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. . . Exploring the concept of Macbeth being a 13-year-old child star in the height of early 2000s TV stardom. . . With Lady Macbeth as her ambitious stage mum.
For Bell Shakespeare’s annual national tour, Peter Evans’ ‘Macbeth’ will tour to more than 20 venues across the country, starring Anthony Taufa in the titular role alongside Matilda Ridgway as Lady Macbeth. This haunting thriller follows the story of Macbeth, a Scottish general famed for his exploits on the battlefield.
“Welcome to season 2026, a season of ambition, guilt and idealised murder,” Artistic Director Peter Evans says. “First up is ‘Julius Caesar’, one of the most famous political plays of all time, centred on the most famous murder in western history. After ‘Coriolanus’ this year, I’m fascinated to produce ‘Julius Caesar’ again, another of Shakespeare’s history-based Roman plays, and see how one informs the other.”
“Our national tour sees the return of our highly successful production of ‘Macbeth’ with a new cast to take our séance inspired nightmare world around the country. And excitingly we have a brand-new play ‘Mackenzie’ by Yve Blake. Yve is one of the most exciting and hilarious writers in Australia, and when she sent us her new play about an ambitious teenage TV star and her relentless stage mother we were delighted; horrified and delighted. We can’t wait to welcome audiences to the theatre next year.”
Other events throughout the year for Bell Shakespeare include a series of panel sessions held in Sydney and Melbourne, plus the continuation of the script reading series Play In A Day, and the ever-popular Sonnets & Semillon. Plus, accompanying ‘Julius Caesar’, a series of lectures offering fascinating insights into why the play remains so relentlessly relevant.
Check out the full 2026 season.
Bell Shakespeare’s 2026 season begins with ‘Julius Caesar’.
