Parting is such sweet sorrow

After nearly 30 years with Bell Shakespeare, including 11 years as Executive Director, Gill Perkins is taking her final bow. 

From her early days as assistant stage manager to becoming leader and steering one of Australia’s most iconic theatre companies through more than a decade of extraordinary change, Gill leaves a legacy that will be felt for many years to come.

For more than three decades, Bell Shakespeare has redefined how contemporary audiences across Australia experience the timeless genius of William Shakespeare. Since 2014 Gill has led the organisation through pivotal moments: guiding the company through a transition of artistic leadership in 2015 from Founding Artistic Director John Bell AO to current Artistic Director Peter Evans; facing the challenge of the COVID pandemic; and realising the long-held dream of securing a permanent home and its own theatre, the Neilson Nutshell at Pier 2/3 in the stunning Walsh Bay Arts Precinct. Under her leadership, Bell Shakespeare has emerged more unified and resilient for its next chapter.

As she prepared to hand over the reins to her successor James Evans, we sat down with Gill to reflect on her career, her incredible achievements as leader and the challenges and triumphs along the way.

Twenty-eight years with a company is a very long time. What drew you to Bell Shakespeare and kept your passion alive over the years?

I joined Bell Shakespeare in 1996 as a freelance assistant stage manager, alongside another newcomer at the time, Peter Evans, working on the Steven Berkoff production of Coriolanus. It was certainly an interesting introduction – Peter and I bonded through laughter. I was excited to be working in a company wholly dedicated to a single author, deeply committed to the work, to touring and creating relevant, intimate performances for contemporary audiences. 

At the time the company was five years old, with 10 people working out of a tiny office in The Rocks, and a dirty, dusty rehearsal and production space under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Everything was cobbled together in a piecemeal way, but everyone had such a passion for Shakespeare, it was simply exhilarating. Our founder John Bell is such a lovely actor and director. He instilled a culture around the importance of the artist, and built a community of people who share his belief and passion for the work. In 1997 I accepted the role of company manager, and supported productions touring to Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide so I became quickly and deeply connected to the company. 

Twenty-eight years sounds like a long time, yet the work is so challenging, the scale so large and it demands so much of everyone, so there’s no cookie-cutter formula to follow from one production to the next. It remains challenging and exciting. Being part of a Bell production in never just a ‘gig’ for anyone. You have to keep finding more of yourself to improve the work.  I’d also say the work of Shakespeare is so expansive in its themes that it spoke to me at every age and stage. 

What makes the company special?

The culture here is founded on a deep commitment, passion and dedication to the work. It has drawn together a community of artists, technical and support staff who all share a common belief and commitment to what we’re doing. Our donors and loyal audiences share this same belief, even if they don’t see every production or love every performance.  Touring our education program is an enormous part of what Bell does. The nature of this type of touring, where small teams spend a long time together travelling to schools in regional and remote parts of Australia, means they grow much closer than they might for other stage productions. For audiences, seeing a performance here at Pier 2/3 is quite extraordinary, with the breathtaking location part of the experience, so I think that’s quite special too.

You were appointed Executive Director in 2014 at a challenging time and have become an anchor of sorts throughout your tenure. Tell us about how you navigated these challenges.

My time as Executive Director began when Bell’s financial situation was very precarious and our future was uncertain. We needed to radically rethink our business model and how we could change the experience for audiences to make it more intimate and satisfying. This period was also marked by the departure of our founder and visionary artistic director John Bell, and the transition for his successor, Peter Evans in 2015. We all had huge confidence in Peter, but we needed to sensitively support the transition. Our 2015 season was a celebration of our 25 years and a celebration of John Bell, which gave audiences time to express their appreciation for John while getting to know Peter a little better, so this was a beautiful and special way to close one chapter and open the next. 

Do you have a favourite production and most memorable moment?

My favourite Shakespeare play is Hamlet so I always love productions of Hamlet, and especially the most recent production with Harriet Gordon Anderson in the title role.

The most memorable moment would have to be the day we got the keys to our home at Pier 2/3. It was a glorious summer day in January 2022 and I remember standing on our balcony with Peter, taking it all in and realising how special this place was. It was amazing.

Tell us about the journey that led to finding your dream home at Pier 2/3.

While we were a tight-knit company, for years we were spread across multiple spaces, with no physical connection between rehearsal spaces, back-of-house operations and performance spaces. It had been a long-held ambition to bring everyone together in one place, the way Sydney Theatre Company was at Wharf 4/5. It was during COVID that the plans to revitalise the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct were accelerated, as the entire arts sector grinded to a halt. While COVID was devastating for everyone, especially for contract artists and arts workers and our touring program, it gave us the space to really focus on the project and to carefully consider every element of the design to suit our exact needs. We looked at everything, from the colour palette and interior fittings to the height and pitch of our seating banks in the Neilson Nutshell theatre. The time and space afforded by the COVID lockdown allowed us to redirect more attention to our home here. So, I’m proud of how we pivoted and made something hopeful during the most unprecedented disruption. 

How has the company changed and grown since coming to Pier 2/3? 

It’s been extraordinary to see the way the physical connection over three floors has unified and energised the company. Gone are the days when we’d need to travel from venue to venue to rehearse, do a costume fitting, or need to allow for extra time to reengineer the tech before opening night. It’s so much more efficient having actors, creatives and the production teams working, rehearsing and performing all in the one space. Everyone in the team benefits from closer proximity to each other here. The space is now fully accessible, whereas before there were stairs everywhere, which meant barriers for people with disability. The intimacy of our flagship Neilson Nutshell space and The Seed makes performances incredibly intimate and powerful for audiences. And being part of a collective of resident arts companies gives us strength. But above all, the artists come here and feel like they have a beautiful space to perform and create work. Our shared belief in the importance of the artist is now truly reflected in this stunning, award-winning building we get to work in.

It must’ve been a difficult decision to step down after all this time. What achievements are you most proud of, and what do you hope will be the enduring part of your legacy?

I’d say my proudest achievement is creating a home at Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay Arts Precinct. Having such a special place to work in gives everyone at Bell a true sense that the work they do is special. Most actors and artists are accustomed to working in whatever space is available, including cold, dark, dusty unloved theatre spaces. Here at WBAP you can’t help but feel a sense that the work of artists is valued, just as highly as any other corporate professional. For students visiting Pier 2/3 as part of our education program, they get to see people working in the performing arts, so it becomes a tangible job that’s worth aspiring to.

Stepping down now feels like the right time and I know the company is in safe hands. While the pressures are the same, I believe the company is stronger and more confident to face them. It will be quite an adjustment for me to no longer be immersed in the world of Bell Shakespeare and come to work in this stunning space every day, but I’m also excited to travel and discover what’s next for me. 

For your final production, you have programmed Coriolanus – to book end your time at Bell Shakespeare with a nod to your beginning. Quite fitting for a lover of Shakespeare and poetry.  What can audiences expect from this production?

Yes, I’ve come full circle with Coriolanus. It’s probably a bit naff but choosing this moment and the same play where it all began is the perfect closure for me. While it may not be one of Shakespeare’s most well-known works, Coriolanus is incredibly compelling, and this production is a standout. The story is quite straightforward and with such an incredible cast, the performance is captivating. Definitely get along to see it.

Catch Coriolanus at the Neilson Nutshell at Pier 2/3, until 19 July 2025. The production will then tour to the Arts Centre Melbourne from 24 July to 10 August 2025.