“Glory is like a circle in the water…” Joan of Arc
Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses, the inspiration for television’s Game of Thrones, is all about glory – its splendour and its terrible price. The red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York seek to strangle each other in an epic, 30-year cycle of violence, romance, political manoeuvring, popular uprising and deep prophecy until the unweeded garden of the realm yields a new flower – the Tudor Rose – the white dyed in the heartblood of the red, the red turned pale with fear of the white.
Spanning the nations of France and England at their most tumultuous moment, we see an incredible series of Icarus figures soar and fall. From the flight to impossible heights of a shepherd girl called Joan who has her wings burnt by fire; to the humble, spiritual Henry VI, a king seeking a higher plane of human thought and patience; to the political giants, Warwick the Kingmaker, Edmund Lancaster and Richard York who can touch the clouds but fall to earth with a bloody thud alongside their giant puppet, Jack Cade, a provincial bricklayer-cum-politician who turns public speaking into a circus art; and amidst them all, a pair of underdogs, an unlikely young man and woman who bloom in this manure to become the terrors of the earth, Queen Margaret of Anjou, the “She-wolf of France” and “that bottled spider…”, Richard III.
The work of a young Shakespeare, this is a wild, bold, daring, dangerous feat of storytelling and is among his most illuminating and prescient creations. It is extravagant, violent, funny, fierce and very moving. It could be described as history’s greatest leadership spills. This is riotous summer entertainment at its best. Summer is coming!
“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse” – whatever form of transport you can get your hands on, don’t miss this rare opportunity to see this extraordinary cycle featuring some of the best actors of Shakespeare in the country.
The Wars of the Roses
Adaptor & Director Damien Ryan
Bella Vista Farm, Baulkham Hills
Dec 14th, 16th, 23rd, 30th (@7pm); 15th, 20th, 21st, 28th (@6.30pm)
Everglades Gardens, Leura
Jan 13th, 19th, 20th 26th, 27th (@6.30pm)
Tickets
Adult $42, Concession $32, Family bundle (2 Adult, 2 Concession) $120, Children 9 and under are free.
Come once or come see both shows and get an extra 20% discount off tickets on the second show.
Companion Cards accepted to all performances. Please book you ticket/s to your preferred performance then email support@ticketbooth.com.au with proof of companion card and the confirmation ID for your purchase order to receive your complimentary companion ticket.
