Measure for Measure

(This short review was written especially for this website.)
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by John Bell for Bell Shakespeare
Venue: QPAC Playhouse

There are some big challenges in presenting Shakespeare for modern audiences, and John Bell has conquered most of them.
He’s made one of the Bard’s least-performed comedies accessible, comprehensible and enjoyable without sacrificing the beauty of the language. He’s also - almost - managed to make it something of a feminist statement.
The production is marked by uniformly strong performances by the ensemble cast, including Tamsin Carroll as Isabella, Christopher Stollery as Angelo and Sean O’Shea as the Duke.
If Shakespeare always seemed too hard, this is the show to see.