As this year is the 400th anniversary of
Shakespeare’s death – and as Wagga Wagga has always had a strong interest in
Shakespeare (and things literary in general) I thought I’d look at the
stronghold of Shakespeare in Wagga Wagga – The Shakespeare Club.
The Wagga Shakespeare Club started out as the Calliope Club,
in 1904, and over the years there have been some changes to the name, and rules
for the club, but overall the point of the club was to read, learn about and
appreciate Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Ladies: A history of the Wagga Wagga
Shakespeare Club by Jen Thompson, has one of the most evocative descriptions of
early Wagga as an introduction to the story of the club’s formation. If you
have ever tried to imagine early Wagga (and I have on many occasions) the book
is worth reading for that description alone.
The club continued to meet during both world wars, adding
tasks dedicated to help the war effort as well as reading Shakespeare to each
other, meeting in members’ homes, bringing food to share along with the plays.
“…I am afraid Wagga is a very dull town, our people do not appreciate the works of Shakespeare nor the Players, for which I can’t forgive them.” Mrs Copland, circa 1920s, p. 30 of The Shakespeare Ladies by Jen Thompson
Luckily things have changed since then J
Left: from The Daily Advertiser, 14 November 1914
Right: From The Daily Advertiser, 10 August 1920
In 2004 the Wagga Wagga City Library hosted a New South
Wales State Library first folio edition of Shakespeare’s works, with John Bell,
of Bell Shakespeare, opening the exhibition.
If you would like to look at a copy of the first folio, the
State Library of New South Wales has a digitised copy on their website: http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/shakespeares-first-folio
The Wagga Wagga Shakespeare Club continues to meet, in the
Community Learning Space in the library.
Wagga Wagga City Library has a copy of The Shakespeare
Ladies for loan, and extra copies in the local studies collection that can be
read within the library. We also have an extensive Shakespeare collection you
can borrow, including audio, so if you are inspired to re-read or maybe dip in
for the first time, or listen to full dramatic productions of the plays, or
watch the latest BBC production of Macbeth, come in and ask the friendly staff how
you can access this amazing collection. The library also has some beautiful
bookmarks to give away, from the New South Wales State Library, featuring the
stained glass windows in their Shakespeare Room, which depict the seven ages of
man from the “All the world’s a stage” speech from As you like it, so don’t
forget to pick up your bookmark whilst stocking up on Shakespeare’s works.
