Guide to the Papers of John Bell and Anna Volska, 1935-2008

Summary

Collection number:

MS 8864; MS Acc09.208.MS Acc22.140

Creator:

Bell, John, 1940- and Bell, John

Extent:

(24 boxes + 4 fol. boxes + 4 map folio)

Language:

English and English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of John Bell and Anna Volska, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

MS 8864 comprises correspondence, diaries, notebooks, production files, scripts, sheet music, business papers, teaching notes, scrapbooks, press cuttings, theatre programs, magazines, ephemera and a sound recording. Correspondents include Ron Blair, Jennifer Compton, Barry Dickins, Bob Ellis, Nick Enright, Louis Nowra, Richard Wherret and David Williamson (23 boxes, 3 fol. boxes).

Biographical Note:

John Bell was born in Maitland, New South Wales in 1940. He was educated at Marist Brothers schools and graduated from the University of Sydney (English honours) in 1962. The following year he joined the Old Tote Theatre Company, playing the leading role in Hamlet. In 1964 he won a scholarship from the British Council, and spent five years in England with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He returned to Australia in 1969, and spent a year teaching at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. In 1970 he became the co-founder and Artistic Director of Nimrod Theatre Company, with a commitment to producing Australian drama. John Bell directed the first production of The Legend of King O'Malley, as well as a number of plays by leading playwrights such as David Williamson, Ron Blair, Peter Kenna and Louis Nowra. In 1985 he resigned his post at Nimrod Theatre to free-lance as a director and actor. In 1990 he formed the Bell Shakespeare Company, performing and touring his own productions of Shakespeare's plays.

Bell received acclaim for his performances in the major dramatic roles of King Lear, Cyrano de Bergerac and Uncle Vanya; one of his earliest successes was the title role in Brecht's The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui, which he recreated in 1985 for Nimrod. He appeared in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing in 1986, and in David Williamson's Emerald City in 1986 and 1987. He directed Moliere's Tartuffefor Nimrod Theatre in 1987. John Bell has also been involved in musical theatre with History of Australia in 1988 and Big River in 1989, where he took a singing role. He has appeared in the Australian films Break of Day and Far East.

He received an OBE in 1978 for his services to the Performing Arts, and was awarded an Australian Artist's Fellowship from the Australia Council in 1993.

Anna Volska was born Anna Maria Dobrowolski in Warsaw, Poland, emigrating to Australia with her mother at the age of seven. She graduated from NIDA in 1962, and acted with the Old Tote Theatre Company for two years. Anna met John Bell in 1963 when they were both acting in The Cherry Orchard.

They were married in 1965 and Anna travelled to England to join John in Stratford-on-Avon, where she played minor roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She was a co-founder of Nimrod Theatre, and directed several productions there, including As You Like It with her husband. She performed leading roles in many plays, including Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and The Seagull. She won a Logie for her role in the TV series Beyond the Legend.

Their daughters Hilary and Lucy Bell were born in 1966 and 1968 respectively.

John Anthony Bell, actor, director and co-founder of Nimrod Theatre Company and the Bell Shakespeare Company, was born in Maitland, New South Wales in 1940. He was educated at Marist Brothers schools and graduated from the University of Sydney (English honours) in 1962. The following year he joined the Old Tote Theatre Company, playing the leading role in Hamlet. In 1964, Bell won a scholarship from the British Council, and spent five years in England with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He married fellow actor Anna Volska in 1965. They returned to Australia in 1969, and Bell spent a year teaching at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. In 1970, he became a co-founder and Artistic Director of Nimrod Theatre Company. In 1990, he formed the Bell Shakespeare Company, performing and touring his own productions of Shakespeare's plays. He received an OBE in 1978 for his services to the performing arts, and was awarded an Australian Artist's Fellowship from the Australia Council in 1993.Actress and theatre director. Anna Volska was born Anna Maria Dobrowolski in Warsaw, Poland. She graduated from NIDA in 1962, and acted with the Old Tote Theatre Company for two years. Anna met John Bell in 1963 when they were both acting in The cherry orchard. They married in 1965 and Anna travelled to England to join John in Stratford-on-Avon, where she played minor roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She was a co-founder of Nimrod Theatre, and directed several productions there, including As you like it, with her husband. She performed leading roles in many plays, including Hamlet, Much ado about nothing, and The seagull. She won a Logie for her role in the TV series Beyond the legend.Joy Bell (née Josephia Agnes Feeney) was the mother of actor and director, John Bell, Maureen Seysener and Carmel Leonard, and grandmother of actor Lucy Bell.

Collection Retrieval Advice:

Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Provenance:

The bulk of the collection was donated to the National Library of Australia by John Bell and Anna Volska in 1993. Three small additions of cuttings, programs and artwork, which formerly belonged to Bell's mother, were donated to the Library by his sister in February 2002 and April and December 2003.

Further papers were received in 2009.

Indexed terms

Names:

Bell, John

Conditions Governing Access:

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1762279).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of John Bell and Anna Volska, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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