The name Agius is of Maltese origin and may be a latinization of the Greek ‘agios’ which means ‘saintly or holy and is applied to a virtuous person’. It can also refer to ‘learned one’. I am talking to an Agius, that being Keith Agius of the Bell Shakespeare company, soon to tour Tasmania with their production of Henry V, the play about the growing to maturity of young prince Hal. One of the characters Keith is playing in Henry V maybe considered a saintly, holy or virtuous’ person in the form of the archbishop and on the second meaning of Agius, Keith is certainly a ‘learned one’ in Shakespeare.
Keith tells me he is ‘looking forward’ to visiting Hobart again. He has been to Tasmania a number of times with the Bell Shakespeare Company and says some of the highlights include the company’s excellent accommodation near the water and pier, allowing the company to treat themselves to some of Tasmania’s celebrated sea food and wine.
Keith was in Tassie for the Bell Shakespeare company’s production of Julius Caesar which was also performed as Henry V will be, at The Theatre Royal which Keith calls ‘just magnificent’.
Keith explains that this production of Henry V consists of two stories set in the 1940 blitz on St Crispin’s Day, October 25th and over 57 consecutive nights of 1940 to 41.
The characters in the story include children and a history teacher, bunkered down in a basement where the school teacher decides to give a lesson on the hundred year’s war, encompassing the story of Henry V. In a dramatization, the children take on the roles of the characters in the play.
Talking of taking on roles, Keith takes on the roles of narrator, chorus/teacher, the King of France and an Archbishop and says it poses no problem taking on multiple roles, indeed most actors in the Bell Shakespeare Company take on 3 or 4 different roles. Part of the reason for actor’s playing multiple roles is due to finance where it would be impossible to take such a large cast on tour, so a lesser number of actors Keith says ‘populate the play’. Keith tells me, that on one occasion he played King Lear as understudy to John Bell.
Keith’s career in Shakespeare or at least drama began as a child when his Mum took him along to a drama group. He lists Audrey Blaxland, actor and drama teacher, as a mentor as well as inspiration from the UK’s Italia Ponti, who began the famed drama school of the same name.
Keith would later graduate from NIDA. For a long time he tried to get into the Bell Shakespeare Company and eventually got his first gig in 2010. Keith has praise for the Bell education unit which takes Shakespeare to schools, as he believes like many, that the only real way to appreciate Shakespeare is by seeing live performance. Keith has always been proactive and ‘on the front foot’ in pursuing his career and creating opportunities and is enjoying working with Damien Ryan, the director of Henry V. Keith is also involved in ‘ Sport for Jove’ an outdoor Shakespeare Company in Coogee, Sydney.
You can see Keith Agius in Henry V at The Theatre Royal:
Thursday, 4th September 2014 – 7:30pm
Friday, 5th September 2014 – 7:30pm
Saturday, 6th September 2014 – 7:30pm
Paula Xiberras
