Besotted with the Bard sonnet performance

Bega Valley Shire Council’s Library Services Coordinator, Megan Jordan-Jones said Mr Jensen approached the library to host a performance series after memorising 154 sonnets for his own pleasure last year.

“During this time, Mr Jensen was struck by the potential of a Shakespeare sonnets performance,” Ms Jordan-Jones said.

“He feels that Shakespeare’s sonnets are every bit as dramatic as his plays.”

To help the audience fully appreciate the sonnets, Mr Jensen will introduce the topics and any unfamiliar Elizabethan words before every 10 sonnets.

“Some people can be shy of Shakespeare’s language, but if you can get past the ‘thou dost’ and ‘she doth’, he can sound quite contemporary,” Mr Jensen said.

“Some of the lines could come out of the mouth of an Australian teenager today.

“And every few lines there’s something so clever and unique, only Shakespeare could have written it.”

The free Saturday performances at Tura Beach Library on 3, 10, 17 and 24 June will be held between 10.30am and 11.30 am. Each will be followed by a discussion of the sonnets for those who want to stay.

The sonnet performances will also be broadcast via Zoom.

To book a free ticket go to the Bega Valley Shire Library website or phone 02 6499 2340.