And When He Falls is a fast-paced and fascinating 75 minutes during which the bloody Plantagenet Kings of England are resurrected on stage. Arguably Australia’s greatest classical actor John Stanton fulfills his life’s passion to perform these monologues about an extraordinary dynasty, from works by Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. And When He Falls(the title taken from Shakespeare’s Henry VIII) combines political and sexual intrigue, tainted bloodlines and rampant blood lust in a medieval royal scandal that lasted 300 years.

Stanton is a highly esteemed veteran of Australian stage, film and television. Hetreads the boards regularly with ‘The Bard’ for the Melbourne and Sydney Theatre Companies, in productions such as Macbeth, Richard III and King Lear. Stanton was lauded for his virtuoso performance as Julius Caesar in the now-famous MTC production and was nominated for a Helpmann Award for his Prospero in The Tempest for the MTC.

Pianist and composer Tony Gould AM is one of Australia’s most highly respected musicians. For three decades he has been involved in an extraordinary number of recording projects, both as pianist and composer, and has been at the forefront of music education in Australia.

Director Jill Forster starred in The Box – as twins! However, to modern audiences she is best known for her long-running role as Meredith Monahan in ABC TV’s Seachange, for which she won an AFI Award. Her most recent stage role was with the MTC in their production of Hannie Rayson’s Life After George. And When He Falls is her entree into stage directing.

Performed and adapted from Shakespeare and Marlowe by John Stanton
Original music composed and performed by Tony Gould
Sound Design by Matt Nicholson
Audio visuals designed by Polly Stanton
Photography by Matt Stanton
Directed by Jill Forster

‘Stanton is the real Shakespearean thing in a country that scarcely dreams of doing justice to the majesty or the sinuousness of Shakespeare’s language … his burnished and stony tones, the most famous voice in Australia’
THE SPECTATOR (UK)