When Peter Evans, Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare, and his team, were pondering what name to give the multipurpose studio space in the company’s new premises at Pier 2/3 in Sydney’s new Walsh Bay Arts and Cultural Precinct, The Nutshell quickly came to mind as he told Limelight when announcing the 2020 season.

Bell Shakespeare The Neilson Nutshell

The view from Bell Shakespeare’s new studio space The Neilson Nutshell. Photo courtesy of Bell Shakespeare

The Nutshell is a reference to a quote by Hamlet: “O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.”

The rehearsal and performance space will now be called The Neilson Nutshell in acknowledgement of a $3 million donation from the Neilson Foundation to fund the new studio. It is the largest gift that Bell Shakespeare has ever received in its 31-year history.

Evans said the company was incredibly grateful for the generous donation, which “will go such a long way in supporting the future of Bell Shakespeare. Not only will it help us establish our very first multipurpose performance space, it will...