John Oldcastle John Oldcastle Sir John Oldcastle (died 14 December 1417) was an English Lollard leader. Being a friend of Henry V, he long escaped prosecution for heresy. When convicted, he escaped from the Tower of London and then led a rebellion against the King. Eventually, he was captured and executed in London. He formed the basis for William Shakespeare's character John Falstaff, who was originally called John Oldcastle. Oldcastle's date of birth is unknown, although dubious and possibly apocryphal sources place it variously at 1360 or 1378. His father was Richard Oldcastle of Almeley in northwest Herefordshire. His grandfather, also called
Bell Shakespeare they performed "Antony and Cleopatra", which toured to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, "Julius Caesar", which as the 2018 National Tour travelled to 27 venues across Australia, and "The Misanthrope" which played in Sydney. Their 2019 season includes an adaption of "The Miser" and the 2019 National Tour "Much Ado About Nothing", with one more show still to be announced. One of the Company's artistic goals is "to use Shakespeare as Australians", and Bell Shakespeare is well known for using contemporary styles to make Shakespeare accessible for modern audiences. Founded by John Bell in 1990, Bell Shakespeare began as a theatre