Shakespeare Under the Stars
WHALE CHORUS PRESENTS
Shakespeare Under the Stars
Shakespeare Under the Stars is back this summer with a new production of the beloved comedy Twelfth Night, set amongst the magical trees of Newcastle’s Pacific Park. Performed by Whale Chorus’ talented ensemble of local actors and live musicians, this all ages event is one for the summer calendar not to be missed. Twelfth Night is a tale of unrequited love – hilarious and heartbreaking. Twins are separated in a shipwreck, and forced to fend for themselves in a strange land. Mistaken identity, love triangles and role reversal abound in one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Gather your loved ones, pack a picnic, and prepare for an unforgettable night of open air theatre right in the heart of Newcastle.
“If music be the food of love, play on” Twelfth Night
“…this performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Whale Chorus theatre company is the best I’ve seen (and this is probably my most viewed play). What a riotous delight! So many brilliant performances. Loved, loved, loved”
“It was brilliant…loved every minute”
“Gibson’s use of space is remarkable. The way in which she augments the natural landscape of a large fig tree to depict relations of characters and heighten comedic beats is a joy to watch. It was a truly clever idea to present the show in this setting, literally in the middle of our Australian summer, as the heat and the sun dies down to a dark night throughout the running time.”
“…the demonstrated engagement of the many young children in the audience (including the 6–7-year-old sitting next to me) attested to the quality of the production and the fact that it has managed to hit the mark for a family show. It was a sold-out crowd too and there were people lining up who hadn’t booked and were simply hoping to be let in.”
“An engaging feature of the Whale Chorus production was the kinetic energy generated by the cast. Entrances and exits were swift, with some actors arriving on comically teetering bicycles or bashing off through spikey undergrowth to escape an unwanted love interest. In his role as Demetrius, first time Shakespeare actor, Joey Porter, used a skateboard both to ward off Helena (Marie-Elle Vivaldi) and as a means of escape.”
“Thank you for all the work you put into Midsummer Night’s Dream. Thoroughly enjoyed the show in such a magical setting.”
“A key innovation of this production was the creation of an original score by musician Jim McIntyre and cast members Roger Ly and Tony Jozef. A number of actors played musical instruments during the play, an interweaving of performance and music that had Ly dashing over to the keyboard as Puck – singing his own original composition – and then almost immediately re-joining the action on stage.”
“We watched it yesterday. It was an amazing experience”
“Wonderful premiere performance of Shakespeare Under the Stars – A Midsummer Night’s Dream. What a delight! Whale Chorus brilliant work!”
“Given the nature of Pacific Park and its accessibility to the beach, there were quite a few interested passerby viewers, who would stop and watch for a while, including one quite large group of surfy teenagers in board shorts and bikinis.”
