“If music be the food of love, play on” 

Twelfth Night

Shakespeare Under the Stars

Twelfth Night

Shakespeare Under the Stars is back this summer with a new production of the beloved comedy Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is a hilarious and heartbreaking tale of unrequited love. 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.

Our school matinee performances are designed for students to experience a professional Shakespeare production in our region. So pack a picnic with your school mates and prepare for an unforgettable performance of open air theatre right in the heart of Newcastle.

Twelfth Night

School Matinees

Performance Dates

  • Thursday 28th Nov 2024 | 10am
  • Thursday 5th Dec 2024 | 10am

Running Time: 120mins (+ 20 minute interval)

& Post-Show Q&A

Ticket Price: $30 (FREE teacher ticket for every 20 students)

Location: Pacific Park, 1 Pacific St Newcastle

Bookings through Civic Theatre Ticket Office

…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

Audience Member, Comment on social media

“It was brilliant…loved every minute”

Audience Member, via social media

“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.”

Matthew Collins, Matthew Collins Reviews

“…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.

Michelle Gosper, Sydney Arts Guide

“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.”

Helen Hopcroft, Independent Reviewer

“Thank you for all the work you put into Midsummer Night’s Dream. Thoroughly enjoyed the show in such a magical setting.”

Audience Member, via social media

“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.”

Helen Hopcroft, Independent Reviewer

“We watched it yesterday. It was an amazing experience”

Audience Member, via social media

“Wonderful premiere performance of Shakespeare Under the Stars – A Midsummer Night’s Dream. What a delight! Whale Chorus brilliant work!”

Audience member, via social media

“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.”

Michelle Gosper, Sydney Arts Guide