Hunter Regional Drama Festival

The Hunter Regional Drama Festival is taking over the Civic Playhouse on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September, and it's a bit of a change of scenery this time around — 2026 is the first year the festival has moved to the Playhouse, at 375 Hunter Street in Newcastle.

If you're not familiar with how it works, it's a showcase for public schools from across the Hunter, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens. The whole thing is built on the idea of bringing the arts into local communities, and it gives students a chance to take their work beyond the school gates. It's not just about the final performance, either; schools enter via an online registration form, and the organisers run skills-based workshops and teacher support throughout Term 2 to help them get there.

On the night, the pieces run up to seven minutes each, and a single piece can be staged by as many as 30 students. That means you'll see a fair few different groups on one bill, and the scale of the performances can shift from a small cast to a nearly full stage in the space of a few minutes. With the festival now at the Playhouse, it's right in the heart of town for anyone who wants to see what the region's public school drama students have been working on.

Performances start at 6:30 pm on both Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September. Tickets are A$15 and A$12 per person, and you can book them through the Civic Theatre website.