Open-air outdoor production of Shakespeare's Richard III by Whale Chorus, with a rotating cast of local actors, at Fort Scratchley.
Whale Chorus are bringing Richard III to Fort Scratchley from 11 to 15 November, as part of their Shakespeare Under the Stars season. The show runs every night at 8pm, with a 90-minute runtime and no interval, so you're in and out in a single stretch.
This isn't a one-person show. Whale Chorus is using a shape-shifting ensemble of local Novocastrian actors to play Richard, with the role moving across multiple performers throughout the play. It's a bit of a departure from the usual way the character is handled, and having a local cast take it on gives it a proper Newcastle feel.
As for the play itself, Richard is one of Shakespeare's most infamous villains — ruthless charm and remorseless ambition driving him to seize the throne. The production is part of Shakespeare Under the Stars, Whale Chorus's open-air theatre season, which marks its fifth anniversary this year. The company specialises in staging Shakespeare and original plays in non-traditional public spaces, and this one is set against the backdrop of Fort Scratchley, one of the city's most recognisable sites.
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It's an outdoor sit-down performance, and it goes ahead in light rain and wind, so keep that in mind when you're deciding what to wear. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime, and they run to strict start times with lockouts that apply, so don't leave it too late to get there. Tickets range from A$18 to A$69, and the run is five nights, from 11 to 15 November, 8pm each night at Fort Scratchley, 1/3 Nobbys Rd, Newcastle East.
