2025 SEASON ORANGE CIVIC THEATRE
Orange City Council is situated within the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri Nation.
We acknowledge the traditional custodianship of these lands, and pay our respect to the Wiradjuri people for their care and stewardship of these lands and to the Elders of the Wiradjuri Nation past, present and emerging. We celebrate their contribution to arts and culture.
Orange Civic Theatre & Ticketek — Code of Practice
OCT and Ticketek are committed to observing the Code of Practice for the Ticketing of Live Entertainment in Australia, as compiled by the Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA).
Graphic Designer: Sally McCarthy, Orange City Council.
Details in this brochure are correct at the time of publication.
Management reserves the right to add, withdraw or substitute artists and vary the program should the necessity arise.
FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY AT 6PM
CDP KIDS PRESENTS
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW
Created by Jonathan Rockefeller Based on Eric Carle’s Books
Associate Director
Liesel Badorrek
Music and Sound
Nate Edmondson
Scenic Design
David Goldstein
Puppets by Rockefeller Productions
Builders and Fabricators
Arlee Chadwick, Jessica Lorence and Acheson Walsh
50 minutes no interval
MEMBER $22.00
ADULT $30.00
CONCESSION $25.00
JUNIOR $22.00
FAMILY $86.00
“and – pop! – out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.”
One of the most-read and famous children’s books of all time, The Very Hungry Caterpillar emerges off the page in a masterful theatrical experience for children 18 months+ and their adults.
Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, the production features a menagerie of over 75 magical puppets, including the star of the show – The Very Hungry Caterpillar – and an Australian cast who bring these beloved books to life on stage.
Alongside The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the show features three other Eric Carle stories – Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Ten Little Rubber Ducks, and The Very Busy Spider.
The team behind the Australian tours of The Gruffalo, Spot, and The 13, 26, 52, 78 & 91-Storey Treehouses will excite, educate and entertain new readers and first-time theatre-goers, while those who grew up with these books will delight in experiencing one of the most popular children’s books ever written. Don’t miss out!
SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY AT 2PM
AMBER JOY POULTON & THE GOVERNING BODIES PRESENT
MAN, I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN!
Performing the music of Shania Twain, Olivia Newton-John, Linda Ronstadt & Tammy Wynette!
150 minutes including interval
MEMBER $62.00 ADULT $70.00
CONCESSION $66.00
JUNIOR $30.00
The stars of Coal Miner’s Daughter return to Orange with..... Man, I Feel Like A Woman.
“Let’s go girls”….& guys! A jam-packed performance filled to the brim with country music hit after hit by some of best in the biz.
What are ‘Country Stars’ made of? Fable, Foibles & fact of course!
In the quest for a ‘Country Queen’ Amber Joy Poulton & her band The Governing Bodies , will pick apart the fabric of the life & careers of four country greats. The spotlight will be beamed on the biggest hits of these powerhouse women whose careers have led them to this night, as deserved contenders for the coveted Crown.
Sing along to your favourites….
‘Just One Look’, ‘Silver Threads & Golden Needles’, ‘Country Roads Take Me Home’, ‘If You’re Not In It For Love’, ‘That’ll Be The Day’, ‘Stand By Your Man’, ‘Banks Of The Ohio’, ‘Still The One’, ‘When Will I Be Loved’, ‘D-I-V-OR-C-E’, ‘I Honestly Love You’, & of course ‘Man, I Feel Like A Woman! ‘ & maybe even a few Amber Joy Poulton songs.
Under the watchful eye of ‘The Governing Bodies’, together with the country music lovers of Orange, we will crown a Queen, even if she only reigns for a day.
SATURDAY 8 MARCH AT 8PM
ORANGE CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESENTS
FESTIVAL GALA: OPUS.HER
Opus.her is a celebration of women creatives, represented by a fine selection of Australian women performers in an inmersive audio-visual display.
110 minutes including interval
MEMBER $58.00
ADULT $65.00
CONCESSION $60.00
JUNIOR $45.00
STUDENT $45.00
Weaving together archival footage, narrative and melody, virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz and composer Robert Davidson create a series of musical portraits spanning centuries of female leaders, scientists and artists. The work titled So Much Myself: Piano Portraits will feature Ukrainian-Australian artist Sonya Lifschitz opening the first half of the Festival Gala: Opus.her.
The compelling new work from the creators of Stalin’s Piano brings together stories of discovery through the recorded words of some of our greatest creators and voices. Throughout, Lifschitz’s piano anchors the stories and transforms them into songs, with the melodies derived from each person’s spoken intonation. This stunningly original collection probes the big questions of our time and is a powerful ode to creators who have shaped our world.
In the second half, Opus.her will showcase the featured artists of OCMF 2025, violinist Alexandra Osborne, cellist Elina Faskhi and pianist Andrea Lam, performing an intriguing selection of solo and trio works by women’ composers Clara Schumann, Ethel Smyth, Florence Price and Nadia Boulanger.
As is traditional, the Festival Director has commissioned a new work to conclude the Festival Gala, this time celebrating the arrival of a new Orange resident, acclaimed Australian composer Jodie Blackshaw.
FRIDAY 14 MARCH & SATURDAY 15 MARCH AT 8PM
SOFT TREAD PRESENTS
THE WHARF REVUE: THE END OF THE WHARF AS WE KNOW IT
Created and written by Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott
Performed by Jonathan Biggins, Mandy Bishop, Drew Forsythe, Phillip Scott and David Whitney
Co-Directors
Jonathan Biggins and Drew Forsythe
Musical Director
Phillip Scott
Lighting Designer
Matt Cox
Video Designer
Todd Decker
Sound and Video Systems
Designer
Cameron Smith
Costume Designers
Hazel and Scott Fisher
90 minutes no interval
MEMBER $70.00 ADULT $78.00 CONCESSION $74.00
$45.00
After twenty-five years in the harsh and unforgiving spotlight of politics, The Wharf Revue has decided to step away from public life.
“It’s an opportunity to spend more time with family.” said a spokesperson. “At the end of the day, this is about the need for renewal. We’ll serve one last term to max out the super and then try to pick up some kind of consultancy work or do a series of “Survivor” - look, it’s too early to say but it has been an honour to serve the Australian people.”
Many public figures who’ve appeared in the show regularly over the years are lining up for a place in the final hurrah: Keating, Howard, Downer, Costello, Gillard, Abbott, Carr and other throwbacks too numerous to mention. Those who bear the torch of democracy today: Lambie, Hanson, Bandt, Dutton and Albo - a veritable “Who’s that?” of Australian politics.
So join us for this joyous yet bitter-sweet send-off to one of the great national theatrical institutions - but please, no flowers by request.
THURSDAY 10 APRIL AT 8PM
WE RALLY CREATIVE PRESENTS
DOWN UNDER: THE SONGS THAT SHAPED AUSTRALIA
75 minutes no interval
MEMBER $45.00 ADULT $52.00
CONCESSION $48.00
JUNIOR $30.00
Down Under: The Songs That Shaped Australia is a multi-award-winning, live music celebration of the Aussie hit-makers who spurred historic change with their iconic anthems.
Australian music is vast and varied; it captures the beauty and brutality of the land with storytelling at the forefront. Featuring classics from Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, Paul Kelly, The Divinyls, ACDC, Tina Arena, and more, reminisce on the artists whose guts and determination shaped Australia’s musical history. With the powerhouse vocals of acclaimed songstress Michelle Pearson and her incredible five-piece band, this nostalgic homecoming will have you on your feet!
Winner of the 2024 Fringe World Award for Music and Musicals. Winner of the 2024 House of Oz Purse Prize.
FRIDAY 9 TO SATURDAY 17 MAY
ORANGE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
COME FROM AWAY
Book, Music and Lyrics
by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Original Broadway Production produced by Junkyard Dog Productions
Friday 9 May 7.30pm
Saturday 10 May 2.00pm
Saturday 10 May 7.30pm
Sunday 11 May 2.00pm
Friday 16 May 7.30pm
Saturday 17 May 2.00pm
Saturday 17 May 7.30pm
Director
Trevor Carroll
Musical Director
Ben McGrath
Choreographer
Emma McDonnell
Set Design
Trevor Carroll & Scott Halls
120 minutes including interval MEMBER $45.00
7,000 Stranded Passengers. One Small Town. A Remarkable True Story.
Come from Away is based on the true story of the time when the isolated community of Gander, Newfoundland, played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small town turned into an international sleepover, when 38 planes, carrying thousands of people from around the globe, were diverted to Gander’s airstrip on September 11, 2001. Undaunted by culture clashes and language barriers, the people of Gander cheered the stranded travellers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family.
Photo: Joel Devereux
FRIDAY 23 MAY AT 7.30PM
SHAKE & STIR THEATRE CO PRESENTS
By George Orwell Adapted by Shake & Stir
Adaptors
Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij
Director
Michael Futcher
Creative Producer
Ross Balbuziente
Designer
Josh McIntosh
Lighting Designer
Jason Glenwright
Sound Designer
Guy Webster
Video Designer
Craig Wilkinson
100 minutes no interval
MEMBER $45.00
ADULT $52.00
CONCESSION $48.00
JUNIOR $30.00
Big Brother is back.
Strap in for an electrifying take on the George Orwell classic – from the multi-award winning creative minds at Shake & Stir (Frankenstein, GRIMM, Jane Eyre, Animal Farm and Dracula).
It was a bright cold day, and the clocks were striking thirteen...
Winston Smith, an editor at the Ministry of Truth, sits quietly. A quick swig of gin; a glance of quiet optimism toward the telescreen. Winston opens his diary, puts pen to paper, and in doing so, commits the essential crime that contains all others in itself. A radical and unprecedented act of rebellion.
Discovered, entrapped, and incarcerated in the Ministry of Love, Winston, in defending his burning desire for personal freedom, prepares for the fight of his life. Can the oppressive forces of The Party, led by BIG BROTHER, obliterate the indomitable human spirit?
And what exactly awaits within Room 101?
“Shake & Stir cement themselves as masters of adaptation with 1984.” Australian Stage
120 minutes no interval
MEMBER $45.00 ADULT $52.00 CONCESSION $48.00
THURSDAY 29 MAY AT 7.30PM
SPORT FOR JOVE PRESENTS
MACBETH
By William Shakespeare Directed by George Banders
An unexpected prophecy at the close of a devastating war sends a national hero and his brilliant wife on a feverish and murderous quest for absolute power. With startlingly beautiful language, Shakespeare’s revered tragedy tears open the thin fabric between the temporal and magical worlds. This muscular, contemporary production looks at today’s world through Macbeth’s eyes – an epoch where double speak is rife, where violence is a modern ecstasy and true loyalty is our most valuable commodity.
Shakespeare combines Scottish and English history with Greek myth to one simple end – to capture what it is to be human. What happens to us when we sacrifice our humanity to get ahead? We live in such a time, an unprecedented era that idolises fame and celebrity above leadership and morality. In such a time and place, perhaps even nature begins to fight back.
A boldly imaginative, fully contemporary and brandnew production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth from Sport for Jove that is true to the text and full of engaging revelations, a wonderful experience for students and teachers.
Photo: Cassandra Hannagan
FRIDAY 30 MAY AT 7.30PM
SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Sydney Symphony performs orchestral favourites
Conductor
Benjamin Northey
Violin
Alexandra Osborne
110 minutes including interval
MEMBER $60.00
ADULT $68.00
CONCESSION $65.00
JUNIOR $45.00
Mendelssohn
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Overture
Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending Falla
The Three-Cornered Hat: Suite No.1
Ravel
Mother Goose: Suite
Copland
Appalachian Spring: Suite for Orchestra
Experience some of the most beloved classical music of all time with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as they return to Orange.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra comes to the Orange Civic Theatre for two performances only, performing a concert of enchanting classical favourites led by Conductor in Residence Benjamin Northey, including a special presentation for families on Saturday 31 May.
Music has an extraordinary power to inspire and delight. You will experience it all, from the magic of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Ravel’s playful Mother Goose, from Falla’s rousing The Three-Cornered Hat to the simple gift of Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
And feel your spirits soar on the wings of Vaughan Williams’ exquisite The Lark Ascending , one of the bestloved pieces of music ever written, expertly performed by Associate Concertmaster Alexandra Osborne as violin soloist.
TUESDAY 3 TO THURSDAY 5 JUNE
PERFORMING LINES WA PRESENTS
WONDERBOX
By Sensorium Theatre
Curiosity! Choice! Wonder! What’s inside the Wonderbox?
Director & Designer
Francis Italiano
Assistant Director
Michelle Hovane
Musical Director & Composer
Jamie David
Songwriting & Additional Composition
Rebecca Bradley and Jamie David
Movement Director
Daisy Sanders
Costume Designer & Associate Set Designer
Amalia Lambert
60 minutes no interval
PARTICIPATING CHILD $35.00 (1 carer per child included free)
Sensorium Theatre - Australia’s leading theatre company making work specifically designed for young audiences with disability and their friends –invites children to roll the dice and set out along a safe, exhilarating pathway into the unknown. Inside a giant puzzle-box of illusions, kooky-carnival friends with magic in their pockets lead audiences into an immersive multi-sensory wonderland of fantastical large-scale projections, strange tiny delights, and infectious live music.
EVERY child’s curiosity is celebrated and rewarded with wondrous surprises. As boxes reveal boxes within boxes each child is given the opportunity to find a magical version of themselves. Inside the Wonderbox, micro moments of whole worlds in a matchbox lead into macro universes where EVERYONE, their face reflected in the stars of the Milky Way, is invited to be wonderful!
Due to the format of this special production, please contact the box office for bookings.
This event will be held at the Orange Function Centre.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL PRESENTS
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL ROADSHOW
120 minutes including interval
MEMBER $35.00
ADULT $40.00
Performances often contain coarse language, adult themes, sexual references and material that may offend. The show is recommended for people aged 15 years or older.
Smoke Machine/Hazer may be used during this performance.
Australia’s most iconic comedy tour is hitting the road for a huge 27th year! Bringing together the brightest stars from the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, we’re delivering top-tier humour straight to your town!
Featuring a dynamic line-up of comedy legends and fresh faces, this year’s Roadshow promises nationwide happiness. So, grab your friends, lock in your tickets and prepare for a much-needed dose of laughter as the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow rolls into Orange Civic Theatre.
‘we were laughing from the moment the lights went down, to well into the drive home.’ - Scenestr
THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET PRESENTS
AUSTRALIAN BALLET
120 minutes including interval
MEMBER $65.00
ADULT $76.00
CONCESSION $68.00
JUNIOR $40.00
Go beyond words in 2025 and join The Australian Ballet for this very special tour of passion, athleticism and artistry. SATURDAY 28 JUNE AT 1.30PM & 7.30PM
The Australian Ballet is going on tour in 2025 with an exhilarating program of classical favourites, signature works and contemporary innovation. The program will also highlight pieces from The Australian Ballet’s extensive repertoire in an event perfect both those new to ballet and seasoned ballet lovers.
ORANGE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
HONK! JR
Music by George Stiles
Book & Lyrics by Anthony Drewe
Friday 11 July 2pm
Friday 11 July 6.30pm
Saturday 12 July 2pm
Saturday 12 July 6.30pm
Sunday 13 July 2pm
Director/Co-Musical Director
Katrina Kittler
Co-Musical Director
Nidhi Sharma
Choreographer
Tyler Dent
Production Assistant
Will Munday
60 minutes no interval
MEMBER $26.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
FAMILY $100.00
ADULTS AT JUNIOR PRICES
Honk! JR. is a heartwarming celebration of being different that is sure to delight audiences of all ages with its sparkling wit, unique charm and memorable score. Ugly looks quite a bit different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice and point this out, despite his mother’s protective flapping. Feeling rather foul about himself, the little fowl finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery, all the while unknowingly outwitting a very hungry Cat. Along the way, Ugly meets a whole flock of unique characters and finds out being different is not a bad thing to be.
MONDAY 28 JULY AT 6PM
A MONKEY BAA THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION
JOSEPHINE WANTS TO DANCE
Based on the book by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
Adapted for the stage by Eva Di Cesare, Sandie Eldridge and Tim McGarry
Director
Jonathan Biggins
Composer/Lyricist
Phil Scott
Choreographer
Tim Harbour
Set & Costume Designer
James Browne
Lighting Designer
Emma Lockhart-Wilson
Sound Designer
David Bergman
Musical Director
Michael Tyack
50 minutes no interval
A hilarious musical about the importance of believing in yourself and realising your dreams and... a dancing kangaroo!
Based on the picture book by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, this delightful musical is a must see!
Josephine is a kangaroo who loves to dance. Her little brother, Joey, tells her kangaroos don’t dance, they hop - but Josephine continues to point her toes and leap through the air. When a ballet troupe comes to the sleepy town of Shaggy Gully, Josephine desperately wants to dance like the ballerinas in pink tutus and silk ballet shoes.
On the day of the first performance the Ballet Company is in trouble. The prima ballerina twists her ankle and the understudy has a splinter in her toe. Who can dance the lead role? Josephine’s talents are called upon to help save the day. Can she do it, and more importantly, does it matter that she’s a kangaroo?
WEDNESDAY 27 AUGUST AT 6PM
CDP PRESENTS TALL STORIES’ MAGICAL MUSICAL ADAPTATION OF
THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD
Adapted from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s award-winning picture book
55 minutes no interval
MEMBER $22.00
ADULT $30.00
CONCESSION $25.00
JUNIOR $22.00
FAMILY $86.00
The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should Ever set foot in the deep dark wood…
Join the Gruffalo’s Child on her adventurous mission in this magical musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved picture book.
One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist... does he?
The team behind The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and The 13-, 26-, 52-, 78- & 91-Storey Treehouses return with songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up, and their adults…
SUNDAY 31 AUGUST AT 2PM
POT-POURRI PRESENTS
FROM FIGARO TO PHANTOM
Tania de Jong AM (soprano), Rebecca Bode (soprano), Jon Bode (tenor), Jonathan Morton (baritone) with Pianist Anthony Barnhill
80 minutes no interval
MEMBER $45.00
ADULT $52.00
CONCESSION $48.00
JUNIOR $30.00
Experience some of the most magical musical moments of international song with one of Australia’s leading acts, sensational Australian group Pot-Pourri.
Featuring most-loved highlights from Broadway, music theatre and opera including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Carmen, La Traviata, Madam Butterfly, Turandot, Lakme, Westside Story, Cats, Chicago, Andrea Bocelli, Leonard Cohen, The Three Tenors, Il Divo, Josh Groban and global hits such as You Raise Me Up, Hallelujah, Nessun Dorma, The Prayer and Time to Say Goodbye.
Be transported by the glorious voices of four of Australia’s finest singer/actors, a brilliant pianist, gorgeous harmonies and glamorous costumes.
Pot-Pourri is Tania de Jong AM (soprano), Rebecca Bode (soprano), Jon Bode (tenor), Jonathan Morton (baritone) with Pianist Anthony Barnhill. These talented artists hit those high C’s in Opera, belt out Broadway, seduce with song, dance up a storm, create magic and stir your soul with haunting didgeridoo and ballads!
“Music Theatre of the highest calibre...brilliantly crafted...a standing ovation.” - The Canberra Times
SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER AT 8PM
HIT PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
WALTZING THE WILARRA
Written and Composed by David Milroy
150 minutes including interval
MEMBER $45.00 ADULT $52.00 CONCESSION $48.00 JUNIOR $30.00
Charlie, Elsa and Fay take you on a musical journey back to 1940’s post war Perth. Against a backdrop of curfews, and the fear of arrest for consorting, white and black manage to form their own club. For a night they can forget their worries and experience rare happy times singing, dancing, listening to music, and with a little luck... romance.
Forty years on, as the club faces demolition, our three characters meet once again to stage a musical reunion and protest in an attempt to save their old stomping ground. As the trio reflects upon loves lost and found, old arguments and alliances resurface.
Dark secrets and ghosts that have lingered for more than half a century are revealed, and we discover that reconciliation is more than saying sorry.
Photo: Daniel Boud
THURSDAY 25 & FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER AT 7.30PM
BRINK PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI
By Vidya Rajan
Based on the novel by Melina
Marchetta
Director
Stephen Nicolazzo
Set and Costume Design
Kate Davis
Lighting Design
Katie Sfetkidis
Sound Design
Daniel Nixon
140 minutes including interval
MEMBER $60.00
ADULT $68.00
CONCESSION $65.00
JUNIOR $45.00
Show contains
Coarse language, stage violence, suicide, sexual references, descriptions of domestic violence, discriminatory language, smoke and haze effects.
Josie Alibrandi is in her final year of high school. Whipsmart and aspirational, she is a third-generation Italian teenager and scholarship kid, with the shadow of a family curse and a penchant for rule-breaking. Juggling grades, boys, and the claustrophobia of an overbearing nonna and saintly mother, Josie’s life becomes tangled in the webs of class, identity, and family history as she finds her place in a changing world.
Iconic novel and cult movie, Looking for Alibrandi is the honest and empowered portrait of 1990s Mediterranean culture that spoke for the first time about systemic racism in Australia from a migrant perspective. It defined a generation and to this day resonates with those caught in the stranglehold of identity and othering in this country.
Award-winning director Stephen Nicolazzo (Loaded, Merciless Gods) brought Melina Marchetta’s bestselling novel to the stage for the first time, where Vidya Rajan’s AWGIE nominated adaptation joined three generations of women in a passionate, heart wrenching, and unmissable rendering of the Australian classic. With live passata sauce making, traditional Italian music and a soundtrack of Australian pop classics, Looking for Alibrandi is a vibrant theatrical experience full of passion, laughs, and beauty.
Looking for Alibrandi was commissioned and first produced by Malthouse Theatre and Belvoir in 2022.
THURSDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 8PM
CENTURY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS
SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOWCASE
120 minutes including interval
MEMBER $40.00
ADULT $45.00
The festival’s funniest in one hilarious night!
The Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase Tour will be tearing up the freeways of Australia. Boasting a line-up of festival favourites and some of the freshest emerging talents, this jam-packed night of pure entertainment is bringing the best of the fest direct to you!
Expertly curated and lovingly presented, the Showcase will feature some of the Festival’s hottest acts live on stage for an incredible two hours of hardhitting laughter.
“The comedians all knew what they had to do to get a laugh, and had the crowd in constant stitches... the talent on show definitely left the crowd wanting more...”
- AU REVIEW
Photo: Damien Bredberg
SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER AT 7.30PM
CIRCA PRESENTS
DUCK POND
Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble
Director, Stage Design
Yaron Lifschitz
Composer and Sound Designer
Jethro Woodward
Costume Designer
Libby McDonnell
Lighting Designer
Alexander Berlage
Associate Director
Marty Evans
Dramaturg/
Associate Choreographer
Rani Luther
Voice Over Artist
Elise Greig
75 minutes no interval
MEMBER $45.00
ADULT $52.00
CONCESSION $48.00
JUNIOR $30.00
Feathers will fly in Circa’s exuberant take on Swan Lake.
The world’s most romantic ballet is re-imagined as a circus spectacular, full of Circa’s signature physicality and shot through with cheeky humour and a thoroughly contemporary energy.
Be swept away by this tale of swans and hapless princes sparkling with quirky touches like the sequinned flipper-wearing duck army and a burlesque black swan. There are sumptuous aerials, jaw-dropping acrobatics and of course feathers! Touching, funny and utterly entertaining, Duck Pond is a tale of identity and finding your true self.
“Messing with Swan Lake is a risky business. You wouldn’t want to do that unless you were a bit of a genius. It so happens Yaron Lifschitz is” – In Queensland
Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Duck Pond is co-commissioned by QPAC and The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, The Art House Wyong, Frankston Arts Centre, HOTA - Home of the Arts, Merrigong Theatre Company and Orange Civic Theatre.
Circa is based in Meanjin (Brisbane) on the lands of the Jagera and Turrbal people. We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the many lands on which we create and perform. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Always was. Always will be.
ORANGE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
GREASE
Book, Music and Lyrics
by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
By arrangement with ORiGiN™ Theatrical
Friday 17 October 8.00pm
Saturday 18 October 8.00pm
Sunday 19 October 2.00pm
Thursday 23 October 8.00pm
Friday 24 October 8.00pm
Saturday 25 October 2.00pm
Saturday 25 October 8.00pm
Director
Blake Thomas
Musical Director
Derek Johns
Choreographer
Wendy Campbell
Vocal Coach
Charlie Parker
140 minutes including interval
MEMBER $45.00
ADULT $52.00 CONCESSION $48.00 JUNIOR $30.00
It’s 1959, and Rydell High School’s senior class is in rare form. The too-cool-for-school “Burger Palace Boys” are stealing hub-caps and acting tough and their gumsnapping, chain-smoking “Pink Ladies” are looking hot in bobby socks and pedal pushers. The 1950s high school dream is about to explode in this rollicking musical that is both an homage to the idealism of the fifties and a satire of high schoolers’ age-old desire to be provocative and rebellious.
At the heart of the story is the romance between hotrodding gangster Danny Zuko and the sweet new girl in town, Sandy Dumbrowski. They had a secret romance in summer, but now back in the context of school, peer-pressure and cliques make their love a bit more complicated. Can Danny maintain his cool dude status and still make demure Sandy his girl?
WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER AT 6PM
SPARE PARTS PUPPET THEATRE PRESENTS
BEANSTALK
Everyone knows Jack’s story, but what about the giant’s?
Performed by Charlotte Otton
Writen by Sam Longley
Directed by Philip Mitchell
Designer
Brian Woltjen
Composer
Lee Buddle
Lighting Designer
Kristie Smith
Costume
Nora Stelter
Production Manager & Puppet Maker
Jackson Harrison
Set Electrics
Steve Barrick
Stage Manager
Megan Fitzgerald
50 minutes no interval
MEMBER $22.00
ADULT $30.00
CONCESSION $25.00
JUNIOR $22.00 FAMILY $86.00
Everyone knows Jack’s story, but what about the giant’s? Do we really know what happened that day when Jack unexpectedly barged into the giant’s kitchen? Was it the grim fee-fi-fo-fum bone-crunching tale we’ve all grown up with, or is there a different story waiting to be told?
Beanstalk is the hilarious retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk told from the giant’s point of view. Step into Brian’s cloud-making kitchen where he cooks up carrots, fluffy clouds and a few stories from his not-soeasy life as a giant.
Funny, unapologetically playful and utterly charming, Beanstalk will have you laughing at the antics of a loaf of bread (Jack), reeling in horror at the squishing of a tomato (a villager), and marvelling at the clever trickery that brings the magic of cloud creation to life.
LUMINESCENCE CHAMBER SINGERS PRESENT
RED DIRT HYMNS
A hymnal to the country under our feet
70 minutes no interval
MEMBER $45.00
ADULT $52.00
CONCESSION $48.00
JUNIOR $30.00
A living songbook more than four years in the making, Andrew Ford’s hymnal brings together the words of sixteen contemporary Australian writers – poets, essayists, and folksingers. Born in a time of fire and darkness, grief, and loss, and then fragile, tender hope, Red Dirt Hymns are songs of awe and praise, dedicated not to a god, but to the land.
Performed by the ever-daring voices of Luminescence Chamber Singers alongside combined choirs from the Orange Regional Conservatorium and two rising stars: Hilary Geddes (electric guitar), Freya SchackArnott (cello), with songs spanning art music, folk song, country ballad, and Aussie rock. The songs and stories unfold to the evocative imagery of Sammy Hawker, whose art is created within the fabric of country itself: saltwater, limestone and eucalypt.
From Ellen van Neerven’s dark clouds to John Kinsella’s abundant gardens, Red Dirt Hymns does what a hymnal is meant to do: it draws us closer – to each other, and to the light and shade of our wide brown land.
THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER AT 7.30PM
BELL SHAKESPEARE CO PRESENTS
ROMEO & JULIET
By William Shakespeare Director Peter Evans
Set & Costume Design
Anna Tregloan
Lighting Design
Benjamin Cisterne
Composer and Sound Design
Max Lyandvert
Intimacy, Movement & Fight Director
Nigel Poulton
With Madeline Li
150 minutes including interval
MEMBER $45.00
ADULT $52.00
CONCESSION $48.00
JUNIOR $30.00
After a chance meeting, an intense but forbidden love is ignited between two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet. And despite the unending, violent feud between their families, they will risk everything to be together.
This raw portrayal of Romeo & Juliet will envelop you in the passion, the intensity and the heartbreak of Shakespeare’s most evocative tragedy.
Peter Evans’ critically acclaimed production of the greatest love story ever told returns to stages in 2025. Introducing the magnetic Madeline Li as Juliet, this exquisite production is not to be missed.
“Vibrant and vivacious.... Refreshing and engrossing” - Stage Whispers
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
How to become a member
There are two ways to become a member of the Orange Civic Theatre:
1. Book at least five Season shows in advance to receive complimentary membership. Members receive first choice of seats, benefit from discounts on additional show ticket prices and receive notice and discounts for other events at the theatre during the year.
2. Pay a $35 membership fee to access member discounts and benefits with no minimum number of Season shows booked in advance.
How to book tickets
Complete your booking form and return: BY MAIL: Membership
Orange Civic Theatre PO Box 35 ORANGE NSW 2800 or EMAIL: theatre@orange.nsw.gov.au or DELIVER TO: Orange Civic Theatre Box Office
Box Office hours are 9am–5pm Monday to Friday and 1 hour prior to a performance. All prices are inclusive of GST where applicable.
Seating with friends
If you wish to be seated with friends, please ensure forms are returned together to avoid a delay in processing.
Speed and accuracy
Bookings are processed in strict order of receipt, so choosing events early ensures the best possible seats. Upon receipt of your tickets, please check to ensure the dates and times are correct.
Expanding your membership
Members may purchase tickets to additional performances at Member prices at any time.
Refunds or exchanges
We understand that the dates you choose at the beginning of the season may not be suitable at performance time. As a Member, we offer you an exchange to another performance within the season — a minimum of two weeks’ notice prior to the performance is required for this to occur.
All exchanges must be for shows within the same season. If you have received a complimentary five show membership, and by the end of the season have not met a minimum of five shows, you will be charged $35 for a paid membership.
Delayed payment option
Members may choose to have the cost of Season tickets charged to their credit card periodically throughout the year. Seats will be allocated at the beginning of the year. Approximately three weeks before each of your chosen performances this amount will be charged to your credit card and the tickets mailed to you. Please notify the Box Office of any changes to your ticketing requirements prior to the processing of your tickets.
Strict conditions are applicable: offer only available to a credit card holder. Members are committed by signature to paying the full amount indicated on their Member bookings form or paying the Member fee when minimum of five productions is not achieved.
Ticket collection
It is requested that tickets be collected at least half an hour prior to the start of a performance from the Theatre Box Office.
Admittance and latecomers
The auditorium doors open 20 minutes prior to the commencement of a performance. Please be aware, latecomers will not be admitted into the theatre until there is a suitable break in the performance.
Bags and prams
For the safety and comfort of Orange Civic Theatre patrons, bags larger than a small, A4-sized handbag and prams are not allowed in the auditorium during a performance.
Babies in arms policy
Orange Civic Theatre’s children’s programs are designed to encourage access for younger audiences to the performing arts. For the children’s programs babes in arms (that is babies who remain in their carers’ arms during a performance and do not participate in the event), are admitted free of charge.
Any children aged 12 months or older must have a ticket to these events.
For the comfort of others
We request that mobile phones, pagers and alarms be turned off prior to entering the theatre. Cameras or any forms of electronic recording equipment are not permitted in the auditorium.
Childcare groups
The number of free tickets provided for registered carers is strictly limited. These tickets are only available for childcare staff accompanying children as a condition of their paid employment. In order to be eligible for the special childcare rates and free carer tickets, a childcare/ vacation care group must be registered for the Government Childcare Rebate. The registration or customer reference (CRN) number is required when booking.
School groups
One complimentary teacher ticket will be allocated with every 20 students booked. A school group rate is applicable for a group of 10 or more in the booking. Please advise us at time of your booking if any student has special needs.
Pricing
Where a Family price is displayed in this booklet, a Family is defined as 2 Adults and 2 Juniors OR 1 Adult and 3 Juniors. Group pricing may be available for selected events – please contact the Box Office for more information on group bookings.
Special assistance
Patrons with mobility aids, including wheelchairs, can be comfortably accommodated in the theatre. Please contact the Box Office to discuss your options. It is advisable to book early to obtain good seats.
A hearing loop is available from any position within the theatre. Please indicate your requirements on your booking form.
Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the Box Office on 02 6393 8111.
