CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
Almost, Maine - Actor's Company
Hunter Drama's Actor's Company brings you Almost, Maine.
Playful and surreal experiences are commonplace in the world of John Cariani’s Almost, Maine, where on one deeply cold and magical midwinter night, the citizens of Almost -- not organised enough for a town, too populated for a wilderness -- experience the life-altering power of the human heart.
Relationships end, begin, or change beyond recognition, as strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and lovers turn into strangers. Propelled by the mystical energy of the Aurora Borealis and populated with characters who are humorous, plain-spoken, thoughtful, and sincere, Almost, Maine is a series of loosely connected tales about love, each with a compelling couple at its centre, each with its own touch of sorcery.
Buy tickets now
The sentimental person thinks things will last — the romantic person has a desperate confidence that they won't
Where: Civic Playhouse Newcastle
Performance Dates: 15th-17th October 2020
Times: Thurs, Fri and Sat evening 7:00pm; Sat matinee at 2:00pm
Sweet Charity - Senior Musical Theatre
With unforgettable performances, Sweet Charity showcases the talents of Hunter Drama's Senior Musical Theatre Ensemble.
A tender, poignant and consistently funny look at the adventures, or rather, misadventures in the ways of love encountered by the gullible and guileless lady known as Charity Agnes Valentine, who always gives her heart, and her earnings, to the wrong man. Charity sings, dances, laughs and cries her way through romances!
Sweet Charity is a musical in every sense of the word. Cy Coleman has captured the rhythms and sounds, and Dorothy Fields the vernacular of fun, of 60's New York. Sweet Charity premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it was nominated for nine Tony Awards, with Bob Fosse Winning Best Choreography. "Hey Big Spender" will having dancing out the door and all the way home!
Buy tickets now
There's gotta be some life better than this!
Where: Civic Playhouse Newcastle
Performance Dates: 21st-24th October 2020
Times: Matinee and evening performances.
The Wizarding World Of Wowfest
Welcome to the Wizarding World of WowFest, where Hunter Drama Students will present mystic and magical performances inspired by the famous wizards from across the globe. For some it will be their first time treading the boards, for others, an exciting annual platform to test out new skills.
We are very excited that the Newcastle shows for WOWFEST 2020 will be a filmed version of the live performance shown at the VMax cinema at Event Kotara!!! Our Hunter Valley shows will continue to be staged at the Cessnock Performing Arts Centre.
As our events are COVID safe we will be required to seat ticket holders within the current social distancing guidelines.
For the cinema you will be able to book online in a group of up to 4 people. We will then be personally allocating seats for the tickets you book online together as ONE group, up to 4 people. Your seating allocation will be emailed to you on Friday 11th December by 5:00pm. Unfortunately due to the logistics of seating everyone socially distanced, changes to your seating allocaiton will not be possible.
For the Cessnock Performing Arts Centre tickets will be sold and allocated by the venue.
NEWCASTLE STUDENTS (Broadmeadow)
Cinema tickets for Newcastle shows go on sale on 3rd November at 10:00am and are available hereHUNTER VALLEY STUDENTS (Cessnock, Singleton & Maitland)
Tickets for Cessnock Performing Arts Centre go on sale on 3rd November at 10:00am and are available here.
Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them.
Where: Cessnock Performing Arts Centre and Event Cinemas Kotara
Performance Dates: December 2020
Roald Dahl's The Witches
The Witches is a children's dark fantasy by the well known British writer Roald Dahl.
The story is set partly in Norway and partly in the United Kingdom, and features the experiences of a young British boy and his Norwegian grandmother in a world where child-hating societies of witches secretly exist in every country.
The Witches are all ruled by the extremely vicious and powerful Grand High Witch, who has just arrived in England to organise her worst plot ever!
But an elderly former witch hunter and her young grandson find out about the evil plan and now they must do everything to stop it and defeat the witches.
'Children should never have baths,’ my grandmother said. ‘It's a dangerous habit.'
Where: Civic Playhouse Newcastle
Performance Dates: April 2021
Times: Matinee and evening performances daily.
AUSSIEFEST - Mid Year Festival
Twice a year, Hunter Drama students take to the stage to showcase their dramatic talents in our Festivals! For some it will be their first time treading the boards, for others, an exciting annual platform to test out new skills. Whether an old or new student, one thing is for certain, it’s sure to be an exciting and thrilling show!
Our 2021 Mid-Year Festival is completely inspired by Australian Writers, Plays and Musicals!
Even if you're little, you can do a lot.
Where: Cessnock Performing Arts Centre and Civic Playhouse Newcastle
Performance Dates: June 2021
Alice In Wonderland JR.
In Hunter Drama's 10th anniversary production of Alice In Wonderland JR. Hunter Valley students will travel down the rabbit hole and join Alice, one of literature’s most beloved heroines, in her madcap adventures. Featuring updated songs from Disney’s thrilling animated motion picture, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland JR. is a fast-paced take on the classic tale.
The ever-curious Alice’s journey begins innocently enough as she chases the White Rabbit. Her adventures become increasingly more strange as she races the Dodo Bird, gets tied up with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, raps with a bubble-blowing Caterpillar and beats the Queen of Hearts at her own game!
The cast of Disney's Alice In Wonderland JR. will also be invited to perform at the Junior Theatre Celebration in Newcastle, October 2021.
We're all mad here.
Where: Cessnock Performing Arts Centre
Performance Dates: July 9th - 11th, 2021
Times: Matinee and evening performances.
The History Boys
An unruly bunch of bright, funny senior boys in a British boarding school are, as such boys will be, in pursuit of sex, sport, and a place at a good university - generally in that order.
In all their efforts, they are helped and hindered, enlightened and bemused, by a maverick English teacher who seeks to broaden their horizons in sometimes undefined ways, and by a young history teacher who questions the methods, as well as the aim, of their schooling.
In The History Boys, Alan Bennett raises - with gentle wit and pitch-perfect command of character - not only universal questions about the nature of history and how it is taught but also questions about the purpose of education today.
One of the hardest things for boys to learn is that a teacher is human. One of the hardest things for a teacher to learn is not to try to tell them.
Where: Civic Playhouse Newcastle
Performance Dates: August 2021
Times: Matinee and evening performances.
Moana JR.
Hunter Drama are thrilled to announce that in October this year we will be staging Disney's MOANA JR.
Based on the 2016 Disney animated film, Moana tells the story of the strong-willed daughter of the chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess. When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui, a legendary demigod, in the hope of returning the heart of Te Fiti and saving her people. The musical features songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i.
Director DANIEL STODDART
Musical Director ALISON HODGE
Choreographer SOPHIE CARMODY & MADDIE BAILLIE
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for audition information coming soon.
What can we say, except...YOU'RE WELCOME!
Where: Civic Playhouse Newcastle
Performance Dates: September 2021
Times: Matinee and evening performances.