Civic Theatre set to come alive with new season

A lively mix of theatre, dance, music and comedy will see the Civic Theatre shrug off its disrupted 2020 season with a vibrant new schedule of shows for the year ahead.

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Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the launch of the 2021 subscription season came just days after the NSW Government rolled back more of its COVID-19 restrictions, allowing indoor venues to increase numbers of seated patrons to 75 per cent of capacity.

“It’s an opportune time for Novocastrians to get out of the house and back into the theatre to experience the exhilaration of hearing live music or the emotional journey of live theatre in person, and to share those experiences with friends or family in a COVID Safe way,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Few industries were hit harder by the economic impact of COVID-19 than the performing arts, with live performances among the first to shut down and the last to have audience restrictions eased.

“City of Newcastle adopted a highly proactive response to help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the creative and performing arts, introducing a wide range of programs and grants to support the sectors, while also continuing to plan for our inaugural flagship arts festival, New Annual, which will be held February 12-21, 2021.

“The Civic Theatre subscription season will provide another crucial boost to the embattled sector, while also delighting theatregoers with what is a perennial highlight on the arts calendar.

“I congratulate the Civic Theatre team for curating such a strong program for 2021 and encourage Novocastrians to consider taking advantage of the subscription options, which are a great way to plan a string of social occasions while making savings on the cost of a night out.”

While COVID-19 forced the suspension of most of the 2020 subscription season, Civic Theatre Manager Leonie Wallace said the new schedule provided an opportunity to reprogram many of the highlights from this year alongside some new gems for 2021.

“The season is designed to appeal to a wide range of tastes, including musicals, dramas, children’s shows, and this year features presentations from Opera Australia with Bizet’s Carmen and Sydney Dance Company’s Impermanence,” Ms Wallace said.

“It will also include standout favourites like The Wharf Revue, The Gospel According to Paul and both the Melbourne and Sydney comedy festivals, while local productions, Awkward by Catapult Dance and Do Your Parents Know You’re Straight? from Bearfoot Theatre will feature in February as part of New Annual, presented by City of Newcastle.”

The 2021 Civic Theatre Subscription Season goes on sale to the general public on Friday 18 December, following a special presale for current subscribers, which launched today.

The Civic Theatre 2021 Subscription Season brochure can be viewed at https://www.civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/season-2021.

Picture caption: Highlight of the new Civic Theatre season include Opera Australia’s performance of Bizet’s Carmen (photo credit: Georges Antoni)