Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This concept has been adapted by many theatre companies, and over time, this name has expanded to encompass outdoor theatre productions of the playwright's works performed all over the world.
Shakespeare in the Park started as an idea to make theatre available to people of all walks of life, so that it would be as readily available as library books. The performances are often offered with free admission to the general public, usually presented outdoors as a summer event. These types of performances can be seen by audiences around the world, with most festivals adapting the name for their productions, such as Vancouver's Bard on the Beach. Many festivals incorporate workshops, food, and other additions to the performances making this type of theatre experience an interactive community event.
Asia
Singapore The Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) currently organises annual Shakespeare in the Park performances at Fort Canning Park as Singapore's largest outdoor theatre show. It began with a staging of Hamlet in 1997 and faced several challenges across the years due to the company's lack of funding and grappling with Singapore's wet and tropical climate. The productions often focuses on retellings that introduce Shakespeare to the modern audience and emphasises audience engagement, with unique themes for each production. The event draws a nightly audience of 1,500 and around 30,000 for every production as of 2015, with a S$2 million production cost as of the 2023 production. The temporary stage at Fort Canning Park is arranged such that there are "Premium Picnic", "Picnic" and "Pavilion" seating categories. Each production provides Access Shows with Closed Caption and Audio Described performances. As of 2025, a Creative Captions performance was also designed to cater to patrons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Australia
One of the earliest recorded instances of an outdoors performance of Shakespeare in Australia occurred in December 1933 when the Perth Repertory Club staged The Merry Wives of Windsor in a corner of the Perth Supreme Court gardens, although this was a fairly unusual event. By the 1980s, the number of outdoor performances in Australia was increasing. Alan Edwards produced performances in Brisbane's Albert Park in 1979; David MacSwan launched Sydney's Shakespeare by the Sea in 1987 and Glenn Elston did likewise with Shakespeare Under the Stars in Melbourne in 1988.
Australian Shakespeare Company (Melbourne) The Australian Shakespeare Company (ASC) was co-founded in 1982 by British actor and director Neale Warrington with a number of other actors. It rose to greater prominence in 1987 with Shakespeare Under the Stars, a program through which Glenn Elston pioneered outdoor theatre performances of William Shakespeare's plays in Australia. Elston become the artistic director of the company in 1988, and remains in that position . The company has performed for more than a million people across all the different regions of Australia. They make it a mission to draw audiences of all age groups to their shows. The ASC also co-hosts the Walking with Spirits Indigenous culture festival in Wugularr, Northern Territory.
Shakespeare by the Lakes (Canberra)
Shakespeare by the Lakes is a summer festival of free Shakespeare plays, produced by theatre company Lakespeare & Co. (established by Founder and Executive Producer Taimus Werner-Gibbings and collaborators Duncan Driver, Lexi Sekuless and Paul Leverenz), and attracting over 5,000 patrons to ACT public parks.
Shakespeare in the Park Festival at Toowoomba Originally presented in Toowoomba's Queen's Park (2004–2011), this festival moved in 2012 to the University of Southern Queensland's Toowoomba campus where the casts included Creative Arts students from the University of Southern Queenslandisntmedia Australia. (2010). Shakespeare in the park festival – Toowoomba. Retrieved from http://www.about-australia.com/events/queensland/toowoomba-golden-west/events/festival/shakespeare-in-the-park-festival-toowoomba/ Look at WA Perth online portal-King's Park. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.about-australia.com/events/queensland/toowoomba-golden-west/events/festival/shakespeare-in-the-park-festival-toowoomba/ . Presentations include The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Comedy of Errors, Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The final performance was given in 2018.
Zootango, Directions & Theatre Royal Performances in the Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (Hobart, Tasmania) In 1980, the Round Earth Theatre Company (which had been founded in Western Australia in 1972) relocated to Hobart, Tasmania where it began staging performances in the Salamanca Arts Centre, initially focused on Australian stories. In 1987, with the backing of public funding through the Australia Council and Arts Tasmania, Round Earth established a professional programme under the name Zootango Theatre Company, and from 1992 to 1996 they put on annual summer performances of Shakespeare in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, however the withdrawal of public funding in 1997 forced Zootango to cease operating.
The highly memorable performances were usually held on balmy January summer evenings surrounded by beautiful garden settings, and included A Midsummer Night's Dream (1992, 1995), As You Like It (1993), The Comedy of Errors (1994), and Twelfth Night (1996). Although Zootango was wound up, in 2001 they were succeeded by the Directions Theatre Company who put on a production of The Merry Wives of Windsor in that year as part of the Hobart Summer Festival, and subsequently revisited Shakespeare plays several times across the following 15 years.
In more recent years, Hobart's Theatre Royal Company has run a "Shakespeare in the Gardens" annual performance in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, featuring Much Ado About Nothing in 2026.
Shakespeare Under the Stars (Townsville) The Annual Shakespeare Under the Stars in North Queensland first began in 1992, spearheaded by world renowned theatrical director Jean-Pierre Voos. The event has been held in various locations over the years but has found a home in the Queens Gardens, Townsville since 2004. The event is currently produced by local independent theatre company, TheatreiNQ and has been directed by Terri Brabon OAM since 2008.
Shakespeare WA (Perth) Western Australia also holds a large Shakespeare in the Park festival in Perth at King's Park Botanical Gardens. The plays for this festival are set to be performed by the same company (Shakespeare WA) through 2014. This festival is usually held from mid January to mid February, and is the largest single theatre event in Western Australia.
Canada
A Company of Fools (Ottawa) In 1990, Margo MacDonald and Heather Jopling, rooted in the belief that Shakespeare should be seen and not read, recruited almost a dozen young performers and took to the streets. They derived inspiration from the rogue Elizabethan players that once entertained audiences outdoors at the Globe theatre, named themselves A Company of Fools, and began performing for crowds on the streets of Ottawa. In 1998 the Fools began performing in Ottawa City Parks with college shows, and in 2002 the Fools launched the Torchlight Shakespeare series. Besides mounting an average of two productions a year, the Fools hold three annual events (Twelfth Night Celebration, Valentine's Day Sonnet Delivery, and the Ottawa Theatre Challenge) and are active in the Ottawa community.The Olde history, as we know it. (2010). Retrieved from http://fools.ca/history
Freewill Shakespeare Festival (Edmonton) The Freewill Shakespeare Festival, formerly known as the River City Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1989. It is produced by the Edmonton, Alberta-based "Free Will Players" every summer from late June to mid July. The Festival includes full-scale professional productions of two plays by William Shakespeare, as well as Camp ShakespeareShakespeare festival announces lineup, new name
Repercussion Theatre (Montreal) Repercussion Theatre has been touring parks throughout Montreal for over 30 years, bringing the classics to people where they live, for free (with donations graciously accepted). They are experienced in providing Shakespeare in the Park across the city, entertaining people who may otherwise not be exposed to live theatre. Repercussion Theatre was founded in 1988, when they played four shows in front of 800 people in Westmount and Beaconsfield, Qc. Now, they perform to over 10,000 people each summer across the island of Montreal and beyond – with a commitment to cultural diversity, gender equity, and infusing Shakespeare's plays with a decidedly Montreal flair. They are the only company in Montreal to consistently produce a Shakespeare production each year. The company's first artistic director was Cas Anvar (followed by Kevin Orr, Paul Hopkins and Amanda Kellock) and the current artistic director is Catherine Savoie.
Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan
Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan was founded in 1985 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The plays are staged in tents with a seating capacity of approximately 275 on the banks of the Saskatchewan River, and take place from early July to mid-August. The festival traditionally offers two main stage performances and occasionally produces a third offering. The festival sees over 12,000 patrons each year.
Shakespeare By The Sea (Halifax) Shakespeare By The Sea (Halifax) is a festival that has been operated in Halifax, Nova Scotia by the Shakespeare by the Sea Theatre Society (SBTS) since 1994. It usually performs in Point Pleasant Park and is regarded as an important part of the cultural scene in Halifax.
Shakespeare by the Sea Festival (St. John's) Shakespeare by the Sea (St John's) is a festival operated by Shakespeare by the Sea Festival Inc., a community-based organization that produces and promotes artistic works with a focus on William Shakespeare. It unites seasoned and developing talent and aspires to excel in all aspects. The festival is the longest-running outdoor summer theatre event in the St. John's area. Since 1993, the Shakespeare by the Sea Festival has been performing the works of the famous Bard all around the St. John's area – from the cliff-top meadows of Logy Bay to the historic World War II bunkers at Cape Spear – from the cobblestoned courtyard of the Murray Premises to the lush landscapes of Bowring Park. Since that time, the Festival has grown into a much-anticipated annual event.Shakespeare By The Sea Festival. St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. (2009). Shakespeare by the sea festival St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. Retrieved from http://sbts.info/aboutus.aspx
Shakespeare In The Ruff (Toronto) Shakespeare In The Ruff was born from the ashes from the previous company Shakespeare In The Rough which performed in Toronto's East End neighbourhood of Riverdale between 1994 and 2006. The new company launched in 2012 focuses on creating unique contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare's work and providing opportunities for emerging artists. As part of the company's community work, they run a youth apprenticeship program called the Young Ruffians which pairs up high school students with a member of the professional company for the duration of rehearsals and performances. Globe and Mail (2012, August 18). In an east-end Toronto park, the Bard rides again. Retrieved from
Shakespeare in the Ruins (Winnipeg)