Theatre Royal launches its 2025 season

A busy schedule of unique performances has been locked in for Theatre Royal’s 2025 season. See the full list of what’s on.

Vanessa Pigrum CEO Theatre Royal with Feathers the ferret from the show Feathers by Terrapin that will form part of the Theatre Royal season for 2025. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

A busy schedule of unique performances will hit the stage at Theatre Royal next year, as organisers lock in 22 productions for the 2025 season.

The upcoming season, which was launched on Wednesday, will begin with local queer performers, Gold Satino, teaming up with Singaporean act, The Finger Players, for their performance of Feral, which will be performed at a secret location.

The theatre will also work with Ten Days on the Island to put on other Tasmanian productions, including Sirens by Van Diemen’s Band and Goldfish by Terrapin Puppet Theatre.

Between February and May there will be comedy performances by Mel Buttle, Garry Starr Performs Everything and New Zealand’s improv act A Slightly Isolated Dog with Jekyll & Hyde.

Jekyll & Hyde. 2025 Theatre Royal season launch. Picture: Andi Crown

Garry Starr Performs Everything. 2025 Theatre Royal season launch. Picture: Aaron Walker

Theatre Royal’s chief executive Vanessa Pigrum said there was something for everyone, including performances for children, through the Theatre Royal’s school holiday program.

“There’s a whole range of really solid kids and families programming,” Ms Pigrum said.

“We’ve got David Walliams' Ratburger, we’ve got the Listies’, who are rude children’s comics.

“We are bringing in Sydney Dance Company, there’ll be a circus version of Swan Lake.”

Ms Pigrum said she was most looking forward to the performance of Looking for Alibrandi, which is by Adelaide’s Brink Productions.

“Looking for Alibrandi is a personal favourite,” she said.

Looking for Alibrandi. 2025 Theatre Royal season launch. Picture: Daniel Boud

“It’s a novel and film that was really big in the 90s it’s been turned into a live theatre production.

“I’m looking forward to the Tasmanian production.”

Ms Pigrum said the number of shows announced was on par with numbers in previous years.

“We’re launching 22 productions today but throughout the year there’ll be lots of other things that come in,” she said.

“There’s so many different things. There’s beautiful music coming into the venue at the start of the year, there’s something for every taste and every budget.”

She said a lot of work went into finessing the perfect line up of productions.

“The first discussions would have happened in late 2023, there’s so many moving parts, it’s not just about picking shows,” she said.

“Picking the show is probably the first and smoothest part of the process, then it’s about the logistics.

“We spend a lot of time with local artists and companies, we go and see works of all scales, dance, circus, music.

“What we try and do is get a balance across the year. We think about who our audience is and what they want to see.’

Goldfish by Terrapin. 2025 Theatre Royal season launch. Picture: Peter Mathew

Ms Pigrum said there was a strong appetite in Hobart for theatre.

“Theatre Royal has a very loyal audience,” she said.

“It seems as though this year has been the first “normal” year since Covid. People are getting more courageous about going out, that’s taken longer than anyone anticipated.

“It was very challenging with the restrictions around how many people could be in the theatre at one time.

“The team worked incredibly hard to juggle all those moving parts for the public amid the restrictions of Covid which meant we couldn’t have full houses.”

She said there was “no exact science” to reeling in more theatre enthusiasts.

“At it’s core, it’s about listening and being aware about who the population of Hobart is responding to.’

Theatre Royal 2025 season

Feral – Gold Satino and The Finger Players

• Jan 22-25

William Basinski

• Jan 24

Mel Buttle

• Feb 8

Garry Starr Performs Everything

• Feb 14-15

The Necks

• Feb 28

Sirens – Van Diemen’s Band and Ten Days on the Island

• Mar 23

Goldfish – Terrapin in association with Aichi Prefectural Art Theater and Ten Days on the Island

• Mar 27-29

Come From Away – The Show Company Tasmania

• Apr 2-12

Wilds – Rooke

• Apr 3-5

Ratburger – CDP

• Apr 28 – 29

Finding the Boy Beyond the Rainbow

• May 2-3

Uni Revue 2025: (DIM)WITTED – Old Nick Company

• May 8 – 24

Jekyll & Hyde – A Slightly Isolated Dog

• May 13 – 14

Beauty and the Beast – Victorian State Ballet

• Jun 21 – 22

110% Ready – The Listies

• Jul 10 – 11

momenta – Sydney Dance Company

• Jul 18 – 19

Looking for Alibrandi – Brink Productions

• Aug 27 – 29

INFLUENCER – Tasdance (Assembly 197)

• Sep 12 – 13

Duck Pond – Circa

• Sep 25 – 17

The Adventures of Peacock, Chicken and the Pony they Rode Upon – Second Echo Ensemble and Midnight Feast

• Sep 26 – 30

Feathers – Terrapin

• Oct 2 – 4

Romeo & Juliet – Bell Shakespeare

• Oct 30 – Nov 1