AMONG the leafy grounds of a city park, Love Island meets Wes Anderson in a Newcastle adaptation of a Shakespearean classic.
A towering fig tree stretches over the outdoor stage as Whale Chorus actors rehearse their upcoming production of Twelfth Night.
The third year of Shakespeare Under the Stars, the performance will run from November 27 to December 8 at Pacific Park in Newcastle East.
Playing Feste the Fool, Pippa Thoroughgood has been an actor since she was eight years old, and this play was one of her favourites.
"I love how complex it is and the way it discusses grief and love, and unrequited love," she said.
She saw last year's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and was drawn into the "magical" experience.
"I like how playful it is, to be with this group of people, we love each other so much," she said.
The comedic classic opens with twins torn apart in a shipwreck and forced to fend for themselves as mistaken identity, love triangles, and role reversals emerge.
Janie Gibson founded Whale Chorus upon her return to her hometown in 2020. The name draws from migrating whales travelling up the east coast of Australia, as their work mostly focuses on the ensemble.
"Our mission is to have a thriving culture of live theatre for our community and support local actors to have work, career pathways and training," Ms Gibson said.
With most storytelling playing out on our screens at home, Ms Gibson said there was nothing else like sitting with a community and experiencing live art together.
"It is never the same every night. As an audience, you laugh together or you cry together," she said.
Their take on Twelfth Night zeros in on the coastal island-type backdrop where people love to party and wear eye-catching clothes.
Ms Gibson describes the aesthetic as a bit like White Lotus or Love Island meets Wes Anderson.
Live, original music from local sound designer Huw Jones would be sprinkled throughout the performance, with some actors strumming instruments and singing. Setting an English classic in the grass was a strategic choice to ensure everyone felt welcome, Ms Gibson said.
"We really love the atmosphere and the community feeling of working in a non-traditional space," she said.
She said last year's production drew around a thousand people over the one-week season, and tickets sold out a few weeks before opening night. "There's a need in Newcastle for locally grown professional theatre, and people will come out and see it," she said.
As the love-struck Countess Olivia, Madison Chippendale said Shakespeare had been one of her long-term loves.
"We are really finding something in the text I hadn't found before," she said.
"You can crack out the plastic wine glasses and you can just enjoy this beautiful world we have created."
For Samuel Jenkins, the actor who plays vibe-killer Malvolio and twin Sebastian, the play is a perfect combination of comedy and tragedy.
"It is such a beautiful exploration of emotions and passion and love," he said.
