The Old Nick Company

Friends of Old Nick is here ❤️🏅 Whether you found your way to the Old Nick Company through the Uni Revue, the Hobart Theatre Summer School, or one of our many productions, projects and programs over the years, we’d love to welcome you on board as a foundational Friend of Old Nick. For just $20, your once-off membership supports one of Tasmania’s longest-running theatre companies as we head towards our 80th year — and unlocks a stack of perks through until the end of Season 2027, including: • Priority access to tickets through exclusive Friends pre-sales • Discounted tickets to Old Nick shows • 10% off merchandise and programmes • Official Old Nick Company membership • Reciprocal member pricing for Hobart Repertory Theatre Society shows • Access to special events and offers along the way From Revue #80 to the Hobart Theatre Summer School, cabarets, plays, carols and more, there’s plenty still to come — and we’d love to share it with you. Link to join is in our bio 🔗 Join today and help keep the curtain rising for the next generation of Tasmanian theatre 🎭

“One of the titans of Australian culture.” – NIDA We were deeply moved to hear Ella Haddad reflect on the extraordinary legacy of John Clarke AM, a man whose impact on Australian theatre cannot be overstated. From shaping generations of performers through NIDA to championing bold, ambitious theatre right here in Tasmania, John’s influence lives on in countless artists, productions and audiences. For the Old Nick Company, John was more than a towering figure of Australian culture – he was family. A passionate believer in the power of theatre, a fierce advocate for this company, and a director who helped prove that world-class work could be made right here in Hobart. We are so grateful to Ella for helping honour a man whose legacy will continue to echo through Tasmanian theatre for generations to come. @ellahaddadmp @nidacommunity @abcnews_au @sydneytheatreco

Opening this Friday night! Politics, parody, and a whole lot of pizzazz — the Uni Revue is back for 2026! The Old Nick Company Uni Revue 2026: Rockliffman 8 - 23 May Book now via the Theatre Royal website.

This weekend, our Hobart Theatre Summer School producer Bianca Paine volunteered at Feel the Magic’s second-ever Family Day Camp right here in Hobart 💙✨ Feel the Magic is an Australian charity supporting children and families who are grieving the loss of a parent, sibling or guardian. Their programs create safe, supportive spaces for young people to process grief, build resilience, and feel less alone. Family Day Camps are one-day grief education programs that bring families together to learn practical tools, share experiences, and connect with others navigating similar journeys – all through a mix of guided sessions and hands-on activities. It’s powerful, important work, and we’re so proud to see members of our community getting involved. Feel the Magic is growing its volunteer base here in Tasmania. If you’re keen to be part of something meaningful, you can learn more and apply here: .au/volunteer 💫

Big milestone ticked off last night at Old Nick HQ – with our final (formal) Writers Meeting for ROCKLIFFMAN: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Tasmania's Biggest Rock'N'Roll Stadium Spectacular 📝 Did you know the Uni Revue is written entirely from scratch each year? It’s a wildly collaborative process, with original material from some seriously sharp comedic minds… and we reckon this year might be some of their best work yet. Of course, it wouldn’t be Revue without a bit of chaos – scripts will keep evolving right up to (and even during) the season, as we react to whatever’s happening locally and globally. Always on our toes 😅 Book your tickets to ROCKLIFFMAN and see what they’ve cooked up 👀 Pictured here are just some of our brilliant writers for 2026 (L–R): Nat, Aimee, Ernie, Pyrate, Kristy, Frank, and our Head of Writing, Owen ⭐ ⭐ Uni Revue 2026: ROCKLIFFMAN ⭐ 🗓️ 7 May – 6 June, 2026 📍Theatre Royal, HOBART from 7-23 May 📍Albert Hall, LAUNCESTON from 28-30 May 📍Paranaple Theatre, DEVONPORT from 4-6 June 🔗 .au/rockliffman 🏟️ The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Tasmania's Biggest Rock'n'Roll Stadium Spectacular 🤘

Old Nick HQ is looking very schmick with our new Uni Revue posters up! Four weeks to go until ROCKLIFFMAN hits the Theatre Royal stage, launching a statewide tour that’s heading back to the North-West coast for the first time since 1958 🚚💨 ⭐ Uni Revue 2026: ROCKLIFFMAN ⭐ 🗓️ 7 May – 6 June, 2026 📍Theatre Royal, HOBART from 7-23 May 📍Albert Hall, LAUNCESTON from 28-30 May 📍Paranaple Arts Centre, DEVONPORT from 4-6 June 🔗 .au/rockliffman 🏟️ The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Tasmania’s Biggest Rock’n’Roll Stadium Spectacular 🤘

Vale John Clark AM (1930–2026) A giant of theatre, and one of our own, has departed. The Old Nick Company mourns the passing of John Clark AM, a Life Member whose connection to this company began at the University of Tasmania and remained strong across a lifetime of extraordinary achievement. As a student, John immersed himself in theatre with Old Nick, laying the foundations for a career that would go on to shape the industry on a global scale. In 2008, he returned home to direct a sell-out production of Hamlet for our 60th anniversary, a moment that remains a point of pride in our history. On that same occasion, he declared, with passion and conviction, the role Old Nick could play in sustaining theatre in Tasmania, a sentiment that still resonates today. While his work at NIDA helped train generations of performers and creatives who would go on to define stage and screen, John never lost sight of his beginnings. He remained deeply connected to Hobart, to Old Nick, and to the importance of creating bold, ambitious theatre here at home. The boy from Hobart who changed the world. We express our deep sadness at his passing, and our enduring gratitude for a Life Member who carried Old Nick with him onto the world stage, and brought that world back to us. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and all who were fortunate to learn from, work with, and be inspired by him. 🎞️ John reflecting on the first 10 years of @theunirevue : https://youtu.be/NRRUhS0N3ic 📰 Read more: https://www.nida.edu.au/news/vale-john-clark-am/

Old Nick showed up 💛 Thank you to everyone who came down to Relay for Life, put in some laps and kept our very legitimate, definitely-not-a-potato baton moving across the day. It was genuinely so nice to see faces from Uni Revue, Summer School and the wider Old Nick world all in one place 🥰 Shout out to Jessica, Mark, David, Chloe, Leigh, Pippa, Evan, Kristy, Ash, Nat and Jade, with Team Captain Bianca doing a semi-successful job steering the ship, and our honorary Junior Old Nickers Isla, Remy, Louie, Scarlett, Mackenzie and Harriet bringing the energy. As a team we’ve raised $917 for the fight against cancer. Not bad for a bunch of theatre people on an oval 💰 Thanks for being part of it, and let's save the date for Relay for Life 2027... Exact date TBA 😉

Vale Simon J. H. Hirst Old Nick Company Life Member 16 November 1945 – 5 March 2026 The Old Nick Company acknowledges with great sadness the passing of our Life Member, Simon Hirst. While many of our current members may not have had the opportunity to know Simon personally, his impact on Old Nick and Tasmania’s theatre community is undeniable. Simon’s involvement with Old Nick spanned decades, beginning with SIN-TIL-EIGHT in 1963 and included contributions to 14 revues, with notable contributions to revue as director for The Shocking Hydro Show (1981) and Cane Toad Dundee (1987). Beyond revues, Simon directed a wide range of productions including Aladdin, Salad Days, Savages and Equus, and played a key role in taking Old Nick productions to festivals around the country, where they achieved significant success. He also served the company as Secretary and was a constant presence both on and off stage. Simon’s passion for theatre and dedication to developing young performers has left a lasting legacy that continues to shape our community today. Vale Simon J. H. Hirst, a man who made contributing to others his life’s work.

The legendary Ivan Aristeguieta is returning to our island state for the Hobart Festival of Comedy… and he’s tossed us a DOUBLE PASS to give away. Which means one of you is heading to READY TO MAMBO on Saturday 21 March 💃 To enter: 👉 Follow @oldnickco and @ivancomedy 👉 Tag the friend you’d take to the show Competition closes midnight 18 March, with the winner to be announced via our Story on Thursday 19 March. 🚨 Heads up: beware of fake/scam accounts. We will never send links or ask for payment details. @hobartfestivalofcomedy

Our beautiful Helen wasn’t able to accept her award in Burnie, but we’re very happy to report it has now made the trip south into her very deserving hands 🏆 Pictured here are our two Tasmanian Theatre Award recipients for Season 2025 – choreographer Bonnie Cashion and costume designer Helen Cronin – recognised for their brilliant work on the Old Nick Hobart Theatre Summer School production of ANYTHING GOES 🛟🌊 @bonniealexandra18 @helscronin

What a fabulous evening at the Tasmanian Theatre Awards at the stunning Burnie Arts Centre on Saturday ✨ Congratulations to Helen Cronin and Bonnie Cashion, awarded Best Costume Design and Best Choreography respectively in the Musical Theatre category for their work on our 2025 Hobart Theatre Summer School production of ANYTHING GOES. It was wonderful to see such a mix of individuals and collaborative teams recognised for exceptional work across the past year. Thank you to the Treenoner Dance Mob for a powerful Welcome to Country, and to the Theatre Council of Tasmania for hosting such a lovely evening celebrating a beautiful venue, fantastic local produce and the North West of our state. Congratulations to all the winners, nominees and the many artists who continue to create wonderful theatre for our communities 🥂 @theatrecounciltas