News

Group Audition Workshop - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

To express your interest in the show and to register for the group workshop, please email your headshot & CV (please include your vocal range) to: freeraintheatre@gmail.com

Before Canberra had a cinema or concert hall (or boxing ring), there was this

BY JAMES COLEMAN. This article was originally published on 14 Feb 2026 in Region.com.au Causeway Hall opened in 1926. Chances are, you’ve never heard of it – tucked away as it is near the Kingston Railway Station. But 100 years ago, the Causeway Hall was where it all happened for Canberra. Working by day to […]

If these walls could talk

BY GEORGIA CURRY, This article was originally posted in the Canberra Daily on 25 Feb 2026 There’s a saying about historic buildings, “if these walls could talk”, and by golly the 100-year-old hall at The Causeway has some ripper yarns. A century ago, Canberra’s in the midst of prohibition (thanks to teetotaller politician King O’Malley) […]

Get involved - Spring into Action in 2026

We couldn’t do this without you. If you love ACT Hub productions, we’d love for you to be part of our story. ACT Hub is a welcoming, inclusive, independent theatre collective where everyone is valued and appreciated. We’re always happy to hear from people who would like to contribute to ACT Hub and maybe even […]

Auditions - Every Lovely Terrible Thing

Audition applications are now open -19 – 20 Jan, with callbacks held on 22 January

Reviews - Equus

“Masterful, inventive, imaginative production …Jack Shanahan is riveting, offering a brave performance that requires him to perform naked for much of the second act…Arran McKenna shines in the demanding role of the psychiatrist, Martin Dysart…Sam Thomson… displays remarkable presence in the non-verbal role of the horse, Nugget, and his stablemates… it is the spectre of […]

Horse power: Free-Rain unbridles Shaffer's Equus

By NICHOLAS FULLER.This article was originally published in the Canberra Daily website and Canberra Weekly magazine on 11 November 2025. Half a century ago, Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play Equus “shocked audiences everywhere”, to quote the tagline for Sidney Lumet’s film adaptation. It remains one of the most shocking works in modern theatre, one that “engages, provokes, and repulses”, says […]

Taking the reins of troubled Alan's 'why-dunnit'

By HELEN MUSA. This article originally appeared in Canberra City News on 12 November. English actor Richard Griffiths once famously said of Peter Shaffer’s Equus: “It’s not a whodunnit. It’s a why-dunnit”. That’s because, right from the outset, we know that a troubled boy, Alan Strang, has committed a horrendous act of violence against six horses […]

Reviews - Lend Me A Tenor

Below are reviews of our September 2025 production of Lend Me A Tenor “Under Clelland’s direction her accomplished cast captures the correct mood, creating well-rounded characterisations without losing the essential silliness necessary to engage the audience with the farcical situations. With this delightfully entertaining production of “Lend Me A Tenor” Free Rain Theatre have produced a winner. […]

Chaos, comedy and charm: Free-Rain Theatre's Lend Me A Tenor

This article by Vincent Samaras was first published by Canberra Daily on 1 Sept 2025. Free-Rain Theatre is bringing a dose of glamour, chaos and laughter to the stage with Lend Me a Tenor, Ken Ludwig’s beloved fast-paced farce. Directed by Cate Clelland, the production will run at ACT Hub in Causeway Hall, Kingston, from 17–27 September. Set […]

Laugh out loud for Lend Me A Tenor

This article by Helen Musa was first published in the Canberra CityNews on 15 Sept 2025. They’re saying the coming side-splitting comedy, Lend Me a Tenor, is the perfect antidote to Canberra’s winter chills, and they could be right. Set in the fictional Cleveland Grand Opera (actually Cleveland Ohio does have an opera company, but not a […]

Reviews - The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Compelling, memorable, impressive, excellent timing, impactful, strong, skilfully executed, focussed, satisfying, tight, hard-hitting, engaging, well-acted, highly commendable, notable, excellent production.

Reviews - ... Cocaine...

THE REVIEWS ARE IN!
Audiences have been loving ‘C_____ne’ and we won’t be banned for it!

Supplementary Auditions - Lend Me a Tenor

Free-Rain Theatre Company are holding supplementary auditions for ‘Lend Me a Tenor’, on stage from 17 – 27 Sept. Extra auditions on Sat 7 June.
We are auditioning specifically for the roles of:
– Maggie (20s)
– Tito (famous tenor 35-45)
– Diana (sexy soprano 30-40)

Casting call for open roles in 2 Free-Rain shows

Free-Rain Theatre Company have announced the very talented casts for their three shows on at ACT Hub in 2025. Excitingly, there are still a few roles yet to be cast, so if you’re keen to tread the boards with the amazing talent already cast, we’d love you to send your expression of interest (EOI) to […]

Cast announcement - Equus

Equus by Peter Shaffer is an electric play about passion and worship. Equus is very confronting and sets out to shock, excite and captivate its audience. It is an exploration of the human condition with its confusions, paradoxes and unanswerable questions, blending the naturalistic with the surreal. Free-Rain Theatre Company are thrilled to announce the […]

Cast announcement - Lend Me a Tenor

Lend Me a Tenor is a classic farce with the usual menu of silly situations, mistaken identities, mistakes, mishaps, miscommunication, misperception, misconception… It is a delicious piece of nonsense that charges at full speed towards resolution. Free-Rain Theatre Company are delighted to announce the marvelous members of our cast for this fabulous frivolity. CAST: For […]

Cast announcement - The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Living an isolated rural life in Connemara, west Ireland, Maureen’s one chance at a romantic relationship is thwarted by the spiteful machinations of her mother, Mag. The Beauty Queen of Leenane examines the despair, spite and malevolence of people living hopeless lives, presented in a way that is funny, sad, violent, and ultimately riveting. Free-Rain are delighted […]

Reviews - The House of Bernarda Alba

Vickery has created a heated and very concentrated distillation of entrapment and contained humanity. Chaika Theatre’s production emphasises the binding of those caught inside this barred up house. We see why they can’t just run away. The ensemble playing of the cast ensures the ritualising of the interpersonal constrictions enforcing imposed confinement. From the small […]

Free-Rain Theatre Company - Callbacks, Videos & EOIs for ACT Hub Season 2025

Callbacks for Beauty Queen and Lend Me a Tenor will be held on Saturday 18th January at Cook. New auditionees are asked to send an EOI. For Equus, new auditionees are asked to send an EOI.

Winners at the 2024 Canberra Critics Circle Awards

On Tuesday 12 November members of the ACT Hub collective were delighted to attend the 2024 Canberra Critics Circle Awards, and thrilled to be recognised for outstanding work in such a breadth and depth of areas. * Joel Horwood 2 awards– The Helen Tsongas Award for Excellence in Acting was presented by Canberra Theatre director […]

Auditions - Chaika Theatre's 2025 Season

Chaika is thrilled to announce auditions for one of their upcoming 2025 productions! While we can’t yet reveal the show (you’ll have to come along to the Season Launch on Thursday 21 November for that ), Chaika are excited to be staging their first ever Shakespeare next year in July/August under the helm of an […]

Auditions - Open Casting Call for Free-Rain's 2025 Season at ACT Hub

Free-Rain Theatre Company will be staging 3 (three) productions at ACT Hub in 2025. We have two dramas and one comedy to cast. Together with the two other companies in the ACT Hub collective, there will be 10 plays staged at ACT Hub in 2025. Date, Time & Location Free-Rain Theatre Company will be holding […]

Reviews - August Osage County

Feeling like it summarises all the great American plays into one outsized epic,… this is a play that contains multitudes. This is an epic and powerful production. Karen Vickery as the matriarch is the mother from hell, and seizes the opportunity to ride a role that allows her to play everything from pathetic incoherence in […]

Reviews - Every Brilliant Thing

Jarred West is outstanding as the Narrator. Whether looking back to his time as a seven year old, to his teenage years and then on to his adult life, he is completely convincing. Joel Horwood’s direction is tight, busy and imaginative, giving West the opportunity to bring depth, both verbally and non-verbally, to his role […]

Reviews - Mary Stuart

Reviews of Chaika’s production of Mary Stuart at ACT Hub in Canberra PR for Chaika’s production of Mary Stuart at ACT Hub in Canberra Quotes from the reviewers Steph Roberts (Mary Stuart) and Karen Vickery (Elizabeth) provided strong pivotal performances… an opportunity to experience something of the very essence of power play and how it […]

Audition - Tick, Tick... Boom!

This December ACT Hub presents Tick, Tick… Boom! and we are holding video auditions for the lead role. Send in your submission before 9 August.

Cast announcement - August: Osage County

Free-Rain Theatre Company is delighted to announce the full cast for our upcoming production of August: Osage County, to be staged at ACT Hub from 5 – 15 September 2024. Beverly Weston – David H. BennettViolet Weston – Karen VickeryBarbara Fordham – Louise BennetBill Fordham – Bruce HardieJean Fordham – Ella BuckleyIvy Weston – Crystal […]

Reviews - A Streetcar Named Desire

Triumphant production of a searing classicby Alanna Maclean, Canberra City News, 20 June 2024 Tennessee Williams is not for the faint of heart. Free-Rain do a fine job with this searing classic. Amy Kowalczuk as Blanche and Meaghan Stewart as her sister Stella are one of the best matched set of Streetcar sisters that you […]

Cast announcement - A Streetcar Named Desire

Following their acclaimed production of Speaking in Tongues in 2023, Free-Rain Theatre Company returns in 2024 with one of the most influential plays of the twentieth century, with Amy Kowalczuk as Blanche DuBois, Alex Hoskison as Stanley Kowalski, and Meaghan Stewart as Stella Kowalski.

Reviews - Seagull

Read about Chaika’s namesake play, Seagull, and the wonderful things written about this new translation and adaptation by Karen Vickery.

Reviews - The Importance of Being Earnest

Reviews from our 2022 production, and Dec 2023 revival, in anticipation of our 1 night only show on 2 March 2023.

Winners at The Ovations in 2023

ACT Hub were delighted to have the three companies in our collective, and the individual performers and creatives, celebrated and acknowledged at The Ovations Awards on 2 Feb 2024

Reviews - Queers

Read the lovely things reviewers have said about our beautiful show.

Reviews - The inaugural Canberra Cabaret Festival

Hear about how our very first Canberra Cabaret Festival went – hint … AMAZINGLY WELL!

Reviews - Speaking In Tongues

Here is a collection of the news and reviews of this exquisite production of a very entertaining and ingenious play.

Welcome to our new website

As we launch our Season 2024, we decided such an awesome season of quality theatre deserves an equally awesome new website – and here it is.

Karen Vickery wins award for excellence in acting

A powerful actor-director who gave up her day job to get behind a new theatrical enterprise in Canberra was presented with the 2022 Helen Tsongas Award for excellence in acting.