Shakespeare by the Sea is a summer outdoor event held at Balmoral Beach in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

's northern suburbs, using a band rotunda

Rotunda at Balmoral Beach, Sydney

The Rotunda is located in Hunter Park at Balmoral Beach, Sydney. It was built in 1930 as part of the beach improvement program undertaken by Mosman Council. Overlooking the bay and close to Rocky Point Island, it is set in a very picturesque area. After its completion it was a very popular venue...

 as a backdrop.

Started in 1987 by David MacSwan, 2006 marked Shakespeare by the Sea's 20th anniversary.
Although there are other theatre events in the world known as Shakespeare by the Sea, this event is probably the longest running event of this name in the world as it predates Shakespeare by the Sea, Halifax

Shakespeare by the Sea, Halifax

Shakespeare by the Sea is a professional theatre company and registered society in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Founded in 1994, it specialises in performing the works of William Shakespeare...

, which was founded in 1994. Shakespeare by the Sea is supported by donations from the audience at the end of each show. Each summer, from January to early March, two plays are performed in repertory.

Shakespeare by the Sea has performed many of the works in Shakespeare's

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...

 canon including, Henry IV (parts 1

Henry IV, Part 1

Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...

 and 2

Henry IV, Part 2

Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...

), Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...

, King Lear

King Lear

King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...

, The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...

, The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1590 or 1591. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as his first tentative steps in laying out some of the themes and tropes with which he would later deal in more...

, The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life...

, The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors is one of only two of Shakespeare's...

, Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....

, Macbeth

Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...

, Othello

Othello

The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...

, and Hamlet

Hamlet

The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...

. In 2005 Shakespeare by the Sea presented The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...

, with The Tamer Tamed by John Fletcher

John Fletcher (playwright)

John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivalled Shakespeare's...

.

Actors who have performed in Shakespeare by the Sea productions include Gregor Jordan

Gregor Jordan

Gregor Jordan is an Australian film director.Jordan's films include Two Hands , Buffalo Soldiers , and Ned Kelly . He has also directed the concert video These Days: Live in Concert by Australian rock band Powderfinger.His film Two Hands won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Direction...

, who played Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...

 and who later directed the films Two Hands

Two Hands

Two Hands is a 1999 Australian crime film, written and directed by Gregor Jordan. The film stars Heath Ledger as Jimmy, a young man in debt to Pando, a local gangster, played by Bryan Brown and also stars Mariel McClorey, Evan Sheaves, Susie Porter, and Rose Byrne. It won the Australian Film...

(1999), Buffalo Soldiers

Buffalo Soldiers (2001 film)

Buffalo Soldiers is a 2001 film, based on the 1993 novel by Robert O'Connor, which follows the rogue activities of a group of US soldiers based in West Germany during 1989 when the fall of the Berlin Wall is imminent...

(2001), and Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly (2003 film)

Ned Kelly is an Australian drama film directed by Gregor Jordan. The film portrays the life of Ned Kelly — a legendary bushranger in northeast Victoria. Ned Kelly, his brother Dan, and two other men — Steve Hart and Joe Byrne — formed a gang of Irish Australians in response to Irish and...

(2003). Joe Clements

Joe Clements

Joseph "Joe" Clements aka Jose Element is an Australian actor who played Senior Sergeant Allan Steiger in the television soap opera, Neighbours, during 2004–2007.-Biography:...

 who played Senior Sergeant Allan Steiger in the television soap opera, Neighbours

Neighbours

Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...

, during 2004–2007 was in the 2010 productions of Shakespeare by the Sea.

David MacSwan died suddenly on 14 January 2011 at his Mosman home, aged 51.

Shakespeare by the Sea (Australia) is listed as a Major Festival in the book Shakespeare Festivals Around the World by Marcus D. Gregio (Editor

Editing

Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...

), 2004.

Past productions

• 1986 A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night
• 1987 Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew
• 1988 The Merry Wives of Windsor and Macbeth
• 1989 As You Like It
  As You Like It
  As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
  
   and Much Ado About Nothing
  Much Ado About Nothing
  Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
  
  
• 1990 Othello
  Othello
  The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
  
   and Richard 3
• 1991 Henry IV parts 1 & 2
• 1992 Henry V & The Merchant of Venice
• 1993 The Comedy of Errors
  The Comedy of Errors
  The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors is one of only two of Shakespeare's...
  
   and Hamlet
• 1994 The Two Gentlemen of Verona
  The Two Gentlemen of Verona
  The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1590 or 1591. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as his first tentative steps in laying out some of the themes and tropes with which he would later deal in more...
  
   and The Tempest
• 1996 The Comedy of Errors and Macbeth
• 1997 Measure for Measure
  Measure for Measure
  Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
  
   and Twelfth Night
• 2002 Romeo and Juliet
  Romeo and Juliet
  Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
  
   and The Tempest
• 2003 Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream
• 2004 Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors
• 2005 The Taming of the Shrew
  The Taming of the Shrew
  The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
  
   and The Tamer Tamed
• 2006 The Merchant of Venice
  The Merchant of Venice
  The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
  
   and Much Ado About Nothing
  Much Ado About Nothing
  Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
  
  
• 2007 The Merry Wives of Windsor
  The Merry Wives of Windsor
  The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life...
  
   and As You Like It
  As You Like It
  As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
  
  
• 2008 Richard III and Macbeth
• 2009 Measure for Measure and Romeo and Juliet
• 2010 A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Comedy of Errors