The Hunter Region is a vibrant and beloved space in New South Wales known for its stunning beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see and the rolling lush green hills of the Hunter Valley. Take a walk down Darby Street, smell the fresh coffee beans being roasted by local baristas or head for a scenic drive to the Hunter Valley and taste the fragrant grapes pressed perfectly to your liking. But I believe that there is something in Newcastle that has been slept on for far too long. Something I believe refreshes us more than our local coffee and something that is more refreshing than the fruit of the valley. Our live performance scene.

There are so many local independent theatre production companies producing exceptional work, work that is of outstanding quality. Work that deserves to have a sold out audience, work that inspires and moves locals.

Theatre producing is hard work and our local creatives deserve the chance to have their work seen by a broader audience. So many Hunter Region based production companies are heading to Sydney to produce their work. Is it because these production companies have truly put blood, sweat and tears into their shows? Is it because there is a wider audience or is it because, simply put, there is more opportunity to be seen? Maybe it’s none of those or maybe it’s a combination of all of the above. But there is something I do know. I know that the lack of local theatre reviewers in the Hunter Region is astounding and there are too many productions that deserve to be seen.

And thus began Hunter Arts Review.