Human Nature, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Anh Do and The Wiggles are set to take a bow at Dubbo this year but before then there's a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes at the venue.
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Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre is hosting backstage tours twice-weekly in the school holidays.
They offer the public special access to the normally off-limits areas of the complex.
Theatre manager Linda Christof said the tours had been "extremely popular" during the school holiday period since they were introduced a couple of years ago.
"We find what's most popular about our tours is that not many people get a chance to see the prohibited areas in a theatre environment, and so it's a real unique experience for them to be able to go to places that are hidden from the public," Ms Christof said.
Among tour participants there's been a trend of what "really catches their interest", the theatre manager says.
"We've found they're amazed at the massive amounts of storage space under the stage," Ms Christof said.
"They're also fascinated by how the construction company, David Payne Constructions, were able to blend a 52-year-old building with a new theatre - back in 2010.
"...Also, they're really amazed by the versatility of our orchestra pits."
Tours also take groups into the bio box, the area above the tiered seats, where the lighting and sound operators work their magic.
"So we go up there, and we're able to get a bird's-eye view over the whole audience and the theatre, and a lucky person gets to actually do a light show - because there's one preprogrammed, they just press a button," Ms Christof said.
...we're able to get a bird's-eye view over the whole audience and the theatre...
- DRTCC manager Linda Christof
Participants had liked that their hosts could customise the tours, Ms Christof said.
"So if there's a couple of families with young kids, we're able to modify the tour to make sure it's interesting for them as well," she said.
"And the same goes for more senior people, if they have particular access requirements, we're able to accommodate that as well.
"One other benefit of our backstage tours is they're a great safe holiday activity during COVID times because we only have small groups, and we take them through areas that are lined with sanitisers and we're able to socially distance throughout the whole tour, so it's a really enjoyable and safe activity to do."
The tours run at 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays of the school holidays and go for about 70 minutes.
They cost $10 for concession holders and children, and $15 for adults, and bookings can be made over the phone, on the website, or at the box office.
Time is also ticking to become a season subscriber for 2022.
"The subscription period closes on January 28 and to be a subscriber, all you need to do is choose a minimum of three shows from our season booklet and you get a whole host of benefits," Ms Christof said.
"After that date, all the tickets go on general sale."
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
