shake & stir theatre

What shake & stir theatre does

Shake & Stir Theatre Co is a privately held Australian contemporary touring theatre company headquartered in South Brisbane, Queensland, operating since 2006 under co-Artistic Directors Ross Balbuziente, Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij. The company produces an annual season of large-scale Mainstage productions (GRIMM, Macbeth, Fantastic Mr Fox, Dracula, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Green Day's American Idiot and adaptations of Shakespeare and Roald Dahl) that tour major metropolitan and regional venues across Australia and New Zealand, alongside a curriculum-aligned In-School production slate covering English, Drama and cross-curricular priorities. Its proprietary digital offering, Shake & Stir Virtual, delivers multi-camera recordings of in-school performances with accompanying teacher resources and live Q&A sessions, enabling access for schools unable to host live shows.

The company operates a diversified education and youth engagement portfolio including Greenroom Ensemble and Greenroom+ subscription programs for secondary students, masterclasses and in-residencies for schools, primary drama classes, holiday workshops, and teacher professional development sessions aligned to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Pricing is unit-based for in-school performances (AUD $9.90 per student, with minimums of AUD $990 primary / AUD $1,485 secondary), subscription-based for Greenroom programs (AUD $790 per semester), and tier-based for masterclasses (AUD $550) and PD sessions (AUD $40–$125). The Regional & Remote Schools Touring Service — delivered under a Queensland Government (Arts Queensland) initiative — provides subsidized access to 250+ schools and 75,000+ students in remote Queensland communities including Torres Strait, Cape York and western Queensland. Revenue is generated through direct school bookings, venue box-office ticket sales for mainstage productions, subscription enrollment, and government arts funding. The company employs 11–50 staff, maintains WCAG 2.0 Level AA website compliance, and has accumulated a multi-decade award history including consecutive APACA Drover Awards for National Tour of the Year (2014 and 2015), a Matilda Gold Award (2020), and multiple Helpmann Award nominations.

Name

shake & stir theatre

Legal name

Shake & Stir Theatre Co Pty Ltd

Website

https://shakeandstir.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shake & Stir Theatre Co is a privately held Australian touring theatre company that produces large-scale mainstage productions and curriculum-aligned in-school performances for schools, teachers and general audiences across Australia and New Zealand, supplemented by youth training, teacher professional development and a Queensland Government-funded regional touring program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Theatre Services

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Educational theatre programs
• School performance bookings
• Teacher professional development
• Theatre touring company

Headquarters

HQ city

South Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mainstage Ticket Sales: Commercial mainstage productions performed at major venues including QPAC, Comedy Theatre Brisbane, and toured nationally. Revenue generated through venue box office ticket sales.
2. School Performance Bookings: In-school performances booked directly by schools at $9.90 per student with minimum fees. Includes productions like Romeo & Juliet, Othello, George's Marvellous Medicine, and curriculum-aligned works.
3. Masterclasses & In-Residencies: Tailored practical workshops and artist residencies for schools. Masterclasses priced at $550 for up to 75 minutes. Residencies can be process or performance based outcomes.
4. Greenroom Youth Programs: Secondary student ensemble training program with showcase performances. Greenroom Ensemble at $790 includes rehearsals, showcase, mainstage tickets, headshot, and Greenroom+ access. Greenroom+ at $99-$290 for advanced performance training.
5. Holiday Workshops: School holiday programs for primary and secondary students including backstage workshops, improvisation, stage combat, and production-specific sessions.
6. Teacher Professional Development: PD sessions for teachers across drama, media arts, music, dance, and early learning. Pricing varies from $40-$125 per session, including QLD PD elective hours.
7. Regional & Remote Program: Queensland Government-funded initiative delivered by Shake & Stir. Programs tailored to school needs and budgets, with some subsidized access for remote communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Shake & Stir Theatre Co is a contemporary touring theatre company that produces an annual season of Mainstage productions (large-scale works touring major metropolitan and regional venues across Australia and New Zealand) and In-School productions (curriculum-aligned performances booked directly by primary and secondary schools). The portfolio is supported by an education ecosystem of youth ensemble training (Greenroom), classes, masterclasses, in-residencies, holiday workshops, teacher professional development, and a digital Virtual platform providing online access to recorded performances and resources.

Product overview

Shake & Stir Theatre Co is a contemporary theatre company that operates a multi-faceted entertainment and education portfolio. The core offering consists of Mainstage Productions (large-scale touring theatrical works) and In-School Productions (curriculum-aligned school incursions). Supporting the theatre productions is an education ecosystem comprising Greenroom (secondary ensemble training), Primary Classes, Holiday Workshops, Masterclasses, and In-Residencies. The company also operates Shake & Stir Virtual as a digital complement providing recorded performances and resources online. Professional development offerings include Teacher Connect Nights and Teacher PDs (R&R) for educator upskilling. The Regional & Remote Schools Touring Service extends these offerings to Queensland's regional and remote communities. Together, these products serve students, teachers, and general audiences across Australia and New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Large-scale theatrical productions touring major metropolitan and regional venues across Australia and New Zealand, including works such as GRIMM, Macbeth, Fantastic Mr Fox, and Just In Time, with tickets sold through venue box offices.
• In-School Productions Theatre productions performed at schools covering curriculum-aligned works including Shakespeare adaptations (Romeo & Juliet, Othello, Macbeth), Roald Dahl adaptations, and original works for primary and secondary students, booked directly by schools at $9.90 per student.
• Greenroom Ensemble Secondary student ensemble program ($790 per semester) offering performance training, rehearsals with industry professionals, showcase performances, tickets to mainstage productions with behind-the-scenes experiences, professional headshot, and Greenroom+ access.
• Primary Classes (Diving into Drama, Power in Performance) Drama classes for primary school students (Prep to Grade 6) focusing on confidence, creativity, and communication skills through improvisation, world-building, and scene work.
• Holiday Workshops Workshop programs for primary and secondary students during school holidays covering topics such as backstage skills, improvisation, stage combat, and production-specific workshops.
• Masterclasses Tailored practical workshops facilitated by professional artists covering specific genres and text-specific topics including Actor's Toolkit, Director's Handbook, Greek Theatre, Shakespeare studies, and Gothic literature. Priced at $550 for up to 75 minutes.
• In-Residencies Extended school programs connecting students with professional artists, offering skills-focused drama experiences that can culminate in a performance for the school community.
• Shake & Stir Virtual Online portal providing professional multi-camera recordings of in-school performances, accompanying teacher resources, and live Q&A sessions with performers and creatives.
• Teacher Connect Nights Professional development evenings for teachers combining PD sessions with key creatives and tickets to mainstage performances, aligned to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
• Teacher PDs (R&R) Professional development workshops for Queensland teachers across metro and regional areas covering media arts, early learning, drama, dance, and music, linked to Queensland Curriculum and ACARA.
• Regional & Remote Schools Touring Service Initiative of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland delivering curriculum-aligned live performances, creative workshops, artist residencies, and teacher professional development to regional and remote Queensland schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ Queensland schools engaged through Regional & Remote program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Queensland Government (Arts Queensland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Regional & Remote Schools Touring Service is an initiative of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, delivered by Shake & Stir Theatre Co. This government partnership enables delivery of arts experiences to over 250 Queensland schools and 75,000+ students in regional and remote communities including Torres Strait, Camooweal, Bedourie, Karumba, Mornington Island, Birdsville, and Thargomindah.
• Dead Puppet SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDead Puppet Society partners with Shake & Stir's education program to deliver puppetry professional development to teachers. The partnership equips educators with tools to lead puppetry and visual theatre units within schools through practical, hands-on learning opportunities.
• Imperfect CreativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImperfect Creatives delivers media arts PD workshops through the Regional & Remote program, including 'Don't Fear the Gear' workshop at Concordia Lutheran College, helping teachers integrate filmmaking regardless of tech resources.
• Jeremy Gordon (QLab Trainer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJeremy Gordon facilitates QLab Intensive professional development sessions, introducing teachers to show control and digital cueing for performance using QLab software.
• Kate Boylan-Ascione (Filmmaker/Educator)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKate Boylan-Ascione leads 'Storytelling for Impact' media arts PD sessions, supporting teachers to deliver purposeful Media Arts learning grounded in real-world storytelling practice from her documentary and social impact filmmaking experience.
• Phluxus2 Dance CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhluxus2 Dance Collective adapts Shaun Tan's The Red Tree for the Regional & Remote program through choreographer Nerida Matthaei, creating an evocative dance adaptation blending expressive movement and visual storytelling.
• Longreach State High SchoolminorOthersHost venue for Media Arts Storytelling for Impact PD session on 27th July 2026, demonstrating community partnership model for regional arts delivery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bell Shakespeare: Australia's leading touring Shakespeare and education theatre company. Directly comparable in business model — national touring mainstage productions combined with curriculum-aligned in-school performances, teacher PD, and student workshops. Operates in the same target market (Australian schools) with similar differentiation around Shakespeare and classical text studies.
• Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP): Sydney-based national youth theatre company producing professional theatre for young audiences alongside acting programs, holiday workshops, and in-school residencies. Closely comparable model combining mainstage productions, secondary ensemble training (analogous to Greenroom), and curriculum-linked education programming.
• Windmill Theatre Co: Adelaide-based touring children's and family theatre company producing original work that tours nationally to schools and venues. Comparable in producing high-quality, multimedia-rich theatre for young audiences and in operating an education touring model targeting primary and secondary schools.
• CDP Theatre Producers: Australia's largest provider of touring theatrical productions to schools, with a long-standing catalog of curriculum-linked shows. Direct competitor in the in-school performance market, with similar pricing model, national touring infrastructure, and curriculum-aligned content focus.
• Slingsby Theatre Company: Adelaide-based touring theatre company producing high-quality, visually innovative work for adults, families, and young people with national and international touring. Comparable in producing medium-scale touring theatre with strong production values and educational engagement components.

Emerging players

• Dead Puppet Society: Brisbane-based innovative physical and visual theatre company with overlapping creative DNA (multimedia integration, contemporary storytelling). Already partnered with Shake & Stir on teacher PD around puppetry. Comparable as a peer in style and emerging scale, though more focused on mainstage productions than education touring.
• Polyglot Theatre: Melbourne-based children's theatre company producing interactive and immersive work for young audiences, with strong school engagement programming. Comparable in targeting primary audiences and schools, though more focused on participatory/immersive formats than Shake & Stir's narrative touring productions.

Broad incumbents

• Queensland Theatre: Brisbane-based major performing arts company producing a season of mainstage work at QPAC and Bille Brown Theatre, with a parallel education and young artists program. Comparable in operating in the same Queensland market with overlapping education programming, though larger and venue-anchored rather than touring-focused.
• Sydney Theatre Company: Australia's flagship theatre company operating the Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay. Shake & Stir partners with STC on extended seasons (Fantastic Mr Fox). Comparable as a venue-anchored incumbent with a large education program, but operates at significantly greater scale and with broader theatrical programming.
• Melbourne Theatre Company: Australia's largest theatre company operating the Southbank Theatre in Melbourne. Comparable as a major incumbent producing mainstage seasons and an education program (including in-school tours), but with significantly larger scale, venue control, and broader programming slate than Shake & Stir.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@shakeandstirtheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/shakeandstir
• Instagraminstagram.com/shakeandstir
• TikToktiktok.com/@shakeandstir
• Xx.com/shakeandstir

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about shake & stir theatre