ozact

What ozact does

Ozact Theatre Company Inc is a Melbourne-based Australian not-for-profit founded in 1995 by actor-director Bruce Widdop and his daughter Lisa Widdop that produces full-length touring repertory productions of William Shakespeare's plays in outdoor venues across Victoria and South Australia. Its core product, marketed as 'Shakespeare in the Great Outdoors', stages individual titles such as The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear and Pericles - along with occasional compilations such as A Feast of Shakespeare - using natural settings (gardens, national parks, wineries, heritage estates and seaside locations) as the stage, augmented by elaborate costumes and professional acting.

The company operates a seasonal touring model (typically December through April) visiting a handful of venues per production, with its December 2024 to April 2025 season covering A Midsummer Night's Dream at Geelong Botanic Gardens, Mont de Lancey and Coolart Homestead, and the December 2025 to April 2026 season expanding The Tempest to at least eight venues including Grampians National Park, Cloudehill Gardens and Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve. Following the deaths of the founders in 2023 and 2024, Ozact transitioned to Committee governance while remaining active and almost entirely self-funded.

Ozact generates revenue through direct ticket sales, donations (collected via TryBooking), and sponsorship support from local government councils, tourism bodies and utilities (including Central Highlands Water, Corangamite Shire Council and Parks Victoria). Its go-to-market is event-driven: outreach via website, MailChimp email list and Facebook/Instagram organic social, with tickets sold directly to general theatre audiences - families, Shakespeare enthusiasts and cultural tourists attending individual performances. No ticket pricing is publicly disclosed, no app or platform exists beyond a Jimdo website, and the company has no disclosed headcount, funding rounds, or parent organisation.

Name

ozact

Legal name

Ozact Theatre Company Inc

Website

https://ozact.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ozact Theatre Company Inc is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit, founded in 1995, that produces full-length touring repertory productions of William Shakespeare's plays at outdoor venues (gardens, national parks, wineries, estates) across Victoria and South Australia for general theatre audiences, families and cultural tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Outdoor theatre productions
• Shakespeare performances
• Environmental theatre
• Repertory theatre company
• Live theatrical productions

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The company sells tickets to their outdoor Shakespeare productions. Audiences attend performances at various outdoor venues across Victoria and South Australia.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Ozact Theatre Company Inc is a not-for-profit that relies heavily on donations to continue operations. They accept donations through TryBooking platform and encourage supporters to contribute.
3. Sponsorships: The company receives support from various sponsors including local government councils, tourism bodies, and businesses. Sponsors provide financial and in-kind support to enable productions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ozact produces and tours full-length outdoor Shakespeare productions for contemporary Australian audiences, performing in natural settings such as gardens, seaside locations, mountains, and historic mansions across Victoria and South Australia. The company stages individual Shakespeare plays (e.g., The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth) as seasonal touring repertory productions, with tickets sold directly to audience members at each venue. Theatrical performance and live staging — not technology or digital products — is the fundamental offering.

Product overview

Ozact is a not-for-profit touring repertory theatre company dedicated to performing Shakespeare productions in natural outdoor settings across Victoria and South Australia. The core product is 'Shakespeare in the Great Outdoors' - full-length theatrical productions performed in gardens, national parks, wineries, and heritage estates. Ozact's portfolio includes individual productions of Shakespeare's major plays (The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, Pericles) as well as compilation productions combining multiple works (A Feast of Shakespeare, Autumn Dreaming, Dad and Dave 'do' Hamlet, Shakespeare Pie). Productions feature elaborate costumes and professional acting in magical natural settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shakespeare in the Great Outdoors Seasonal touring repertory programme of full-length Shakespeare productions performed in natural outdoor settings (gardens, national parks, wineries, heritage estates) across Victoria and South Australia, with elaborate costumes and professional acting, aimed at Australian theatre audiences, families, and cultural tourists.
• The Tempest Full-length outdoor production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, most recently touring December 2025 - April 2026 to Kirks Reservoir Park (Ballarat), Cloudehill Gardens, Leura Park Estate, Mont de Lancey, Coolart Homestead, Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, Camperdown Botanic Gardens, and Heatherlie Quarry in Grampians National Park.
• A Midsummer Night's Dream Full-length outdoor production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, performed at gardens and heritage estates for Australian audiences.
• As You Like It Full-length outdoor production of Shakespeare's pastoral comedy As You Like It, staged in natural outdoor locations.
• Romeo and Juliet

Quantifiable outcome

• Productions touring across multiple Victorian and South Australian venues seasonally

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Central Highlands WaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal water utility company providing sponsorship support for Ozact's outdoor Shakespeare productions in the Central Highlands region of Victoria.
• Corangamite Shire CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal government council providing support and backing for Ozact productions performed within the Corangamite Shire region.
• Cloudehill GardensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGarden venue in Olinda, Melbourne that hosts Ozact productions and provides scenic natural setting for outdoor Shakespeare performances.
• Coolart Homestead and WetlandsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHistoric estate and wetland location on the Mornington Peninsula that serves as a performance venue for Ozact productions.
• Parks VictoriaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment agency managing Victoria's national parks and public lands, providing access to locations like Grampians National Park for Ozact performances.
• Paul Benjamin PhotographyminorOthersOzact's preferred photographer who documents productions and performances, with his work featured on the Ozact website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Malthouse Theatre: Melbourne-based independent theatre company producing contemporary Australian and international work. Comparable as a Melbourne producing theatre of similar scale to Ozact, though focused on indoor contemporary programming rather than outdoor classical repertoire.
• Queensland Theatre: Queensland's flagship state theatre company producing mainstage seasons and touring. Comparable as a large Australian producing theatre with touring elements, though focused on a broader repertoire than Ozact.
• Sydney Theatre Company: One of Australia's largest theatre companies producing diverse seasons from its Sydney base. Comparable as a large-scale Australian producing theatre, though not focused on Shakespeare or outdoor touring.
• Melbourne Theatre Company: Victoria's flagship theatre company producing a wide repertoire (not Shakespeare-specific) at its own venue. Comparable by being a major Melbourne-based producing theatre, but operates indoor seasons rather than outdoor tours.
• Adelaide Festival: Major annual international arts festival in Adelaide that programs theatre, music, and dance. Comparable as a high-profile South Australian performing arts presenter overlapping with one of Ozact's touring states.

Direct peers

• Bell Shakespeare: Australia's leading touring Shakespeare company, producing mainstage productions and education programs nationally. Most directly comparable to Ozact by repertoire (Shakespeare) and touring model, but at substantially larger scale and geographic reach.
• Australian Shakespeare Company: Melbourne-based company performing Shakespeare in gardens and parks around Victoria. Closest direct competitor to Ozact in both repertoire and outdoor-setting delivery model within the same geographic market.

Regional players

• State Theatre Company South Australia: South Australia's state-funded producing theatre company operating from Adelaide. Comparable as a major South Australian theatre producer overlapping with Ozact's regional footprint but serving a different artistic niche.

Emerging players

• Critical Stages Touring: Australian touring theatre producer bringing independent productions to regional and metropolitan venues nationally. Comparable by touring business model and small-team structure, though not Shakespeare-specific.
• Windmill Performing Arts: Adelaide-based company producing theatre for young audiences with national touring. Comparable as a smaller-scale Australian touring theatre company with a defined audience niche, though focused on family/youth programming rather than adult Shakespeare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ozact
• Instagraminstagram.com/ozactshakespeare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ozact