1. Ticket enquiries
I’ve forgotten my login details, how can I retrieve them?
Go to the login page and select the 'forgot password’ link. You will be asked to provide your email address and a link to reset your password will be sent to your email address. Follow the link to update your password and login.
What are your Box Office opening hours.
Bell Shakespeare’s Box Office operates from 9am – 5pm, Monday to
Friday. Bell Shakespeare’s Box Office is not open on weekends or NSW public
holidays.
When will I receive my tickets?
Print at home: Tickets will be emailed separately to your purchase confirmation email, three days prior to your performance. Please note that all tickets in a season package will be sent to you prior to your first performance.
Standard Australia Post: You should receive printed tickets in the mail within two weeks of making a season package booking.
Hold for collection: Your tickets will be available for collection from the venue box office up to one hour prior to your performance.
Can I sit with my friends?
Of course! If you are booking online we encourage you to book together in a single transaction. If you are using the booking form, please enclose your forms in the same envelope or email them through together. Your preferred seats may not be available and groups may need to be separated, but we will endeavour to seat you and your friends together.
How do I buy tickets as a gift?
Gift vouchers can be purchased online or over the phone by calling the Bell Shakespeare Box Office on 1300 305 730.
What is the transaction fee?
Each order booked via the Bell Shakespeare box office is subject to a single transaction fee of $6.80 regardless of how many tickets or events you purchase or how you pay for them.
Who is eligible for the concession price?
A concession discount is available to full-time students, Seniors, Australian Social Security, Veterans’ Affairs, or Health Care Card Holders. To be eligible for the discount, a copy of the relevant card must be provided to the Box Office before your tickets will be issued. Proof of concession can be emailed, mailed or you can fill in our website form.
What are under 35s tickets?
People aged 35 years and under at the time of booking can purchase a package at a discounted rate (subject to availability, limit of 4 tickets per transaction). Proof of concession can be emailed, mailed or you can fill in our website form. Identification may also be required on entry to the theatre.
Under 35 tickets are strictly limited and are only available for Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday performances.
What if I misplace my tickets?
If you misplace your tickets before the performance, please contact the box office where you purchased your tickets. If you’re unsure of the date of the performance you have booked, please contact the box office where you purchased your tickets.
Replacement tickets can only be issued on the day of the performance at the venue box office from one hour prior to performance start time. If you misplace your tickets more than 24 hrs prior to the performance please contact the box office where your purchases your tickets.
How can I exchange my tickets?
All exchanges are subject to availability.
Email a photo of your tickets cut in half to boxoffice@bellshakespeare.com.au. Tickets must be received by Bell Shakespeare at least two (2) working days before the original performance date. If you are unwell, you can contact us at boxoffice@bellshakespeare.com.au or on 1300 305 730 to exchange tickets, arrange a credit note or access a full refund on tickets.
If you have purchased single tickets, you need to contact the box office from which you bought the tickets and an exchange fee may apply.
Can I exchange my tickets on the day of the performance?
Please allow a minimum of 48 hours’ notice to exchange tickets. If you need to organise an exchange within 48 hours of a performance, please call our box office on 1300 305 730 from Monday – Friday between 9am – 5pm.
Can I get a refund?
Tickets cannot be refunded after purchase except as outlined in the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice.
Tickets may be exchanged, subject to availability, up to 48 hours prior to your booked performance. Ticket exchanges are only possible for a different performance of the same production. Further conditions and fees may apply.
2. Performances
What happens if I’m running late for a performance?
It is a condition of sale that entry to the theatre will only be permitted during a suitable break in the performance or at interval if there is no suitable break. This also applies if you leave the auditorium during the performance. We recommend you arrive at the theatre at least 20 minutes prior to the performance to avoid missing any of the action!
Our venue partners have COVID-specific conditions of entry for audiences attending performances. This includes the circumstances under which you must not attend, and what’s required of you when you visit. Please read them via the links below.
How long is the show?
Information on each play is available through What’s On. Details such as running times and intervals are not always known when tickets are first on sale, so check back at a later date if the information you are after is not available yet.
I need to sit in a specific area in the theatre, can you help?
Yes. If you have any access requirements (sight, wheelchair, etc) you can note these in the ‘Seating Requirements’ section on your online order or booking form.
I am visiting The Neilson Nutshell or The Seed for the first time, where is it?
The Neilson Nutshell and The Seed are Bell Shakespeare's performance and event spaces. They are located at Pier 2/3 in the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney. Find out more information about arriving to The Neilson Nutshell and The Seed here.
I am visiting Sydney Opera House for the first time, where is it?
Find out more information about the Sydney Opera House here.
I am visiting Arts centre Melbourne for the first time, where is it?
Find out more information about the Arts Centre Melbourne here.
I am visiting Canberra Theatre Centre for the first time, where is it?
Find out more information about the Canberra Theatre Centre here.
Where can I park when I come to a performance?
See venue information above for full details on parking at each venue.
Why don’t you tour to my city?
As much as we’d like to perform in every city, every year, a number of factors determine our touring schedules:
- Venue availability: we don’t have control of dates for seasons in venues so tours are built around dates that are offered. Tours need to run from city to city without a break as we cannot afford ‘down’ weeks.
- Cast availability: the length of seasons and therefore how far a show can tour is limited by cast availability. In earning a wage, actors on the whole have multiple contracts within a year meaning they carefully allocate time for each production they are working on.
- Touring funding: the Company receives some support from the Federal and NSW governments to cover some touring costs, however it is provided on the basis of venue demand for our productions, i.e., we respond to demand from communities through their local venues for our work.
- Audience sizes: with touring parties ranging from 10 to more than 20 people, touring productions of the scale the Company produces is a very expensive exercise. The level of income we expect to raise through the box office and performance fees is an important factor in determining the viability of a tour.
- What we do: produce a range of work differing in scale and taking into account the factors set out above to ensure, as far as possible, that the Company is able to visit each state and territory with at least one production each year.
3. Staying updated
What is the Bell Shakespeare enews?
The Bell Shakespeare enews keeps theatregoers informed of our latest productions, special ticket offers and general information about the Company. It is sent every month, providing you with regular information in an eco-friendly format. You can sign up for the e-newsletter in the footer at the bottom of this webpage.
How do I update Bell Shakespeare about a change in my contact details?
Please email us or call us on 1300 305 730 to update your contact details. If you have an online account with Bell Shakespeare you can change your contact details in the Account section after you login.
4. Donations
Why donate to Bell Shakespeare?
All funds raised underpin our long-term strategies of delivering meaningful education and community initiatives and inspiring Australian productions of Shakespeare’s plays, employing Australian actors, creative teams and theatre workers, and touring throughout every state and territory in Australia. Every dollar we raise helps. Learn more about donating here.
5. Auditions
How can I audition for Bell Shakespeare?
General Auditions are held every two years. Auditions for The Players (education program) are held every year. Keep an eye on our Careers page for updates.