Shakespeare by the Sea, Halifax

Shakespeare by the Sea is a professional theatre company in Halifax renowned for its open-air performances of William Shakespeare’s plays. Founded in 1994 by the late Patrick Christopher-Carter, Elizabeth Murphy, and Jean Morpurgo, the company has since become a cultural fixture in the city. Each summer, it stages three to four productions in Point Pleasant Park’s natural amphitheater, set against the evocative ruins of the Cambridge Battery.

The company, a registered society, is funded by government grants, private support, and audience donations. Since 1999, it has staged an annual family show, evolving from minimalist productions using Styrofoam pool noodles to full-scale musicals like The Adventures of Robin Hood, which earned acclaim beyond Halifax, including a 2013 run at Toronto’s Hart House Theatre.

One of the company’s most memorable performances occurred on Canada Day in 2005 when a special Midnight Twelfth Night production culminated in the marriage of founders Patrick Christopher-Carter and Elizabeth Murphy. Later that year, Christopher-Carter’s passing marked a major transition, with Murphy assuming leadership as Artistic Director, later joined in 2012 by Jesse MacLean as Co-Artistic Director.

To accommodate unpredictable Atlantic weather and extend its theatrical offerings into the fall and spring, Shakespeare by the Sea developed The Park Place Theatre, an 82-seat black box venue. This space has become a key rehearsal and performance hub for the company and other Nova Scotia theatre groups. In 2019, Shakespeare by the Sea expanded further with The Studio at Shakespeare by the Sea, a training program in Shakespeare and musical theatre performance for young artists.

With more than two decades of theatrical excellence, Shakespeare by the Sea continues to enchant audiences, drawing thousands each summer to witness timeless drama in the heart of Halifax’s historic landscapes.