About Us

The Tamarama Rock Surfers Theatre Company (TRS) founded the Old Fitzroy Theatre in October 1997.To date it has catered for over 88,000 punters and housed over 133 shows, including the premieres of over 53 new Australian plays.

The Tamarama Rock Surfers Theatre Company is a twofold operation. Firstly, Tamarama Rock Surfers is a production company. Since 1997 produced dozens of new Australian work and new contemporary work at The Old Fitzroy Hotel, Stables Theatre, and The Opera House. It has produced work of such notable Australian playwrights as Brendan Cowell, Toby Schmitz, Sue Smith and Suzie Miller.

Secondly, TRS manages the Old Fitzroy theatre, acting as a parent company for literally hundreds of young, independent Australian theatre companies and thousands of emerging artists since 1997.

Each year the Old Fitzroy Theatre hosts up to 12 main stage productions. These run for approximately four weeks from Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm and Sundays at 5pm. Every year, during the eight week submission process, the competition to fill these slots is fierce and the standard of work is as good as independent theatre gets anywhere in the world. TRS are delighted to have an ongoing association with respected theatre companies including Pork Chop Productions, Naked Theatre Company, Cabin Crew, The Group Theatre and O’Punksky’s. We are equally pleased to meet and work with new up and coming companies, giving them the opportunity to have their work produced and seen.

Our audience is a unique mix of theatre aficionados, hungry young theatre professionals, surfers, celebrities, fabulous nobodies and, indeed, anyone who has discovered that the venue provides the freshest, most engaging and edgy performances that any budget can afford. The names you see working here will be the names that fill the main stages of the best theatres here and around the world in the not too distant future. In fact, some of them already do. We have nurtured actors, writers, director, designers, technical staff and producers who continue to support the Old Fitz both with new works and as audience members supporting the next crop of talented, hungry theatre practitioners.

Audiences keep returning to the Old Fitz. Primarily because of the exceptional theatre they see, but there is more to the Old Fitz. It has a fantastic laid-back atmosphere that suits everyone. You can enjoy a great meal and a few drinks, see some dynamite theatre and after the show stay on to listen to live music, have a game of pool or just hang out in the comfortable couch room and meet the performers. By supporting this theatre and enjoying this diverse and delightful season of plays you are helping young Australian performers, writers, designers, technicians and directors to grow and develop.