The Castle On Stage: Working Dog Bring Australia's Most Loved Film to the Theatre

Thirty years after it first captured the Australian imagination, The Castle is coming to the stage.

Michael Cassel Group and Working Dog have announced a major new theatrical adaptation of the beloved film, set to premiere at Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre from March 2027 — marking three decades since Darryl Kerrigan first told the world his house was his castle.

The new play has been written by the film's original creators — Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Jane Kennedy — who also join the production as co-producers. It's the first time the team has revisited the Kerrigan story since the 1997 film, and they're promising something that goes beyond a simple retelling.

"Not just a retelling of the story but a quarter of a century of funny updates," the creators said in a joint statement. "A celebration of all we love about the Kerrigan family. We wrote this new, fully updated show in the same way that we wrote the film screenplay all those years ago — the four of us in a room trying to make each other laugh."

The Creative Team

Director Paige Rattray — whose credits include Heartbreak High (Seasons 2 and 3 for Netflix) and the world premiere of Fangirls, which won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Mainstage Musical — will helm the production.

Set and costume design is by Jonathon Oxlade, the AACTA Award-winning designer behind Girl Asleep, Into the Woods, and Bluey's Big Play. Together, they form the first announcements of what promises to be a celebrated Australian creative team.

Michael Cassel, Producer, said the production was a natural fit for the stage.

"That is exactly what live theatre does at its best and why The Castle was always destined for the stage," he said. "To sit together in a theatre and feel the laughter, tears and pride in real time will be incredibly special."

A Cultural Milestone

The Castle occupies a unique place in Australian culture. Lines like "tell him he's dreamin'," "this is going straight to the pool room," and "how's the serenity?" have moved beyond the film and into the national vernacular. It's a story about an ordinary family taking on the system — an Aussie battler tale that has resonated across three decades and shows no sign of letting go.

The Melbourne premiere is fitting — the film was set, written and produced in Victoria, and Victorian Minister for Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos confirmed the government's support.

"Melbourne has long been Australia's home of world-class theatre," he said. "It's especially fitting that audiences will be the first in the country to experience this stage adaptation here."

Casting will be announced in the coming months. Tickets are on sale now at thecastleonstage.com.au.