The beloved Australian comedy film The Castle is set to become a stage play, with the original Working Dog team reuniting to write a new, fully updated version for the theatre. The production will premiere at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne in March 2027, marking the 30th anniversary of the iconic film.
Original team reunites for theatrical adaptation
Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Jane Kennedy, the creative forces behind the 1997 film, will write and co-produce the new play. The story will again follow the Kerrigan family's fight against the Australian government to save their home from being bulldozed for an airport expansion. In a joint statement, the team said they had wanted to turn The Castle into a stage show for "the best part of 25 years" and that the production would include "a quarter of a century of funny updates."
A cultural touchstone
Released in 1997, The Castle is regarded as one of the greatest Australian films ever made and is studied in some secondary schools. Starring Michael Caton as patriarch Darryl Kerrigan, the film shaped Australian vernacular with quotable lines like "This is going straight to the pool room," "How's the serenity?" and "Tell him he's dreamin'." Producer Michael Cassel said: "When the team at Working Dog first approached me about bringing The Castle to the stage, I knew we had to do this. The film miraculously captures the specificities of Australian life and yet feels so universally true; family love, the challenges change presents, and the warmth and humour and dignity of ordinary people standing up for what matters. It makes you laugh, and then, before you know it, it makes you cry. That is exactly what live theatre does at its best and why The Castle was always destined for the stage."
Future plans
Casting for the production has yet to be announced. The play aims to resonate with both new audiences and long-time fans, capturing the warmth and humour of the original story. The Working Dog team wrote the new show in the same collaborative manner as the film screenplay, with the four of them "in a room trying to make each other laugh."
