The Story Behind the Scene and the People Who Created It

The State Theatre Company of South Australia opens its new production of "Riverbank" at the Dunstan Playhouse on 18 July.

The show traces the changing uses of the Torrens River corridor from the 1830s onward. Its creators spent the past nine months moving between a rehearsal room on Hindley Street and a design workshop in the eastern suburb of Kent Town. They also tested lighting cues on the riverbank itself during three dawn sessions last month. This approach reflects a wider push in Adelaide to anchor new theater work in the physical places audiences already know rather than in abstract sets.

Development path

Artistic director Verity Cross and set designer Lena Torres began the project after a 2025 grant from the Adelaide City Council placed development funds with four small companies working inside the Festival Centre precinct. Cross and Torres met weekly at the company’s offices on King William Road to map scenes against historic maps of the parklands. Lighting technician Raj Patel joined later, bringing equipment from a hire firm on Gilbert Street. The result is a 90-minute piece that uses projected archival photographs and live sound recorded on site rather than conventional scenery.

Funding records show the production received $68,000 from the council program and another $42,000 from the Australia Council for the Arts, with the balance covered by ticket sales and a small corporate sponsorship from a North Terrace hotel group. Advance bookings reached 1,240 seats by 10 July, according to the company’s box-office report.

Next steps

Tickets remain on sale through the Festival Centre website and at the box office on King William Road. Two preview performances on 16 and 17 July are priced at $35 for concession holders. Post-show talks with the creative team are scheduled for the final three nights in the Playhouse foyer.