Shakespeare by the Lakes
Shakespeare by the Lakes is a summer festival of Shakespeare plays performed in Australian Capital Territory public parks beside Lake Tuggeranong, Lake Burley Griffin, in Canberra's city centre and next to the Queanbeyan River.
Based on New York's Shakespeare in the Park festivals, Shakespeare by the Lakes was conceived and founded by Taimus Werner-Gibbings in 2017. Each year, the hosting theatre company Lakespeare & Co. produces free performances of Shakespearean texts in multiple locations, attracting over 5,000 patrons in each season.
Seasons
The performances usually take place in February of each year. Due to restrictions on the size of gatherings during the Covid pandemic, no play was performed in 2021.| Year | Play | Venues |
| 2018 | Much Ado About Nothing | Tuggeranong Town Park, Glebe Park, QE II Park |
| 2019 | Twelfth Night | Tuggeranong Town Park, Lanyon Homestead, Glebe Park, Patrick White Lawns. |
| 2020 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Tuggeranong Town Park, Glebe Park, Patrick White Lawns, ANU Kambri |
| 2022 | As You Like It | Tuggeranong Town Park, Yerrabi Ponds, Patrick White Lawns, ANU Kambri |
| 2024 | Henry V | Tuggeranong Town Park, Patrick White Lawns, Vikings Park |
Reception
Free of charge to the general public, Shakespeare by the Lakes is financed by donations from local and federal government agencies, corporate sponsors, crowd-funding before the performances, and donations collected during the performances.The performances have consistently been well-received by critics and audiences alike, lauded by reviewers and audiences for being at the forefront of an emerging, 'proud yet self-effacing culture' in post-centenary Canberra, by presenting 'Shakespearean comedy as it was meant to be, fun-filled entertainment for every age,' which makes it an 'authentic and relatable way to treat the bard we so often revere but rarely embrace.'