It’s a Question of Faith when a Stranger Calls...
- HELLO Newy
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
The Whisper is a darkly funny and thought provoking new work from award-winning Newcastle playwright Carl Caulfield, produced by Stray Dogs Theatre and presented by the Civic Theatre’s UpStage at the Playhouse program.
When a stranger insinuates himself into a family navigating grief and emotional
vulnerability, doubt takes hold and distrust grows, with devastating consequences. It’s a story that feels unsettlingly close to home — a timely examination of how quickly certainty can unravel when we are at our most exposed. Blending dark humour with psychological tension, The Whisper explores the increasingly blurred line between fact and fiction, and the contemporary forces that challenge our confidence in reality.
“The play is ostensibly a comedy, but underneath that humour, buried truths and fears lurk, with dearly held belief systems being threatened,” says the writer, Carl Caulfield.
“I was interested at looking how disinformation and conspiracy theories that have always been part of the human experience have become more mainstream and problematic because of the internet.
“The process of writing the play surprised me as it tapped into my own experience of growing up in a faith.”
The production forms part of the 2026 season of UpStage at the Playhouse, Civic Theatre Newcastle’s initiative supporting local artists, playwrights and producers to bring new and reimagined work to the stage. Performed by a talented local cast, The Whisper runs at the Playhouse from 6–15 August 2026, with a post-show Q&A on opening night. Don’t miss this sharp, unsettling and darkly funny piece of new Australian theatre right in the heart of Newcastle.
WHAT | The Whisper
WHEN | 6 – 15 August 2026
WHERE | Playhouse, Civic Theatre Newcastle
TICKETS | civictheatrenewcastle.com.au
