Invercargill's annual Shakespeare in the Park production will be a topical one next year.

A Plague on Both Your Houses is the title for the February run in Queens Park, highlighting the 17th Century’s challenging health and medical scene, as seen through Shakespeare’s texts and characters.

Shakespeare in the Park Charitable Trust chair Hannah Kennedy said the show would pay homage to the medical professionals who have always worked hard to sustain humanity's well-being.

The trust, which has been presenting productions since 2001, is trying to be positive in the face of a pandemic that has caused huge disruptions, cancellations, postponement and financial difficulties for many events all over the world, she said.

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"We’re hoping that by following Government guidelines for events we'll be able to present a promenade-style show with short works in open spaces and with social distancing managed in small groups.

"We'll still have to monitor the situation as the months roll on towards summer but we’re ready to handle any disruptions that may come about.”

"All actors and production personnel would be vaccinated and the public would be expected to follow vaccination requirements for events, dependent on the prevailing Covid-19 alert status or traffic light system,” she said.

Founding trustee Angela Newell said auditions, which are due to be held on November 14, are for both experienced and emerging performers.

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"Selecting short scenes that would be repeated during each day's performances for different groups is an attractive prospect for performers who may be reluctant to take on a whole play.

"With comedy, tragedy, music and spoken word, there are lots of opportunities for local creatives," Ms Newell said.

Successful players would be required for the performance dates of February 2 to 6, 2022, with Waitangi weekend providing an extra day to encourage audiences into Queens Park.

Rehearsals would commence in January, she said.

For audition information, contact the Shakespeare in the Park Charitable Trust on email: [email protected] or via the Shakespeare in the Park NZ Facebook page.