Dark Stories, formed at the start of 2018, delves into the mysterious, ghastly and macabre stories of the city, which occurred between about 1820 and 1950. 

David Prickett with his partner, Elizabeth Chambers, both have backgrounds in theatre. 

“We did lots of research, countless hours,” Mr Prickett said. “We didn’t want to cover the stories everyone knew.

“We love stories and history, and we love the darker themes as well.”

Newcastle has a rich history of crime. 

“We cover the full range of the human experience in one night,” Mr Prickett said. “We have had local historians tell us they had never heard some of our stories.

“They are the stories of the everyday people, it’s their history … it’s old, but new.”

One story set in the 1940s is of an East End resident who murdered his wife. 

“There was a husband who ‘accidentally’ might have disposed of his wife during the night,” Mr Prickett said. 

“His defence was he did it not for himself, but for the children.” 

The tours are guided and narrated by two Novocastrian actors, Alex Mangano and Sara Barlow. 

“We have put them together in a way that doesn’t offend but is entertaining and takes you through a range of emotions,” he said. 

Dark Stories will launch a special short-session production Confessions of a Serial Killer, it opens on June 3.  Set at Glenrock Lagoon, the work of fiction explores the mind of a man who kills. His named is Ivan. 

“The audience will be part of the story,” Mr Prickett said. “You don’t have to do anything, but the actors know you are there. They may even ask you a question.” 

“It’s fully scripted, there is a story, but the audience may get to make decisions … and maybe change things that happen within the story.”

The production stars: Evan Ferguson, Sara Barlow, Alex Mangano, Thomas Lonsdale and David Prickett.

Tickets are selling quickly. Get yours at: darkstories.com.au