Backstage
Bringing you the joy, curiosity and entertainment of a trip to the theatre.
West Gate
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West Gate | Stories from the audience
We invited our audience to share a memory, story or connection to the West Gate Bridge.
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Video
How did we make the bridge fall?
Sound Designer & Composer Kelly Ryall unpacks the way lights and sound helped create the West Gate Bridge collapse on stage.
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West Gate | A story for our city
Don't miss performances from a stellar cast of screen favourites, including Steve Bastoni, Daniela Farinacci, Darcy Kent, and Rohan Nichol.
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West Gate Trailer
Watch the video trailer for West Gate ahead of seeing the production live on stage.
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Programme
West Gate programme
Playwright Dennis McIntosh was just eleven years old when he heard the thud of the West Gate Bridge collapse reverberate across Melbourne’s west. Read his extraordinary story and meet the cast and creatives.
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Video
Meet the cast of West Gate
Steve Bastoni, Paul English, Daniela Farinacci, Peter Houghton, Rohan Nichol, Darcy Kent, Simon Maiden, Ben Walter and Director Iain Sinclair tell us about the production.
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Feature
The road to the West Gate Bridge
Learn more about Melbourne’s 2,582-metre box girder bridge.
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Video
West Gate | Behind the scenes
Get your first look at the cast bringing shearer-turned-playwright Dennis McIntosh's brand-new work about the West Gate Bridge collapse to life.
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Video
West Gate | Inside the rehearsal room
The human story behind Australia's worst industrial disaster. Made in Melbourne, for Melbourne.
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Galleries
West Gate in the Rehearsal Room
Here's your first look at West Gate. Scroll through our image gallery for a glimpse of the show before it hits the stage.
Season 2026
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Galleries
West Gate in the Rehearsal Room
Here's your first look at West Gate. Scroll through our image gallery for a glimpse of the show before it hits the stage.
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Video
Losing Face | Marieke Hardy
Playwright Marieke Hardy reveals why she's so obsessed with death, ahead of the world premiere of her brand new comedy zeroing in on the anti-ageing industry.
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Video
Retrograde | Bert LaBonté and Donné Ngabo
Director Bert LaBonté on the moment he knew Donné Ngabo was perfect to play Sydney Poitier in the Australian premiere of Retrograde.
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Video
The Glass Menagerie | Mark Wilson and Alison Whyte
Director Mark Wilson discusses the life-changing moment he read Tennessee Williams's memory play, and Alison Whyte shares the characteristic she's most excited to bring out in Amanda Wingfield.
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Shoelace Chaser | Leigh Lule
Leigh Lule discusses what drew her to Madelaine Nunn's moving comedy drama about chasing your dreams when the odds are stacked against you.
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Video
Do Not Pass Go | Jean Tong
Playwright Jean Tong explains the inspiration behind this darkly funny workplace comedy about two colleagues trying to find meaning in their lives.
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Video
The Jungle and the Sea | S. Shakthidharan
Playwright S. Shakthidharan on why audiences should see this highly theatrical story, co-created with Eamon Flack.
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Video
A Room with a View | Grace Chapple and Hannah Goodwin
The writer and director of this brand new adaptation of E.M. Forster's literary classic discuss what they love most about this big-hearted story.
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Video
Eliza| Manali Datar and Dan Spielman
Manali Datar and Dan Spielman take us behind this brand new play by Tom Holloway, inspired by true events.
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Video
Introducing Season 2026
Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks takes us deeper into the stellar line-up of Australian stories, renowned classics and international hits of Season 2026.
Read
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Feature
The road to the West Gate Bridge
Learn more about Melbourne’s 2,582-metre box girder bridge.
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Feature
Melbourne Theatre Company receives 27 Green Room Award nominations
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Feature
Much ado about the big blue house
Set Designer Anna Cordingley on power, property and the renowned St Kilda house that inspired the world of Much Ado About Nothing.
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Feature
'I was about to go full Breaking Bad'
Genevieve Morris on finding the humour and humanity to play Cory Taylor in Dying: A Memoir.
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Feature
We need to talk about death
Nephrologist Dr Adam Steinberg on why it's crucial to have open, frank conversations about our mortality, ahead of the world premiere of Benjamin Law's stage adaptation of Dying: A Memoir.
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Feature
An exploration of the female mind
A Q&A with Anne-Louise Sarks on the process of adapting and directing Rebecca for the stage.
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Feature
A Melbourne Moment with Ben Law
Ahead of the world premiere of his deeply moving new play, Dying: A Memoir — adapted from Cory Taylor’s acclaimed book — we caught up with writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law to find out his go-to café in Southbank and the chilli crisp he stocks up on for
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Feature
Reflections of an assistant director
Assistant Director Linnea Tengroth on her connection to Destiny and the lessons she's learned from working with Director Zindzi Okenyo
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Feature
Whose land, whose destiny?
Academic Dr Finex Ndhlovu unpacks South Africa’s history and the shared legacies of colonialism across continents.
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Feature
Meet the characters of Kimberly Akimbo
Meet Kimberly, Pattie, Buddy, Seth, Aunt Debra and the Teen Quartet: Teresa, Martin, Aaron and Delia. They're the characters in your new favourite musical!
Watch
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Video
The Glass Menagerie | Rehearsal Trailer
Get a peek inside the rehearsal room as The Glass Menagerie team prepares to bring Tennessee Williams’s haunting memory play to the Sumner stage.
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Video
How did we make the bridge fall?
Sound Designer & Composer Kelly Ryall unpacks the way lights and sound helped create the West Gate Bridge collapse on stage.
-
Video
Meet the cast of West Gate
Steve Bastoni, Paul English, Daniela Farinacci, Peter Houghton, Rohan Nichol, Darcy Kent, Simon Maiden, Ben Walter and Director Iain Sinclair tell us about the production.
-
Video
West Gate | Behind the scenes
Get your first look at the cast bringing shearer-turned-playwright Dennis McIntosh's brand-new work about the West Gate Bridge collapse to life.
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Video
West Gate | Inside the rehearsal room
The human story behind Australia's worst industrial disaster. Made in Melbourne, for Melbourne.
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Video
In the Wrong Key On Stage
Get ready for the triumphant return of My Brilliant Career with Kala Gare performing In The Wrong Key on stage.
(2024 original Melbourne cast) -
Video
Losing Face | Marieke Hardy
Playwright Marieke Hardy reveals why she's so obsessed with death, ahead of the world premiere of her brand new comedy zeroing in on the anti-ageing industry.
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Video
Retrograde | Bert LaBonté and Donné Ngabo
Director Bert LaBonté on the moment he knew Donné Ngabo was perfect to play Sydney Poitier in the Australian premiere of Retrograde.
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Video
The Glass Menagerie | Mark Wilson and Alison Whyte
Director Mark Wilson discusses the life-changing moment he read Tennessee Williams's memory play, and Alison Whyte shares the characteristic she's most excited to bring out in Amanda Wingfield.
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Video
Do Not Pass Go | Jean Tong
Playwright Jean Tong explains the inspiration behind this darkly funny workplace comedy about two colleagues trying to find meaning in their lives.
MTC Digital Theatre
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News
Five MTC Productions nominated for Green Room Awards
We’re delighted to receive 15 nominations for five of our Season 2021 productions for the 39th annual Green Room Awards.
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Video
Playing the Part
Hear from the cast of As You Like It as they discuss the process of bringing Shakespeare's characters to life on stage.
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Video
Creating Costumes
Discover how the MTC wardrobe team brought Alicia Clements's intricate costume designs for As You Like It to life.
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Video
Shakespearean Comedy
Director Simon Phillips and members of the As You Like It cast discuss the specifics of what makes this play funny.
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Script Notes
All the world's a stage
Tim Walter performs one of Shakespeare's most iconic speeches in As You Like It. Discover how he brings the words to life with his notes on the Seven Ages of Man monologue.
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Education
As You Like It Education Pack
A resource pack for teachers and students to learn more about Shakespeare's As You Like It, with activities to analyse and explore the MTC production.
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Interview
Creating the Forest of Arden on stage
Production Manager Michele Preshaw and Scenic Art Supervisor Shane Dunn reflect on the process of bringing Shakespeare's Forest of Arden to life on the Sumner stage.
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Q&A
Designing As You Like It
Set and Costume Designer Alicia Clements explores the process of creating the magical world of As You Like It on stage.
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Q&A
Directing As You Like It
Director Simon Phillips discusses the specifics of Shakespearean comedy, mistaken identity and witty wordplay in As You Like It.
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Q&A
Lighting As You Like It
Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper discusses shadow, colour and light in his work on As You Like It.
Ask MTC
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Ask MTC
How do you manage water onstage?
For this instalment of Ask MTC, Nick asks how the Company manages water onstage. CAD Drafter Jacob Battista answers, with a little help from Health & Safety Coordinator Liz Mundell.
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Ask MTC
Do you have an armoury?
In this instalment of Ask MTC, Senior Production Technician Allan Hirons answers Simon’s question about prop guns and onstage SFX.
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Ask MTC
Have you seen a theatre ghost?!
Break a leg! Ghost lights (and theatre ghosts). The Scottish play. This Ask MTC question is all about the spooky and the superstitious on stage.
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Ask MTC
How do you write a play?
Benjamin Law answers a collection of audience questions about how to write a play – including the mechanics of writing character and dialogue, finding inspiration, and the challenges of writing for the stage versus writing for the screen or the page.
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Ask MTC
How are your wigs made?
For Ask MTC, our dedicated wigs and make-up artist Jurga Celikiene answers Hilary’s question about how we make our actors’ wigs – and details the journey of one wig over 14 years!
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Ask MTC
How does a revolve work?
This week, Nick asked about the revolve on a stage – what is it and how does it work? One of our technical wizards, Kerry Saxby, provides the answer.
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Ask MTC
What happens to props and sets after a show?
This week, Props Buyer Jess Maguire answers a question submitted by Lee, who wants to know what happens to our props and sets after a show is finished – do we re-use them? If so, how often and how do we re-purpose them?
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Ask MTC
What do actors do when they forget their lines?
This week, Michelle Lim Davidson answers a question from Janice, who wants to know how actors remember all their lines, and how they cope when they forget one!
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Ask MTC
Open House Melbourne: Your questions answered
During Open House Melbourne last weekend, we threw open Southbank Theatre’s virtual doors for a behind-the-scenes tour with Theatre Operations Director Mark Wheeler, and then opened the floor to your questions.
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Ask MTC
How do I go about becoming a playwright?
In this regular feature, you ask the questions and we answer them. This week’s questioner didn't leave a name, but asked all about playwriting. Great question, Anonymous!
