Feature
As Executive Director & Co-CEO Virginia Lovett prepares to say goodbye to Melbourne Theatre Company, she joins us to look back and celebrate her momentous ten-year journey.
MTC Foundation
After the performance of Sunshine Super Girl on Monday 28 November, Donors gathered to celebrate Season 2022, bid farewell to our incredible Executive Director and Co-CEO Virginia Lovett, and acknowledge some milestone Donor birthdays.
Q&A
Actor Lincoln Elliott plays multiple characters in Sunshine Super Girl, including one very special person in Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s life – her husband Roger. He shares his take on the role and how this story hits really close to home – quite literally.
Q&A
You wouldn’t know it, but Jax Compton had never acted before joining the Sunshine Super Girl team. An experienced dancer, she shares why she made the leap into acting to be part of this landmark Australian work.
Q&A
Performer and Movement Director Katina Olsen talks to us about acting and choreographing for Sunshine Super Girl and why dance and movement allow Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s story to be in a way few other mediums could.
Q&A
Actor Ella Ferris is the legendary Evonne Goolagong Cawley in Sunshine Super Girl. She talks to us about the joy, challenge and privilege of bringing to life one of her childhood idols and how her character is continually evolving.
MTC Foundation
Read how the Betty Amsden Foundation enabled a group of students with limited access to participate in an intensive week of drama workshops at Southbank Theatre.
Video
Watch how we transformed the Sumner theatre to make way for a tennis court – complete with onstage courtside seating – for audiences to experience the theatre like never before.
Feature
Join us in celebrating our first cohort of assistant directors involved in the inaugural MinterEllison Future Directors Initiative.
Education
We asked some of our Youth Ambassadors about the impact the program has had on their lives.
Video
Elise Esther Hearst shares the inspiration behind her and Phillip Kavanagh's decision to adapt Charles Dickens’s classic Christmas morality tale for their NEXT STAGE Original play – A Very Jewish Christmas Carol.
Video
Actor Kate Mulvany introduces the rollicking ensemble comedy Bernhardt/Hamlet.
Interactive
VCE Drama students can use these interactive flashcards to remember and apply the performance skills.
Interactive
VCE Drama students can use these interactive flashcards to remember and apply the production areas.
Q&A
Director Kate Champion and actor Nikki Shiels discuss what drew them to Girls & Boys and why its subject matter is incredibly relevant for our stages.
Video
Watch Kate Champion discuss the extraordinary one-woman show Girls & Boys and why it's important to her that this story was written by a man.
Interactive
VCE Drama students can use these interactive flashcards to remember and apply the expressive skills.
Feature
Writer and actor Virginia Gay and Director Sarah Goodes discuss Cyrano’s long-awaited opening and how a little distance has allowed its playful exploration of the courage it takes to connect and how we can reimagine classic stories to shine through.
Programme
Read more about Girls & Boys – a devastatingly astute and timely new work from British playwright Dennis Kelly – and meet the cast and creatives in our show programme.
Interview
Fresh off her performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Nikki Shiels is ready to bring to life another unforgettable character in Dennis Kelly’s one-woman show Girls & Boys.
Q&A
Making his Melbourne Theatre Company debut as Yan in Cyrano, actor and comedian Claude Jabbour is excited by the warmth, joy and fun of this world premiere show.
Q&A
Holly Austin is an actor, a musician, a playwright, a trained clown and improviser, and chorus member number 3 in Cyrano. Her character’s bravery changes the course of the play.
Q&A
Playing chorus member number 2, a character who is ‘insufferably intense about theatre’, professional pretender Robin Goldsworthy says he’s basically playing himself as he was at age 22.
Video
Explore Season 2023 – a new artistic era for Melbourne Theatre Company that will broaden the conversation like never before.
Programme
Learn more about Virginia Gay’s joyous, music-filled take on Edmond Rostand’s literary classic – a modern love letter to language, desire and the magic of theatre.
MTC Foundation
On Monday 29 August 2022 Donors and their guests gathered at Metropolis Events for an exclusive preview of Season 2023.
Feature
Cyrano’s chorus is a key part of the play’s interrogation of old storytelling tropes. The three chorus members help analyse why we continue to tell old stories, and how we can tell new stories; stories for everybody.
Video
Playwright and actor Virginia Gay talks about why the title role of Cyrano is perfect for a woman to play.
Q&A
Actor and playwright Virginia Gay discusses writing a Cyrano not just for the 21st century but for Melbourne in the aftermath of 2020.
Interview
With only a handful of performances left of Laurinda, Georgina Naidu reflects on what she has connected with most in the story and what it has meant for her to be part of an all-Asian Australian cast.
Education
A resource pack for teachers and students to learn more about Laurinda, with activities to analyse and explore the MTC production.
Q&A
Composer and Sound Designer Marco Cher-Gibard discusses the music and sounds of Laurinda.
Q&A
Learn more about the set design and AV components of Laurinda in this Q&A with Eugyeene Teh, Roshelle Fong and Justin Gardam.
Feature
In co-adapting Laurinda, writer Diana Nguyen has layered multiple stories in Alice Pung's novel to expand it for a new generation. She talks to us about how this evolved during the writing process and the joy of sharing a Vietnamese story on stage.
Playlist
Take a trip down memory lane with our playlist of iconic 90s tracks.
Feature
Anne-Louise Sarks reflects on the favourite works of her career so far.
Video
Watch as the Laurinda cast take a trip down memory lane and reconnect with beloved snacks and pop culture from this distinct decade.
Video
Working on Laurinda has been a special experience for our cast. Find out what they are most excited about and why they can't wait to share this powerful coming-of-age story on the mainstage.
Video
If they could go back, what advice would the Laurinda team give to their younger selves?
Video
Seven actors will transform into 17 characters to bring Laurinda to life on stage. Discover who's playing who from the people that know them best – our talented cast.
Q&A
Meet the cast of Laurinda and learn more about the characters and themes in the play.
A family love of theatre inspired Rachel to celebrate her sister's memory with a seat in the Sumner.
Education
Prepare to see Laurinda live on stage with these English, Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies insights and activities.
Q&A
Costume Designer Karine Larché discusses how she distorted a mélange of 1990s fashion in Laurinda.
Video
At the end of each performance of The Heartbreak Choir, a different local community choir joined the cast on stage for the heartfelt finale. Meet some of the choristers backstage as they reflect on this unique experience.
Video
Meet the talented Laurinda team with this peek behind the camera of our recent shoot before they hit the stage.
Feature
Southbank Theatre’s new restaurant Miss Pearl Bar + Dining has brought a new energy to the Melbourne Arts Precinct. With a menu inspired by the vivid flavours of Asia, we meet Head Chef Sushil Aryal and Bar Manager Kristyanna Sheppard for an inside look.
Feature
Petra Kalive and Diana Nguyen reflect on the impact of Alice Pung’s novel and why it’s imperative to continue the powerful, complex conversations the story demands about culture, class and race – this time on stage and with a twist.
Q&A
Petra Kalive talks about collaboration, comedy and character as she discusses her approach to directing Laurinda.
Q&A
Laurinda Movement Director, Xanthe Beesley, discusses how movement exercises help build ensemble and support character development.
Video
Gillian Cosgriff, Angus Grant and Chris Ryan – the cast of Come Rain or Come Shine – spill the beans on their favourite vocal warm-up.
Video
Come Rain or Come Shine celebrates the remarkable era of jazz music from the Great American Songbook. Characters Ray and Emily love Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan and Judy Garland, but what are the cast and creative team's favourites?
Audio
Listen back to some highlights from Anne-Louise Sarks’s insightful conversation with Sally Sara AM.
Video
Head into the rehearsal room and meet the cast and creative team of the sweetly stirring new boutique musical Come Rain or Come Shine.
Playlist
Listen to some of the classic tunes that feature in the show and more inspired by this era of remarkable jazz.
Programme
Learn more about the sweetly stirring new musical Come Rain or Come Shine – an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s wildly comic short story about music, memory and lifelong friendship.
Feature
Get to know our new Artistic Director & Co-CEO Anne-Louise Sarks before she launches her first season in September this year.
Interview
As Costume Designer for Come Rain or Come Shine Sophie Woodward sets her sights on the iconic eras of the late 70s and early 80s. She talks to us about getting these just right, how her career took off and some of her favourite productions so far.
Interview
Before Shiv Palekar got the role of Christopher in The Sound Inside he wasn’t sure when his next job would be. He discusses how this uncertainty connected him to the play and the focus required to perform in this powerful two-hander.
News
We’re delighted to receive 15 nominations for five of our Season 2021 productions for the 39th annual Green Room Awards.
A self-guided workshop for high-ability students in Years 9-12 as part of the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series.
Interview
We talk to Set Designer Elizabeth Gadsby about how she is bringing the interior world of The Sound Inside to the stage.
Feature
Catherine McClements talks to us about why playing the complex, enigmatic Bella in The Sound Inside is a dream and how the play examines the magic of stories to form bonds and offer understanding.
Interview
Danni A. Esposito, the Sound Designer for The Sound Inside, is obsessed with dissecting scripts. They talk to us about where the obsession began, their career journey so far and the aural world of The Sound Inside.
MTC Foundation
On Thursday 12 May, Donors joined us for an interval drink in the Lounge, and then remained in the auditorium post show for a chat with The Heartbreak Choir Director Peter Houghton and Musical Director Vicki Jacobs.
Programme
The Sound Inside is a riveting, profound mystery that unfurls like a gripping novel. Unravel some of its clues and read more about the production in our show programme.
Interview
William McInnes chats to us about how his character Peter confronts change in The Heartbreak Choir and why he hopes audiences will see bits and pieces of themselves in this poignant, funny story.
Interview
Ratidzo Mambo is thrilled to be playing a Zimbabwean character in The Heartbreak Choir, but she almost didn’t accept the part. She tells us what got her over the line and how her character Aseni is driven by truth and authenticity.
Interview
Louise Siversen is the good-hearted, headstrong Totty in The Heartbreak Choir. We talk to her about what it’s like working on a new play and how Totty has inspired her to be more courageous.
Get to know some of Melbourne’s most-loved community choirs who will join The Heartbreak Choir cast on stage in the finale of each performance.
Video
Join The Heartbreak Choir cast and creative team in the rehearsal room and get a sneak peek of this joyous and uplifting celebration of music, friendship and community.
Set The Stage
Learn more about how philanthropic support touches our creative community.
Set The Stage
Artistic Director and Co-CEO Anne-Louise Sarks is passionate about continuing to develop MTC’s position as the top theatre destination in Australia, for audiences and artists alike.
Set The Stage
Kat Stewart reflects on her return to the MTC stage and why theatre has the tremendous power to not only heal and transform, but to also offer an escape.
Set The Stage
We talk to MTC Associate Director Petra Kalive and writer and comedian Diana Nguyen about adapting Alice Pung’s award-winning book Laurinda for the stage.
Set The Stage
Associate Costume Designer and costume maker John Van Gastel takes us behind the scenes, and seams, of bringing the costumes for Shakespeare’s As You Like It to life.
Set The Stage
This year we head back on tour to regional Victoria with SLAP. BANG. KISS. by Dan Giovannoni.
Set The Stage
Brodie Murray is a Wamba Wamba/Scottish-Australian playwright and performer, with a passion and drive to tell First Nations stories of South Eastern Australia.
Education
A resource pack for teachers and students to learn more about SLAP. BANG. KISS. with links to the VCE Drama curriculum.
MTC Foundation
On Monday 28 March, Donors were invited to join cast and creatives of Admissions for a post-show Q&A.
Q&A
Playwright Dan Giovannoni discusses the origins and evolution of his gripping new work.
Q&A
Set & Costume Designer Kate Davis discusses symbolism, function and aesthetics in her designs for SLAP. BANG. KISS.
Q&A
Director Katy Maudlin discusses motifs, rhythm and space in SLAP. BANG. KISS. as rehearsals commence.
Education
Prepare to see SLAP. BANG. KISS. by Dan Giovannoni live on stage with these VCE Drama insights and activities.
Galleries
Explore this gallery of photos from the creative development at MTC HQ in February 2022.
Video
Watch the video trailer for SLAP. BANG. KISS. by Dan Giovannoni ahead of seeing the production live on stage.
Video
Hear from the cast and director about how Admissions lets no one off the hook and puts the audience right in the centre of the debate.
Interview
William McKenna is making his MTC debut in Admissions. We talk to him about his journey so far and how he prepared for his role in this explosive and provocative play.
Interview
Kat Stewart is back at MTC in the biting, satirical comedy Admissions. She tells us why it’s a play she couldn’t ignore and why she’s drawn to complex, flawed characters.
MTC Foundation
On Monday 21 February, Donors had the opportunity to join us at The Barre for a celebratory post-show drink and meet our new Artistic Director and Co-CEO Anne-Louise Sarks.
MTC Foundation
On Monday 7 February Donors enjoyed a post-show Q&A with Director Petra Kalive, Assistant Director Katie Cawthorne and the cast of Touching the Void.
MTC Foundation
Karl Richmond shares what making theatre means to him and reflects on his journey at MTC so far, which saw him navigating lockdowns and experiencing the joy of returning to the mainstage.
Interview
Congolese born multidisciplinary artist Gideon D. Wilonja talks to us about centring Black and queer voices on stage, and using his own experience to tell stories often overlooked by mainstream media.
Education
A resource pack for teachers and students to learn more about Fun Home, with links to the VCE Theatre Studies curriculum.
Interview
Emerging First Nations theatre maker and performer Blayne Welsh tells us about his interest in developing new works that dive into questions about intergenerational trauma and intergenerational justice.
Interview
Writer and performer Kristen Smyth talks about creating work that questions everything – from notions of truth and traditional social foundations to accepted wisdom – and why the bath is the perfect place to write.
Interview
Playwright, journalist and rapper Chenturan Aran has written a scorching and razor-sharp new comedy exploring race, love, forgiveness and how we bear witness to other people’s stories.
Interview
Roshelle Fong finds inspiration from all sorts of places, from mundane domestic interactions to bizarre news headlines. She tells us where the spark came from for her new play, set in the not-too-distant future, and featuring a robotic dog.
Interview
Sydney-based performer Emily Havea has tallied an impressive list of credits to her name – including being Australia’s first female person of colour to play Curly McClain in Oklahoma! She talks to us about her career to date and her MTC debut in Fun Home.
Interview
Touching the Void is possibly the show where Xanthe Beesley’s role as Movement Director is more important than ever. She talks to us about working with the cast to evoke the physicality of climbing the rugged, icy terrain of the Peruvian Andes on stage.
Programme
Learn more about Touching the Void, a jaw-dropping adventure that will transport to the snow-capped peaks and glacial crevasses of the Peruvian Andes.
Video
Go behind the scenes with the Touching the Void cast to discover how they are bringing this epic story of survival and climbing to stage.