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After more than two years behind closed doors, one of Melbourne’s most beloved theatres is finally getting ready to welcome audiences back – and it’s throwing one heck of a housewarming party.
Arts Centre Melbourne’s Ian Potter State Theatre will reopen on Saturday, October 3 (six months ahead of schedule), following its first major refurbishment since the theatre opened in 1984. And to celebrate, Victorians are being invited to Housewarming – a four-day festival of free performances running from October 9 to 12.
The best part? 18,000 free tickets will be up for grabs, with the fast-paced showcase bringing together more than 100 of Victoria’s finest performing artists across dance, circus, music and theatre.
Directed by acclaimed Melbourne theatremaker Michael Kantor, Housewarming promises a bit of everything. Award-winning musical comedy performer Jude Perl will lead audiences on a hunt for a mysterious lyrebird that has gone missing from the theatre’s famous red curtain, joined by Australian Ballet principal artist Brett Chynoweth, singer-songwriters Emma Donovan and Eliza Hull, dancer Roya the Destroya, Circus Oz and Opera Australia.
We can also expect appearances from Melbourne Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, the Australian Ballet School, Stephanie Lake Company, Robin Fox, Yarra Voices, Cypher Culture x Jungle City and musical theatre students from the Victorian College of the Arts. And because theatre should be for everyone, there will be family-friendly performances, too. The Listies will take over the stage on Sunday, October 11, and on Monday, October 12 there will be performances specially scheduled for school groups.
But the real, out-of-the-ordinary fun will come outside of showtime. Across the opening weekend, visitors can drop into Encore!, a new exhibition celebrating 50 years of the Australian Performing Arts Collection, with free entry. There will also be guided tours, DJ sets and roaming performances, plus a fleet of food trucks serving everything from Italian woodfired pizza and Korean and Japanese street food to Greek doughnuts.
On the Friday and Saturday nights, the famous Arts Centre Melbourne spire will score a spectacular makeover of its own. According to the team, the immersive light show Spire Alight will use laser-mapping technology to light up the Theatres Building, tracing its architectural details in an impressive animated light show.
The reopening marks a major milestone for the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project, with a heap more in the works. The revamped Ian Potter State Theatre now has improved heating and cooling, upgraded lighting and sound, new aisles and seating, and improved accessibility, including wheelchair positions across all levels and two new lifts. And, of course, the theatre’s distinctive heritage interiors have all been carefully preserved.
Housewarming runs from October 9-12 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Tickets are free, and we reckon they’ll get snapped up pretty quickly. You can score yours over here.
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