[category]
[title]
Love a bit of razzle-dazzle? How about drama and didactic dialogue? Or perhaps a healthy dose of witty repartee? Whatever gets you into a theatre seat, Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2027 season has you covered.
The newly announced program for 2027 is looking very, very good, with 11 productions spanning everything from reimagined classics to compelling new Australian dramas and international hits. There are six world premieres, three Australian premieres and seven works by Australian writers, including two by First Nations writers. Six productions have been supported through MTC’s Next Stage Writers’ Program, while five are MTC commissions, highlighting the company’s commitment to nurturing ambitious new Australian work. In other words: clear your calendar.
As Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director and CEO Anne-Louise Sarks says, "Season 2027 invites audiences to join us at the theatre for thrilling, moving and surprising storytelling. Our new season highlights who we are: a company that backs Australian artists, commissions new Australian work and gives artists the support to continue making ambitious theatre from the ground up."
Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2027 season:
Stereophonic: Opening on January 25, David Adjmi’s Stereophonic is the most Tony Award-nominated play in Broadway history. Directed by Daniel Evans with an original score by Will Butler, this musical follows a band recording the album that could make them famous – if they can survive each other long enough to finish it.
Richard III: Opening on February 13 at Fairfax Studio, Kate Mulvany takes on Shakespeare’s infamous king in a landmark solo performance, playing every character herself. Mulvany also adapts the work, with director Ian Michael at the helm, shining a light on the misunderstood figure beneath the villainy.
A Delicate Balance: Opening on April 3, Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy has an impressive cast of Sigrid Thornton, Nadine Garner and Erik Thomson. Directed by Iain Sinclair, this unnerving domestic drama begins when friends arrive at a household fleeing an unnamed terror – and promptly turn everything upside down.
The War of the Worlds: Opening on May 1 in the Lawler Theatre, award-winning Wirlomin Noongar writer Claire G. Coleman turns H.G. Wells’ famous alien invasion story inside out. Co-created and directed by Joe Paradise Lui, this bold new adaptation hands the history back to the people who lived it, offering a very different perspective on a familiar tale.
Dirty Diamonds: Opening on May 22, this world premiere is a Blak crime caper with plenty of attitude – think Thelma & Louise, but with a better ending. Written and directed by Abbie-lee Lewis and inspired by the real Argyle diamond mine heist of the 1980s, it follows two First Nations women on a wild road trip from Perth to the Kimberley.
Rebels: Opening on June 5, this gripping new Australian work imagines the conversation behind closed doors when Bob Hawke, Kerry Packer and Clive Lloyd met at Kirribilli House in 1985 to decide the future of Australian cricket. Written by Julian Larnach and directed by Jessica Arthur, it’s a fast-moving three-hander about sport, power and what Australia stands for.
John Proctor is the Villain: Opening on July 5, Anne-Louise Sarks directs the Australian premiere of Kimberly Belflower’s much-talked-about play. A modern-day response to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, it shifts the focus to the teenage girls on the margins of the original story – and is already headed for the big screen with Tina Fey and Sadie Sink among its producing team.
The Authenticator: Opening on August 2, this comedy-infused mystery-thriller arrives in Melbourne direct from its premiere at London’s National Theatre. Written by black British playwright Winsome Pinnock and directed by Zindzi Okenyo, it unravels the secrets surrounding a family inheritance, with Mandy McElhinney, Chika Ikogwe and Brigid Zengeni leading the cast.
Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical: Opening on September 9, this musical brings Australia’s most famous racehorse back to life with a score inspired by Duke Ellington and Daft Punk. Fresh from winning Best Production of a Musical at the Sydney Theatre Awards and a sold-out Hayes Theatre run, Sheridan Harbridge’s joyous underdog story is galloping into Melbourne.
Every Second Wednesday: Opening on October 9, acclaimed Australian playwright Andrew Bovell (Lantana, Strictly Ballroom) turns his attention to the people often overlooked in stories about addiction: the parents, partners and siblings who keep showing up. Directed by Sarah Goodes, this deeply human drama stars Ian Bliss, Diana Glenn, Danielle Cormack and Debra Lawrance.
Clarice: Opening on November 2, Rachel Griffiths returns to Melbourne Theatre Company after 20 years to play Clarice Beckett, one of Australia’s great modernist painters. This world premiere explores the artist’s life – all but forgotten after her death, until one woman refused to let her disappear from history. It’s a new work developed through a unique creative collaboration between Griffiths, AACTA Award-winning writer Trudy Hellier and director Simon Phillips.
Subscription packages as well as individual show tickets for Melbourne Theatre Company's 2027 season are on sale via their website.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.