S E A S O N
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Pay attention and you will be diverted. Sit still and you will be moved. Be transfixed and you will be transported. Lose yourself and find something new. Season 2016
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The Plays - 04 Ladies in Black - 06 Lungs - 08 The Distance - 10 Miss Julie - 12 Straight White Men - 14 Double Indemnity - 16 Skylight - 18 Jasper Jones - 20 Disgraced - 22 Switzerland - 24 The Odd Couple The Season Offers - 28 Lilith: The Jungle Girl - 30 Egg Subscriber Information - 34 How to book - 35 Important dates - 36 Subscription prices - 38 MTC Members - 40 MTC Foundation - 42 Performance diary - 50 Get social with MTC online - 52 MTC Community - 54 Subscriber and access information - 56 Thank you - 58 Our venues
Welcome Join us on a remarkable theatrical journey.
2016 marks the fourth Melbourne Theatre Company season I’ve had the great privilege to curate. Navigating a theatre company through this second decade of the 21st Century is both a joy and a challenge. At our core we have our dedicated Subscribers who enjoy a rich history with us ranging from recent seasons, back through 10, 20, 40 seasons and even to our beginning. Our subscription audiences mean everything to us and we applaud and celebrate your loyalty, curiosity and courage in opening your hearts and minds to new productions, indeed new works of art, which have never been seen before. At the same time, as Victoria’s state theatre company, we also acknowledge and embrace the tens of thousands of occasional theatre goers, many of them first-timers to MTC.
Achieving and integrating a balance of stories and art which excites our loyal, intrepid Subscribers and also speaks to new audiences about their lives in an arresting and compelling way is the thrill of theatre-making today. In this 2016 program I believe we have found a perfect mix of works – a suite of plays which can reach, and speak with great meaning, to any of the six million citizens of our State. MTC is Melbourne’s and Victoria’s metaphorical campfire, around which we gather to tell and be told stories that entertain, challenge and enlighten all our lives, and enable us to see the world in original and enriching ways. I hope that once you read this brochure you will join us on these remarkable theatrical journeys which our dozens of extraordinary artists - writers, directors, actors, designers and other creatives - are passionate about taking us on. Great artists create work with the hope of communicating their unique visions to us, and it is an invitation to connect with them which I, for one, cannot resist. Brett Sheehy AO Artistic Director
WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL PRODUCTION
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From the director of North by Northwest, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and The Drowsy Chaperone ‘Seductive, hilarious, brilliantly observed. Shimmers with wit and tenderness.’ Helen Garner (on The Women in Black)
Ladies in Black book by Carolyn Burns, music and lyrics by Tim Finn based on Madeleine St John’s novel, The Women in Black
Never out of fashion 16 JANUARY – 27 FEBRUARY Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Donor event Post-show cocktail party 2 February
In the haplessly dowdy, provincial city of Sydney in the 1950s, the Goode’s department store does as much as it can to give off an air of cosmopolitanism. Into this enclave of borrowed elegance steps Lesley, taking a holiday job in Ladies Frocks while she awaits her school leaving results. She hopes for university and the life beyond it, yet for a few weeks she will get a glimpse of another life, the working life of the impeccable Ladies in Black, who dress the salubrious North Shore housewives with taste and grace. A celebration of glamour, gowns and growing up, Madeleine St John’s wry, ironic novel The Women in Black uncannily evoked the speech and manners of a vanished Australia, caught in a self-conscious yearning to be stylish and European. Now, the light-hearted rhythm of St John’s prose has been perfectly transcribed into a sparkling new musical by songwriter Tim Finn (Split Enz, Poor Boy), and writer Carolyn Burns, fresh from her triumphant adaptation of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Former MTC Artistic Director Simon Phillips returns to direct a cast led by Christen O’Leary (Company) and Bobby Fox (Jersey Boys).
#mtcLadiesinBlack MUSICAL
A Queensland Theatre Company Production. Originally produced by Queensland Theatre Company in association with Queensland Performing Arts Centre
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
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‘It is the most beautiful, quietly shattering play of the year.’ Sunday Express
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‘Both uproariously funny and unbearably poignant.’ Exeunt Magazine
Lungs by Duncan Macmillan
You want a what? 5 FEBRUARY – 19 MARCH
Free cast & artist Q&A 1 February, 6pm
In Ikea – of all places – a man tentatively suggests to his partner that perhaps they should start a family, and whoosh – out fly all her pent up anxieties for the future. What follows are many months of this couple’s unending questioning of their impending parenthood compressed into one seamless, funny conversation. And while they fret and bicker over the biggest decision of their lives, the real question becomes whether there’s enough love in the mix to hold things together.
Donor event Post-show dinner 23 February
Proving that parenthood is not for the fainthearted, Lungs is funny, tender and thoughtful, bringing our uncertain and unspoken thoughts about the future into full voice.
Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio
Following her success with What Rhymes with Cars and Girls, director Clare Watson joins MTC for another bumpy romantic ride starring MTC favourites Kate Atkinson (Wentworth, The Waiting Room) and Bert LaBonté (Birdland, The Mountaintop).
#mtcLungs INTIMATE CONTEMPORARY DRAMA Contains coarse language
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
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‘A great play about female friendship. Punchy, observant and funny.’ The Arts Desk
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‘Shot through with big emotions, moral dilemmas and, best of all, quiet truths.’ Time Out London
The Distance by Deborah Bruce
Mum on the run 5 MARCH – 9 APRIL Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free cast & artist Q&A 29 February, 6pm
Turn to your friends in times of trouble. That’s sound advice and just what Bea does after leaving her marriage in Australia and returning to Britain. All her friends sympathise with her until she announces that her two small children will stay in Melbourne with their father. She’s not cut out for motherhood. Doesn’t like it one bit. So why should she pretend? She’s flown the coop and there’s no way this pigeon is flying back. Who says we must face up to our adult responsibilities? In Deborah Bruce’s play of strong emotions and big laughs, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is brought vividly up to date, asking questions about our revered view of motherhood and exposing one of society’s final taboos. MTC Associate Director Leticia Cáceres directs this certified hit from London, in which warm feelings rapidly heat up, threatening a hilarious boil-over.
#mtcTheDistance CONTEMPORARY DRAMA/COMEDY Contains coarse language
2015 HELPMANN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
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‘Kip Williams is confirmed as a major directing talent.’ The Guardian
‘Themes of class, clout, cash, gender, love and lust.’ Crikey
‘As astonishing a feat of acting as I have seen.’ ABC Arts (on Mark Leonard Winter in Birdland)
Miss Julie by August Strindberg
Bird in a cage 16 APRIL – 21 MAY Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free cast & artist Q&A 11 April, 6pm Donor event Post-show cocktail party 25 April
Miss Julie is wild again tonight. Midsummer’s Eve is her time, a night when rules are broken, when class barriers are set aside and the young mistress of the manor can dance with whomever she pleases. She chooses Jean, her father’s valet, and for a few hours through the long twilight they play a dangerous game of What If? But the enchantment cannot last and soon the dawn will break. With its radical naturalism, August Strindberg shocked and alarmed his contemporary audiences in 1888 by presenting social class as fragile and female sexuality as a dangerous force. Now, through a modern lense, we see the freedom that his audacious lovers yearn for, yet never possess. Having recently wowed audiences with celebrated revivals of Suddenly Last Summer starring Robyn Nevin and Macbeth starring Hugo Weaving, Sydney Theatre Company’s Resident Director Kip Williams brings this enduring theatrical masterpiece to life, with a cast featuring the mesmerising Mark Leonard Winter (Birdland).
#mtcMissJulie CLASSIC DRAMA Contains mature themes
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
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‘Arguably one of the hottest playwrights in America right now.’ National Public Radio
‘A compassionate and stimulating exploration of one man’s existential crisis.’ The New York Times
‘Smart and thought-provoking.’ NY Daily News
Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee
Some guys have all the luck 6 MAY – 18 JUNE Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio Free cast & artist Q&A 2 May, 6pm Donor event Post-show dinner 24 May
Christmas is for family, and brothers Matt, Jake and Drew gather at their Dad’s house for the usual observances of the holiday season, adding a few rituals of their own, such as playing politically-correct board games and worrying about what Mum would think. Although she’s been dead for some time now, their liberal, feminist mother still casts a vast shadow. She taught them how being heterosexual white males gives them an unfair advantage in America. But, as carefree youth gives way to mid-life anxiety, privileged is the last thing they feel. In her razor-edged new comedy, Young Jean Lee, one of American theatre’s most acute observers of race and identity, pokes fun at the luckiest social group in modern society. With equal parts of irony and understanding, MTC Associate Director Leticia Cáceres takes on the most hotly debated play of the recent New York season. Steve Mouzakis (Death and the Maiden, The Cherry Orchard) returns to the Company to play the most sensitive of these sensitive new age brothers.
#mtcStraightWhiteMen CONTEMPORARY DRAMA/COMEDY Contains coarse language
WORLD PREMIERE
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‘Truly an astonishing style, rippling in a nervous sort of way, the writing vivid and direct.’ The New York Times Book Review
‘Film noir is the most intoxicating of Hollywood cocktails, and none is more potent than Double Indemnity.’ The Telegraph (UK)
Double Indemnity by Tom Holloway adapted from the book by James M Cain
Desire can be fatal 30 MAY – 2 JULY Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse Free cast & artist Q&A 23 May, 6pm Donor event Post-show cocktail party 6 June
Insurance agent Walter Huff has nosed around the business long enough to smell a scam, so when he meets Phyllis Nirdlinger to talk about her husband’s insurance coverage he gets a perfumed whiff of trouble. But she has a persuasive way of putting things. Can’t a wife fix a little security for herself? After all, a beloved husband can suffer a fatal accident just as easily as an honest guy can fall hard for a dame who’s no good. The LA sunshine throws plenty of dark shadows in James M Cain’s sensational thriller novels of the thirties and forties, of which this steamy tale of murder and desire is the undoubted masterpiece. Cain’s novel was famously adapted for the screen, and Tom Holloway’s smart-mouthed stage adaptation now breathes new life into one of the greatest crime narratives of our times. With MTC Associate Artistic Director Sam Strong (Private Lives, The Speechmaker) providing the hard-boiled direction, and a stellar cast including Lachlan Woods (North by Northwest), Double Indemnity promises audiences at least twice the ordinary payout in passion and intrigue.
#mtcDoubleIndemnity THRILLER Contains violence and adult themes
2015 TONY AWARD FOR BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY 1996 OLIVIER AWARD FOR BEST NEW PLAY
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‘Full of guts and heart.’ London Evening Standard
‘Luminously beautiful and wildly truthful.’ New York Post
Skylight by David Hare
After the affair 18 JUNE – 23 JULY Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free cast & artist Q&A 13 June, 6pm Donor event Post-show cocktail party 5 July
A few years ago, Kyra broke off her relationship with a wealthy married man, having caused more hurt than she could bear, and settled for a tougher life as a teacher in a disadvantaged school. But is it idealism that drives her or her need for penance? When her former lover Tom tracks her down to her cold London flat to rekindle their relationship, she must decide if she could ever again be the person she once was. Set in 1995, as seventeen years of Thatcherite rule came to an end, Skylight examines the moral landscape through the twin prisms of a country divided against itself and former lovers estranged. An incisive and passionate reckoning of gains and losses, David Hare’s contemporary classic seems even more urgent today as the gulf between the haves and the have-nots widens. Helpmann Award-winner Dean Bryant (I’ll Eat You Last) returns to MTC to direct a brilliant cast led by Colin Friels (Endgame, Red) and Anna Samson (Birdland, The Sublime).
#mtcSkylight RELATIONSHIP DRAMA Contains coarse language
2010 ABIA BOOK OF THE YEAR
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‘Jasper Jones is our next Cloudstreet.’ The West Australian
‘There’s tension, injustice, young love, hypocrisy, and above all the certainty that Silvey has planted himself in the landscape as one of our finest storytellers.’ Australian Women’s Weekly
‘A riveting tale, studded with laugh-outloud and life affirming moments.’ Adelaide Advertiser
Jasper Jones based on the novel by Craig Silvey adapted by Kate Mulvany
You gotta get brave 1 AUGUST – 9 SEPTEMBER Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free cast & artist Q&A 25 July, 6pm Donor event Post-show cocktail party 8 August
#mtcJasperJones FAMILY DRAMA Contains coarse language
Late one summer night in 1965, young Charlie is startled by fierce rapping on the window of his sleep-out. It’s Jasper Jones, the baddest kid in the wheatbelt town of Corrigan. Steer clear of him, parents say, he’s nothing but trouble. And now he’s outside Charlie’s window, begging him to come see something, something awful, something that’ll change his life. A heart-warming coming-of-age story wrapped in a mystery, Jasper Jones recalls a long, simmering summer in which friendships are tested and illusions are lost. Described as Australia’s answer to To Kill a Mockingbird, this acclaimed, best-selling novel by Craig Silvey has been lovingly adapted for the stage by Kate Mulvany (Masquerade). Now, MTC Associate Artistic Director Sam Strong transforms this tender small-town morality tale into a rich and poignant new production.
2013 PULITZER PRIZE FOR DRAMA
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‘A sparkling and combustible contemporary drama.’ Bloomberg News
‘Bristles with wit and intelligence.’ The New York Times
Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar
Culture shock 19 AUGUST – 1 OCTOBER Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio Free cast & artist Q&A 15 August, 6pm
Amir is an American living the American Dream. On track to make partner in his law firm, he lives with his artist wife Emily in their spacious Upper East Side apartment, where occasionally they’ll throw a dinner party. Tonight’s guests are Jory, a work colleague, and her husband, Isaac, an art dealer, and, with so much in common, the conversation flows easily. Then, as it inevitably does in today’s conflicted America, the topic turns to race, religion and identity. Now, how quickly things fall apart. Intense and absorbing with the arc of classic tragedy, Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama has a hero who believes he has flown too high to ever fall to earth. Sensationally proving Chekhov’s observation that lives can be destroyed during an event as mundane as a dinner party, this production of Disgraced draws on a top flight cast, directed by Nadia Tass (The Other Place), starring Mitchell Butel (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) and Kat Stewart (Offspring, The Speechmaker).
#mtcDisgraced POLITICAL DRAMA Contains violence, coarse language and mature themes
2014 STA BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
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‘A gripping psychological thriller. Creeps up on you and then has you on the edge of your seat.’ The Sunday Telegraph
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‘Two outstanding performances.’ The Daily Review
‘Scintillating, mesmerising, sexy, and more than a bit heady.’ ArtsHub
Switzerland by Joanna Murray-Smith
Who will make it out alive? 16 SEPTEMBER – 29 OCTOBER Southbank Theatre, The Sumner
Patricia Highsmith, best-selling author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, decided long ago that she didn’t like people, any people. She certainly doesn’t like the earnest, clean-cut young man sent from her publisher’s office, who turns up at her alpine retreat to convince her to write a final book. He can go to hell. But he’s wilier than she first supposes and their confrontation soon turns into a cat-and-mouse game – but who is cat and who mouse? In Switzerland, Joanna Murray-Smith re-imagines the caustically witty novelist in her final years, a little old lady alone with her cats and her gun collection, giving her demons free reign and not giving a damn. Building tension like the final chapters of one of Highsmith’s own thrillers, Switzerland was a hit for Sydney Theatre Company in 2014. This acclaimed twohander under the direction of Sarah Goodes comes to MTC with the stunning original cast of Sarah Peirse and Eamon Farren, with design by Michael Scott-Mitchell, lighting by Nick Schlieper and composition by Steve Francis.
#mtcSwitzerland THRILLER Contains coarse language
A Sydney Theatre Company Production
‘Wildly, irresistibly, incredibly, and continually funny.’
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New York Daily News
‘The laughs come early and often in this non-stop comedy.’ NY Theatre Guide
‘Scarcely a moment that is not hilarious.’ The New York Times
The Odd Couple by Neil Simon
Hilarious housemates 5 NOVEMBER – 17 DECEMBER Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free cast & artist Q&A 31 October, 6pm Donor event Post-show cocktail party 14 November
Everything’s set for the regular poker game at Oscar’s place, but where’s Felix? He’s never late. A call to his wife reveals that she and Felix have split up and he’s taken it pretty hard. When he finally arrives, in shock, distraught, with thoughts to end it all, Oscar makes a proposal. Why not move in here with him? Think about it – two bachelors living together, fancy free, no wives getting on their nerves. It’ll be paradise! Neil Simon’s classic comedy about divorced men living together might be, perversely, the world’s funniest play about marriage. Has there ever been such a mismatch than this between the curmudgeonly slob Oscar Madison and the pernickety neatnik Felix Ungar? Can a seven-room Manhattan apartment ever be big enough for both of them? Countless revivals, three TV series and a hit film testify to the sure-fire hilarity of The Odd Couple. All a production needs are two character actors at the top of their form, such as Mad as Hell’s Shaun Micallef and Francis Greenslade and a specialist comedy director, such as Peter Houghton (True Minds), to make sure these famous one-liners hit their marks.
#mtcTheOddCouple CLASSIC COMEDY
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The Season Offers Special offers exclusive to MTC Subscribers. Subscribers enjoy early access to the following NEON NEXT and MTC Family shows. Book early to secure your tickets before they go on sale to the public.
NEON NEXT Over the last three years MTC’s landmark NEON Festival of Independent Theatre has celebrated the exciting and original work of Melbourne’s vibrant independent theatre sector. In 2016, MTC continues to support and showcase the brilliant work of Melbourne’s independent artists through NEON NEXT. NEON NEXT is the dynamic evolution of our Festival of Independent Theatre into an incubator for new independent works, deepening the relationships established over the past three years and shifting the focus towards commissioning, developing and presenting independent works for the stage. The first NEON NEXT commission presented by MTC is the stunning Sisters Grimm production of Lilith: The Jungle Girl, which you can read more about on the next page.
Sisters Grimm
In 2016, NEON NEXT also commissions Daniel Schlusser and Nicola Gunn to commence work on new projects, while MTC continues to support independent theatre practioners with opportunities to access a range of free professional development workshops and masterclasses. Stay tuned in early 2016 for more details on upcoming NEON NEXT activities.
Daniel Schlusser
Nicola Gunn
WORLD PREMIERE
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‘Flanders proves himself an obscenely funny and enviably talented performer.’ The Age
‘Extremely important, albeit insane, theatre.’ Inpress (on Cellblock Booty)
‘Sisters Grimm tread the line between the frivolous and the furiously political better than anybody making theatre in Australia right now.’ The Daily Review
Lilith: The Jungle Girl A Sisters Grimm Production
Wild beauty 1 SEPTEMBER – 1 OCTOBER Southbank Theatre, The Lawler
When a young wild girl is captured in the rainforests of Borneo, all of Holland is set abuzz. The year is 1861, and pioneering neuro scientist Charles Penworth is called upon to raise the child from the pit of her animal nature. But as Lilith learns to tame her feral heart and live amongst the glitterati of colonial Amsterdam, she begins to wonder, who, indeed, is the real savage? Theatrical wunderkinds Sisters Grimm, creators of the sell-out, award-winning NEON Festival hit The Sovereign Wife, take audiences on an epic, genredefying journey – equal parts The Elephant Man and She’s All That. With the title role played by Ash Flanders, star of MTC’s one-man comedy Buyer and Cellar, this bold new piece promises to be as mind-altering and caustically funny as all of Sisters Grimm’s work to date.
#mtcNeon CONTEMPORARY DRAMA/COMEDY
Commissioned and presented by MTC
WORLD PREMIERE FAMILY SHOW
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From the 2007 winner of the Australian Writers’ Guild Award for theatre for young audiences ‘Betzien and Cáceres are one of the most exciting theatrical pairings in the country.’ Sydney Morning Herald
Egg by Angela Betzien
An eco-adventure for all ages 29 JUNE – 15 JULY Southbank Theatre, The Lawler
Across a dry and dusty desert, two tinkers, Clyde and Horse, drag an enormous egg. They can’t remember how long they’ve been dragging it, or why they’ve been dragging it, or where they are dragging it to. All they know is that it’s really important. Life on their big bald egg of a planet depends upon it. So there’s nothing to be done but to go on! Let’s tug this great big googy into the future. And who knows? Maybe something wonderful will hatch! A tale of two forgetful fellows yoked to a yoke. Silly and funny and a little bit cracked, Egg is filled with clowning, puppetry, hope and the promise of renewal. Mashing puckish pranking and wide-eyed wonder, the acclaimed creative team of writer Angela Betzien and MTC Asscociate Director Leticia Cáceres combine with renowned Tasmanian company Terrapin Puppet Theatre, led by Sam Routledge, for this quirky little fable for ages eight to ancient, starring comedy favourite Genevieve Morris (True Minds). Suitable for ages 8 to 80!
#mtcEgg FAMILY FARE
Commissioned and developed by MTC and Terrapin Puppet Theatre with the assistance of the Australia Council Interconnections Program. A co-production with Terrapin Puppet Theatre
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Why Subscribe? MTC Subscribers enjoy great value theatre all year round. Choose from 7 to 11 plays to enjoy the following special benefits.
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Subscribers enjoy access to the best seats in the house before tickets go on sale to the public. Many of our shows fill quickly, so get your subscription booking in early.
Existing Subscribers enjoy a priority renewal period up to 9 October within which to book their package and take the first pick of the best available seats before new Subscribers..
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Subscribers enjoy the best value tickets. Save up to 35% with full price subscriptions starting from $58 per ticket. Concession discounts and further savings for people under 30 are also available. Plus, you can pay across the year in instalments.
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Save on programmes Come behind the scenes MTC’s quarterly magazine Scenes and monthly eNewsletters keep Subscribers up to date with interviews, articles and special offers.
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Exclusive season offers Subscribers get the exclusive early opportunity to access tickets for our NEON NEXT and MTC Family shows before they go on sale to the public. You can get your seats now for Lilith: The Jungle Girl by Sisters Grimm and Egg by Angela Betzien.
Full Season Subscriptions Take it all in. Enjoy a theatrical feast. MTC’s Full Season Subscribers are the aficionados, the adventurers, and the enquiring minds. They join us each year to revel in and support Melbourne’s very best theatre. And lots of it! Become an 11 Play Full Season Subscriber today to enjoy the following special benefits.
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New for 2016, exchanges for all 11 Play Full Season subscription tickets are free of charge, so it’s easier than ever to keep your calendar flexible.
11 Play Full Season Subscribers receive the best value tickets of all Subscribers. In 2015, Full Season Subscribers saved over 35% on the cost of the average MTC adult ticket. If you already see 9 plays a year then consider adding 2 extra shows from just $44 more to become a Full Season Subscriber.
Beat the queue with early access to the very best Subscriber seats available when taking advantage of the renewing 11 Play Subscriber priority booking window, open until 16 September. Renewing Subscribers upgrading to see the Full Season also receive priority processing over other renewing Subscribers.
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How to Book Once you have explored the season and selected your plays, complete your booking online, send in your form by mail, or drop it off in person.
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Go to mtc.com.au/subscriptions and follow the ‘Subscribe Now’ buttons to begin.
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MTC Subscriptions PO Box 918 South Melbourne VIC 3205
Southbank Theatre 140 Southbank Boulevard Southbank VIC 3006
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Tickets will then be booked and mailed out to you, or the Head Booker if you are in a group. For more info on group bookings and Head Bookers please see page 54.
Please note we are unable to take subscription bookings by phone, email or fax.
Important Dates for your Diary
7
16
September
September
2016 Season announced
Exclusive priority booking window closes for renewing 11 Play Full Season Subscribers.
Exclusive priority booking window opens for renewing 11 Play Full Season Subscribers and Donors ($1,000+).
Priority booking period opens for all other renewing Subscribers.
9
16
Priority booking period closes for all other renewing Subscribers.
Booking period begins for new Subscribers.
1
8
October
October
December
March 2016
Tickets for Ladies in Black, Lungs and The Distance go on sale to the public.
Tickets for all remaining productions go on sale to the public.
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Subscription Prices Subscribers save up to 35% on regular ticket prices. Concessions are available for seniors, groups, pensioners, full time students, University of Melbourne staff and people aged under 30.
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The Season Offers Subscribers enjoy exclusive early access to tickets on these special 2016 Season Offers. NEON NEXT MTC Family Show Lilith: The Jungle Girl Egg Full Price and Seniors
$45
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$35
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$30
* Opening Night Subscriptions available only to Donors giving $1,000+ †† ‡ #~ Conditions apply. See page 54 for more information.
All tickets $33
Additional Ticket Prices If you love a good night out as much as we do, then why not bring some family or friends along to the theatre as part of your subscription? Simply add additional tickets to your order when you book. ††
Ladies in Black, The Odd Couple, Double Indemnity
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Monday to Thursday Evenings
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Group Bookings Make your MTC experience even more social and form your own theatre group. Groups of 10 or more receive additional discounts on subscriptions. ‡ Access and Seating Requirements Please let us know at the time of booking if you have access or particular seating requirements so we can select seats suitable to your needs. See page 55 for details.
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MTC Members Become an MTC Member and enjoy exclusive privileges throughout the year.
Visit the Qatar Airways MTC Lounge MTC Members can relax pre-show and at interval with complimentary drinks and snacks while enjoying stunning views over the Melbourne skyline from the comfort of our exclusive Qatar Airways MTC Lounge at Southbank Theatre. The Lounge is open for MTC Members from one hour before all MTC mainstage performances at the Sumner Theatre on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and during interval (where applicable).
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11 Play Full Season Subscribers now receive two complimentary guest passes to the Qatar Airways MTC Lounge when joining MTC Members, valued at $50. For terms and conditions see page 54.
Becoming an MTC Member is easy Simply tick the Membership box on your subscription form, or join online when you subscribe at mtc.com.au/subscriptions
Membership Enquiries If you have any queries about becoming an MTC Member, please contact: members@mtc.com.au 03 8688 0958
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MTC Foundation MTC is a not-for-profit organisation. Help us continue to transform lives through theatre.
Did you know… Ticket sales, including subscription tickets, cover only 70% of our costs – meaning there’s no profit margin on our ticket sales, in fact every ticket is subsidised by Government and Donors. Nearly 20% of our costs are covered by other income such as donations and corporate partnerships. Only 10% of our costs are covered by Government funding (compared with up to 50% received by some other Victorian arts organisations).
Become an MTC Donor and help transform lives through theatre All donations to MTC go through the MTC Foundation and directly contribute to a sustainable future for MTC and for theatre in Melbourne. By donating, or making a bequest to MTC, you can help the MTC Foundation support the following essential areas of company activity:
Innovation Supporting local writers and artists to create theatre that transforms lives.
Community
10% 20% 70%
Making inspiring theatre accessible to a broad audience through family shows, ticket subsidies, regional touring and disability access services.
Education Ticket Sales Government Funding Other Income Including Donations & Corporate Support
Inspiring thousands of Victorian students each year with VCE linked productions, scholarships, workshops, teacher resources and school tours.
Southbank Theatre Safeguarding our iconic Southbank Theatre as a leading performance venue within the international arts landscape.
MTC Donors enjoy special privileges Donors giving more than $1,000 enjoy access to the best seats in the house, VIP ticketing services, invitations to special events and exclusive access to our artists. For more information on donating to MTC or planning a bequest, please contact: donations@mtc.com.au 03 8688 0959 or donate now at mtc.com.au/giving Thank you for your generosity! MTC is a registered not-for-profit organisation, with Deductible Gift Recipient status and TCC endorsement. Donations over $2 receive a tax receipt.
Naomi Rukavina and Luke Ryan in Yellow Moon
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Performance Diary Ladies in Black
book by Carolyn Burns, music and lyrics by Tim Finn, based on Madeline St John’s novel, The Women in Black 16 January – 27 February Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Lesley takes a holiday job in Goode’s department store, and for a few weeks she gets a glimpse of another life - the working life of the impeccable Ladies in Black, who dress the salubrious North Shore housewives with inimitable taste and grace.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday 16 Jan – 8pm
18 Jan – 8pm
19 Jan – 8pm
20 Jan – 8pm
21 Jan – 8pm
22 Jan – 8pm
23 Jan – 2pm, 8pm
25 Jan – 6:30pm
26 Jan – 6:30pm
27 Jan – 1pm, 8pm
28 Jan – 8pm
29 Jan – 8pm
30 Jan – 2pm, 8pm
01 Feb – 6:30pm
02 Feb – 6:30pm
03 Feb – 1pm, 8pm
04 Feb – 8pm
05 Feb – 8pm
06 Feb – 2pm, 8pm
08 Feb – 6:30pm
09 Feb – 6:30pm
10 Feb – 1pm, 8pm
11 Feb – 8pm
12 Feb – 8pm
13 Feb – 2pm
15 Feb – 6:30pm
16 Feb – 6:30pm
17 Feb – 1pm, 8pm
18 Feb – 8pm
19 Feb – 8pm
20 Feb – 2pm, 8pm
22 Feb – 6:30pm
23 Feb – 6:30pm
24 Feb – 1pm, 8pm
25 Feb – 8pm
26 Feb – 8pm
27 Feb – 2pm
,8pm
, 8pm
Lungs
by Duncan Macmillan 5 February – 19 March Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 1 February, 6pm In Ikea – of all places – a man tentatively suggests to his partner that perhaps they should start a family, and whoosh – out fly all her pent up anxieties for the future. What follows are many months of this couple’s unending questioning of their impending parenthood compressed into one seamless, funny conversation.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
Friday
Saturday
05 Feb – 8pm
06 Feb – 8pm
08 Feb – 8pm
09 Feb – 8pm
10 Feb – 8pm
11 Feb – 8pm
12 Feb – 8pm
13 Feb – 4pm, 8:30pm
15 Feb – 6:30pm
16 Feb – 6:30pm
17 Feb – 1pm, 8pm
18 Feb – 8pm
19 Feb – 8pm
20 Feb – 4pm, 8:30pm
22 Feb – 6:30pm
23 Feb – 6:30pm
24 Feb – 1pm, 8pm
25 Feb – 8pm
26 Feb – 8pm
27 Feb – 4pm, 8:30pm
29 Feb – 6:30pm
01 Mar – 6:30pm
02 Mar – 1pm, 8pm
03 Mar – 8pm
04 Mar – 8pm
05 Mar – 4pm
07 Mar – 6:30pm
08 Mar – 6:30pm
09 Mar – 1pm, 8pm
10 Mar – 8pm
11 Mar – 8pm
12 Mar – 4pm
, 8:30pm
14 Mar – 6:30pm
15 Mar – 6:30pm
16 Mar – 1pm, 8pm
17 Mar – 8pm
18 Mar – 8pm
19 Mar – 4pm
, 8:30pm
, 8:30pm
AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE DONOR EVENT EDUCATION PERFORMANCE FORUM NIGHT OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW AUSLAN INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE TACTILE TOUR
The Distance by Deborah Bruce
5 March – 9 April Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 29 February, 6pm Turn to your friends in times of trouble. That’s sound advice and just what Bea does after leaving her marriage in Australia and returning to Britain. All her friends sympathise with her until she announces that her two small children will stay in Melbourne with their father.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
Saturday 05 Mar – 8pm
07 Mar – 8pm
08 Mar – 8pm
09 Mar – 8pm
10 Mar – 8pm
11 Mar – 8pm
12 Mar – 4pm, 8:30pm
14 Mar – 6:30pm
15 Mar – 6:30pm
16 Mar – 1pm, 8pm
17 Mar – 8pm
18 Mar – 8pm
19 Mar – 4pm, 8:30pm
21 Mar – 6:30pm
22 Mar – 6:30pm
23 Mar – 1pm, 8pm
24 Mar – 8pm
28 Mar – 6:30pm
29 Mar – 6:30pm
30 Mar – 1pm, 8pm
31 Mar – 8pm
01 Apr – 8pm
02 Apr – 4pm
04 Apr – 6:30pm
05 Apr – 6:30pm
06 Apr – 1pm, 8pm
07 Apr – 8pm
08 Apr – 8pm
09 Apr – 4pm, 8:30pm
26 Mar – 8:30pm , 8:30pm
Miss Julie
by August Strindberg 16 April – 21 May Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 11 April, 6pm Midsummer’s Eve is Julie’s time, a night when rules are broken, class barriers are set aside and the mistress of the manor can dance with whomever she pleases. She chooses her father’s valet, and for a few hours, through the long twilight, they play a dangerous game of What If?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
Saturday 16 Apr – 8pm
18 Apr – 8pm
19 Apr – 8pm
20 Apr – 8pm
21 Apr – 8pm
22 Apr – 8pm
23 Apr – 4pm, 8:30pm
25 Apr – 6:30pm
26 Apr – 6:30pm
27 Apr – 1pm, 8pm
28 Apr – 8pm
29 Apr – 8pm
30 Apr – 4pm, 8:30pm
02 May – 6:30pm
03 May – 6:30pm
04 May – 1pm, 8pm
05 May – 8pm
06 May – 8pm
07 May – 4pm, 8:30pm
09 May – 6:30pm
10 May – 6:30pm
11 May – 1pm
12 May – 8pm
13 May – 8pm
14 May – 4pm
16 May – 6:30pm
17 May – 6:30pm
18 May – 1pm, 8pm
19 May – 8pm
20 May – 8pm
21 May – 4pm, 8:30pm
, 8pm
, 8:30pm
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Performance Diary Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee
6 May – 18 June Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 2 May, 6pm Christmas is for family, and Matt, Jake and Drew remember well their mothers’ teachings that being heterosexual white males gives them an unfair advantage in America, but, as carefree youth gives way to mid-life anxiety, privileged is the last thing they feel.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
Friday
Saturday
06 May – 8pm
07 May – 8pm
09 May – 8pm
10 May – 8pm
11 May – 8pm
12 May – 8pm
13 May – 8pm
14 May – 4pm, 8:30pm
16 May – 6:30pm
17 May – 6:30pm
18 May – 1pm, 8pm
19 May – 8pm
20 May – 8pm
21 May – 4pm, 8:30pm
23 May – 6:30pm
24 May – 6:30pm
25 May – 1pm, 8pm
26 May – 8pm
27 May – 8pm
28 May – 4pm, 8:30pm
30 May – 6:30pm
31 May – 6:30pm
01 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
02 Jun – 8pm
03 Jun – 8pm
04 Jun – 4pm
06 Jun – 6:30pm
07 Jun – 6:30pm
08 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
09 Jun – 8pm
10 Jun – 8pm
11 Jun – 4pm
13 Jun – 6:30pm
14 Jun – 6:30pm
15 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
16 Jun – 8pm
17 Jun – 8pm
18 Jun – 4pm, 8:30pm
, 8:30pm , 8:30pm
Double Indemnity
by Tom Holloway, adapted from the book by James M Cain 30 May – 2 July Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 23 May, 6pm Insurance agent Walter Huff has nosed around the business long enough to smell a scam, so when he meets Phyllis Nirdlinger to talk about her husband’s insurance coverage he gets a perfumed whiff of trouble. But she has a very persuasive way of putting things.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
30 May – 8pm
31 May – 8pm
01 Jun – 8pm
02 Jun – 8pm
03 Jun – 8pm
04 Jun – 4pm, 8:30pm
06 Jun – 6:30pm
07 Jun – 6:30pm
08 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
09 Jun – 8pm
10 Jun – 8pm
11 Jun – 4pm, 8:30pm
13 Jun – 6:30pm
14 Jun – 6:30pm
15 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
16 Jun – 8pm
17 Jun – 8pm
18 Jun – 4pm
20 Jun – 6:30pm
21 Jun – 6:30pm
22 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
23 Jun – 8pm
24 Jun – 8pm
25 Jun – 4pm
27 Jun – 6:30pm
28 Jun – 6:30pm
29 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
30 Jun – 8pm
01 Jul – 8pm
02 Jul – 4pm
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
, 8:30pm , 8:30pm , 8:30pm
AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE DONOR EVENT EDUCATION PERFORMANCE FORUM NIGHT OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW AUSLAN INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE TACTILE TOUR
Skylight
by David Hare 18 June – 23 July Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 13 June, 6pm A few years ago, Kyra broke off her relationship with a wealthy married man. When her former lover tracks her down to her cold London flat to rekindle their relationship, she must decide whether she could ever again be the person she once was.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
Saturday 18 Jun – 8pm
20 Jun – 8pm
21 Jun – 8pm
22 Jun – 8pm
23 Jun – 8pm
24 Jun – 8pm
25 Jun – 4pm, 8:30pm
27 Jun – 6:30pm
28 Jun – 6:30pm
29 Jun – 1pm, 8pm
30 Jun – 8pm
01 Jul – 8pm
02 Jul – 4pm, 8:30pm
04 Jul – 6:30pm
05 Jul – 6:30pm
06 Jul – 1pm, 8pm
07 Jul – 8pm
08 Jul – 8pm
09 Jul – 4pm, 8:30pm
11 Jul – 6:30pm
12 Jul – 6:30pm
13 Jul – 1pm, 8pm
14 Jul – 8pm
15 Jul – 8pm
16 Jul – 4pm
18 Jul – 6:30pm
19 Jul – 6:30pm
20 Jul – 1pm, 8pm
21 Jul – 8pm
22 Jul – 8pm
23 Jul – 4pm, 8:30pm
, 8:30pm
Jasper Jones
based on the novel by Craig Silvey, adapted by Kate Mulvany 1 August – 9 September Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 25 July, 6pm Late one summer night in 1965, young Charlie is startled by hard rapping on the window of his sleep-out. It’s local troublemaker Jasper Jones, begging Charlie to come see something, something awful, something that’ll change his life.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
01 Aug – 8pm
02 Aug – 8pm
03 Aug – 8pm
04 Aug – 8pm
05 Aug – 8pm
06 Aug – 4pm, 8:30pm
08 Aug – 6:30pm
09 Aug – 6:30pm
10 Aug – 1pm, 8pm
11 Aug – 8pm
12 Aug – 8pm
13 Aug – 4pm, 8:30pm
15 Aug – 6:30pm
16 Aug – 6:30pm
17 Aug – 1pm, 8pm
18 Aug – 8pm
19 Aug – 8pm
20 Aug – 4pm, 8:30pm
22 Aug – 6:30pm
23 Aug – 6:30pm
24 Aug – 1pm, 8pm
25 Aug – 8pm
26 Aug – 8pm
27 Aug – 4pm
29 Aug – 6:30pm
30 Aug – 6:30pm
31 Aug – 1pm
, 8pm 01 Sep – 8pm
02 Sep – 8pm
03 Sep – 4pm
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
05 Sep – 1pm , 6.30pm 06 Sep – 6:30pm
07 Sep – 1pm, 8pm
08 Sep – 8pm
09 Sep – 8pm
, 8:30pm , 8:30pm
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Performance Diary Disgraced
by Ayad Akhtar 19 August – 1 October Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 15 August, 6pm Amir is living the American Dream. On track to make partner in his law firm, he hosts a dinner party with his artist wife Emily in their Upper East Side apartment. But when the topic turns to race, religion and identity, how quickly things fall apart.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
Friday
Saturday
19 Aug – 8pm
20 Aug – 8pm
22 Aug – 8pm
23 Aug – 8pm
24 Aug – 8pm
25 Aug – 8pm
26 Aug – 8pm
27 Aug – 4pm, 8:30pm
29 Aug – 6:30pm
30 Aug – 6:30pm
31 Aug – 1pm, 8pm
01 Sep – 8pm
02 Sep – 8pm
03 Sep – 4pm, 8:30pm
05 Sep – 6:30pm
06 Sep – 6:30pm
07 Sep – 1pm, 8pm
08 Sep – 8pm
09 Sep – 8pm
10 Sep – 4pm, 8:30pm
12 Sep – 6:30pm
13 Sep – 6:30pm
14 Sep – 1pm, 8pm
15 Sep – 8pm
16 Sep – 8pm
17 Sep – 4pm
19 Sep – 6:30pm
20 Sep – 6:30pm
21 Sep – 1pm, 8pm
22 Sep – 8pm
23 Sep – 8pm
24 Sep – 4pm
26 Sep – 6:30pm
27 Sep – 6:30pm
28 Sep – 1pm, 8pm
29 Sep – 8pm
30 Sep – 8pm
01 Oct – 4pm , 8:30pm
, 8:30pm , 8:30pm
Switzerland
by Joanna Murray–Smith 16 September – 29 October Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Best-selling author Patricia Highsmith decided long ago that she didn’t like people, any people. She certainly doesn’t like the clean-cut young man from her publisher’s office who turns up at her alpine retreat to convince her to write a final book. But he’s much wilier than she first supposes.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
16 Sep – 8pm
17 Sep – 8pm
19 Sep – 8pm
20 Sep – 8pm
21 Sep – 8pm
22 Sep – 8pm
23 Sep – 8pm
24 Sep – 4pm, 8:30pm
26 Sep – 6:30pm
27 Sep – 6:30pm
28 Sep – 1pm, 8pm
29 Sep – 8pm
30 Sep – 8pm
01 Oct – 4pm, 8:30pm
03 Oct – 6:30pm
04 Oct – 6:30pm
05 Oct – 1pm, 8pm
06 Oct – 8pm
07 Oct – 8pm
08 Oct – 4pm, 8:30pm
10 Oct – 6:30pm
11 Oct – 6:30pm
12 Oct – 1pm, 8pm
13 Oct – 8pm
14 Oct – 8pm
15 Oct – 4pm
17 Oct – 6:30pm
18 Oct – 6:30pm
19 Oct – 1pm 8pm
20 Oct – 8pm
21 Oct – 8pm
22 Oct – 4pm, 8:30pm
24 Oct – 6:30pm
25 Oct – 6:30pm
26 Oct – 1pm, 8pm
27 Oct – 8pm
28 Oct – 8pm
29 Oct – 4pm , 8:30pm
, 8:30pm
AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE DONOR EVENT EDUCATION PERFORMANCE FORUM NIGHT OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW AUSLAN INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE TACTILE TOUR
The Odd Couple by Neil Simon
5 November – 17 December Southbank Theatre, The Sumner Free Cast & Artist Q&A: Monday 31 October, 6pm Everything’s set for the regular poker game at Oscar’s place, but where’s Felix? A call to his wife reveals that she and Felix have split up and he’s taken it pretty hard. When he finally arrives, Oscar makes a proposal. Why not move in with him? It’ll be paradise!
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
6pm Cast & Artist Q&A
Saturday 05 Nov – 8pm
07 Nov – 8pm
08 Nov – 8pm
09 Nov – 8pm
10 Nov – 8pm
11 Nov – 8pm
12 Nov – 4pm, 8:30pm
14 Nov – 6:30pm
15 Nov – 6:30pm
16 Nov – 1pm, 8pm
17 Nov – 8pm
18 Nov – 8pm
19 Nov – 4pm, 8:30pm
21 Nov – 6:30pm
22 Nov – 6:30pm
23 Nov – 1pm, 8pm
24 Nov – 8pm
25 Nov – 8pm
26 Nov – 4pm, 8:30pm
28 Nov – 6:30pm
29 Nov – 6:30pm
30 Nov – 1pm, 8pm
01 Dec – 8pm
02 Dec – 8pm
03 Dec – 4pm
05 Dec – 6:30pm
06 Dec – 6:30pm
07 Dec – 1pm, 8pm
08 Dec – 8pm
09 Dec – 8pm
10 Dec – 4pm, 8:30pm
12 Dec – 6:30pm
13 Dec – 6:30pm
14 Dec – 1pm, 8pm
15 Dec – 8pm
16 Dec – 8pm
17 Dec – 4pm , 8:30pm
, 8:30pm
Lilith: The Jungle Girl A Sisters Grimm Production
1 September – 1 October, Southbank Theatre, The Lawler When a young wild girl is captured in the rainforests of Borneo, all of Holland is set abuzz. The year is 1861, and pioneering neuro scientist Charles Penworth is called upon to raise the child from the pit of her animal nature. But who, indeed, is the real savage?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
01 Sep – 7:30pm
02 Sep – 7:30pm
03 Sep – 8pm
05 Sep – 7:30pm
06 Sep – 7:30pm
07 Sep – 1pm, 7:30pm 08 Sep – 7:30pm
09 Sep – 7:30pm
10 Sep – 3pm, 8pm
12 Sep – 7:30pm
13 Sep – 7:30pm
14 Sep – 1pm, 7:30pm 15 Sep – 7:30pm
16 Sep – 7:30pm
17 Sep – 3pm, 8pm
19 Sep – 7:30pm
20 Sep – 7:30pm
21 Sep – 7:30pm
22 Sep – 7:30pm
23 Sep – 7:30pm
24 Sep – 3pm, 8pm
26 Sep – 7:30pm
27 Sep – 7:30pm
28 Sep – 7:30pm
29 Sep – 7:30pm
30 Sep – 7:30pm
01 Oct – 3pm, 8pm
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Performance Diary Egg by Angela Betzien 29 June – 15 July, Southbank Theatre, The Lawler Across a dry and dusty desert two tinkers drag an enormous egg. They can’t remember how long they’ve been dragging it, or why they’ve been dragging it, or where they are dragging it to. All they know is that it’s really important. Life on their big bald egg of a planet depends upon it. Suitable for ages 8 to 80.
Monday
Tuesday
11 Jul – 1:30pm
Wednesday
Thursday
29 Jun – 2pm
30 Jun – 2pm
, 7pm
, 7pm
Friday
Saturday
1 Jul – 2pm, 7pm
2 Jul – 10:30pm, 2pm 9 Jul – 10:30am, 2pm
5 Jul – 2pm
6 Jul – 10:30am, 2pm
7 Jul –7pm
8 Jul – 2pm, 7pm
12 Jul – 10am, 1:30pm
13 Jul – 10am, 1:30pm
14 Jul – 10am, 1:30pm
15 Jul – 1:30pm
Donor Post-Show Events Each season, we create a program of relaxed and intimate dinners and cocktail party events that provide our Donors (giving $1,000+) opportunities to meet members of the cast and creative teams from MTC productions. To find out more about becoming a Donor, refer to page 40.
Show
Date
Event
Venue
Ladies In Black
Tuesday 2 February
Post–show cocktail party
Qatar Airways MTC Lounge, Southbank Theatre
Lungs
Tuesday 23 February
Post–show dinner
Southgate
Miss Julie
Monday 25 April
Post–show cocktail party
Qatar Airways MTC Lounge, Southbank Theatre
Straight White Men
Tuesday 24 May
Post–show dinner
Southgate
Double Indemnity
Monday 6 June
Post–show cocktail party
Amcor Lounge, Arts Centre Melbourne
Skylight
Tuesday 5 July
Post–show cocktail party
Qatar Airways MTC Lounge, Southbank Theatre
Jasper Jones
Monday 8 August
Post–show cocktail party
Qatar Airways MTC Lounge, Southbank Theatre
The Odd Couple
Monday 14 November
Post–show cocktail party
Qatar Airways MTC Lounge, Southbank Theatre
AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE DONOR EVENT EDUCATION PERFORMANCE FORUM NIGHT OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW AUSLAN INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE TACTILE TOUR
‘Audi has long been a supporter of the arts, both globally and locally. Melbourne Theatre Company’s innovation and sophistication matches perfectly with Audi’s values, and we are proud to be a Major Partner of the 2016 season.’ Andrew Doyle, Managing Director, Audi Australia.
The Audi S3 Cabriolet. Visit your preferred Audi Dealer or audi.com.au today. Major sponsor of Melbourne Theatre Company. Overseas model shown.
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Get Social with MTC Online On and off the stage, there’s a lot to get involved with at MTC.
Join us online
Subscriber eNewsletters
A whole world of ever-changing content is available across our website and social media. From photo galleries and videos to in-depth features and audio interviews, you can explore the world behind the writing and staging of the productions in our season, and meet the people involved. Share your experience with other theatregoers and join the conversation.
Stay up to date with the latest news, learn about exciting new events and receive special offers and giveaways with our monthly Subscriber eNews.
Dive in today at mtc.com.au/backstage
To sign up, simply login to your online account or email mtcticketing@mtc.com.au MelbourneTheatreCompany @MelbTheatreCo @MelbTheatreCo melbtheatreco mtc2016
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MTC Community
Education
Sharing the Light
MTC continues its award-winning Education Program in 2016, reaching out to thousands of young people across Victoria, sowing the seeds for the next generation of theatre lovers and theatre makers.
MTC is passionate about making theatre accessible for all, and with our Sharing the Light initiative, disadvantaged students and outermetropolitan families are enjoying greater opportunities to engage with theatre thanks to the generous support of the Crown Resorts Foundation, and the Packer Family Foundation.
At MTC, students get up close and personal with world-class theatre through unique learning opportunities, such as our Youth Scholarship Course, MTC Ambassador Program, Pre-show Talks, and VCE Drama and Stagecraft Workshops. We also present theatre made just for students, like Peddling, a new work by Harry Melling which will make its Australian Premiere in MTC Education’s Season in the Lawler in April 2016, before going on tour around regional Victoria and Tasmania. View details of the full Education Program at mtc.com.au/education
Our subsidised $5 Student Tickets and $5 Family Show Tickets are already playing a role welcoming thousands of brand new audience members to the theatre, while the Regional Tour project is taking our Education show to young people all around Victoria and Tasmania. MTC is also offering Indigenous Scholarships to help create career pathways for young Indigenous people, through an intensive work experience program. Learn more at mtc.com.au/sharingthelight
Artist Development and New Commissions MTC has a proud history as a leader and supporter of new work and developing artists. We see our role in the community not just as a destination for great performance, but as a creative hub where artists are nurtured and developed, and new Australian writing is championed. Through key initiatives such as the Cybec Electric play reading series, the newly expanded Women in Theatre Program, the MTC Connect partnership with Multicultural Arts Victoria, the Assistant Directors and Secondments program and NEON NEXT, MTC strives to ensure a prosperous and diverse landscape for theatre in Australia. For further details visit mtc.com.au/artistaccess
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Subscriber & Access information
Cast and Artist Q&A Our free briefings give ticketholders the opportunity to meet with the cast and creative team and participate in a Q&A session to enjoy behind-thescenes insights into the production, before the show’s season begins. There is no need to book, just check the Performance Diary for dates and times and turn up at the theatre. Forum Nights Join us after selected performances to hear the cast, creative team and director discuss the show. Please note, these evenings are very popular, so get in early. Forum Nights are marked in the Performance Diary. Head Booker Organising subscriptions for people not in your household? If you’re listed first on the booking form (and on the topmost form when multiple forms are submitted together) you will become our key point of contact in case of seating reallocation or other contingencies. Please note, the Head Booker is responsible for supplying correct contact, credit card and payment information at the time of booking. It is very important you include full names, details, and email addresses of all those attending in your group. All tickets will be mailed to the Head Booker. MTC Members Members’ subscriptions are fasttracked for priority processing on the day we receive your order. The Lounge will be open one hour prior to Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances of Ladies in Black, The Distance, Miss Julie, Skylight, Jasper Jones, Switzerland, The Odd Couple and at interval where applicable. Members can access the Qatar Airways MTC Lounge on any night they are attending an MTC performance when the Lounge is open. Members must present their MTC Members card with relevant tickets for entry to the Qatar Airways MTC Lounge. In the event that the Lounge is closed on an advertised night, Members who attend will be issued complimentary drink and
snack vouchers redeemable at the Southbank Theatre Foyer Bars. Membership is annual, and is valid from January to December 2016. For joint memberships Members must be registered at the same address. Membership cards and benefits are not refundable or transferable. Full details of the MTC Members program can be found at mtc.com.au/members Previews Previews, marked on the Performance Diary, are the exciting first performances leading up to Opening Night. Please note that directors may need to halt the performance for technical reasons. Previews are presented at a discount price to compensate for any possible technical issues that may arise. Priority Processing for 11 Play Full Season Subscribers and Donors ($1,000+) Existing 11 Play Subscribers receive exclusive priority processing of their 2016 11 Play subscription until 16 September 2015 ahead of all other Subscribers. New 11 Play Full Season Subscribers will receive this benefit when renewing their 11 Play package (or the largest play package on offer) for Season 2017. MTC Donors giving $1,000+ also receive priority processing, special seating and VIP ticketing services. Please note Donor tickets will not be mailed out until early November 2015. Programmes Subscribers can pre-purchase discounted programme vouchers for shows at the time of booking a subscription. Warnings MTC endeavours to include accurate content warnings, however some production content does change within the rehearsal period and we encourage you to visit our website or call the Box Office before the show opens for up to date warning information. Warning signs will also be placed in the theatre foyer.
Ticket Exchanges Ticket exchanges are exclusive to Subscribers, so if you change your mind about which productions you’d like to include within your package, a variety of options are available. Free exchanges for Full Season Subscribers 11 Play Full Season Subscribers can now exchange their 11 Play package tickets free of charge. 7 to 9 play Subscribers can exchange tickets for $4 per ticket. Subscriber additional tickets can be exchanged for $5 per ticket. How to exchange Exchanges are possible from after the public ticket on sale dates (see page 35), subject to availability, and can be made either in person at the Southbank Theatre Box Office, by mail to 140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank VIC 3006, or online for performances at Southbank Theatre. It is not possible to exchange MTC subscription tickets at the Arts Centre Melbourne Box Office. Exchanging for a different date: When exchanging into a different performance date of the same production, tickets need to be received by MTC at least 48 hours prior to the performance date indicated on the ticket. Exchanging for a different production: Subscribers can exchange into another production within the same season, provided the exchange is into a production that is not already booked within the subscription package, and the exchange occurs at least one week before the first preview of the originally booked production. Donor Ticket Exchanges Exchanges for Donors ($1,000+) are handled by our VIP Ticketing Officer donorticketing@mtc.com.au or 03 8688 0953. Terms and conditions apply. Find out more at mtc.com.au/exchanges
Conditions: Additional Tickets†† A night at the theatre is a great experience to share with family and friends. Subscribers who purchase a 7–11 play package can buy additional tickets to any show in our 2016 Mainstage Season for family and friends at discounted prices. These special prices are only guaranteed at the time of purchasing your subscription and may change for bookings made at a later date. Please note additional Subscriber tickets for Ladies in Black, The Odd Couple and Double Indemnity are priced higher than for other shows. Refer to the price list on page 37 for details. Concessions # MTC offers concession pricing for various groups. Concessions must be valid at the time of booking. Refunds are not available if you become eligible for a concession after you have booked. Pensioners and Seniors must provide their card number when booking. Those aged under 30 (aged 29 and under) must include documentation indicating proof of age, such as a driver’s licence. Full-time students must attach documentation of current full-time enrolment. University of Melbourne staff must provide a copy of their staff ID card. Proof of concession must be provided each season.
Group Subscriptions ‡
Accessibility
Group subscriptions are available for a minimum of 10 people booking for at least seven of the same performance dates and times, and are available for mail bookings only. All tickets must be purchased at the same time to qualify for the discount. Groups can be inclusive of concession priced packages at the appropriate rate, alongside others at the group package rate.
MTC is committed to making performances accessible to the widest possible audience. Please make us aware at the time of booking if you’d like to make use of any of the services below. If you require assistance that is not covered below, please let us know. We are happy to help wherever possible.
Opening Night Packages*
Vision Australia provides audio description for selected performances. Let us know when booking if you require audio description, and collect a small receiver upon arrival at the theatre. MTC also offers tactile tours of the stage prior to certain shows. Dates are marked (Audio Described) and (Tactile Tour) in the Performance Diary.
Exclusive to MTC Donors donating over $1,000, a limited number of 2016 Opening Night subscription packages are available. Opening Night subscription tickets can be exchanged, however any price difference is non-refundable. Additional tickets are not available for Opening Nights. Pay by Instalments ^ Subscribers paying by credit card can divide their total payment into four easy instalments. The first is payable when you subscribe, with the remaining instalments due on 8 January, 8 April and 8 June 2016. The administration fee for this service is a one-off charge of $14 per card used. Refunds MTC follows the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice (see liveperformance.com.au for conditions). As such, tickets cannot be refunded after purchase except if an event is cancelled, rescheduled or significantly relocated as outlined. For full terms and conditions including information about content warnings, babies at performances, lost tickets and school bookings, please visit mtc.com.au/info
Audio Description and Tactile Tours
Captioning and Assisted Hearing System MTC provides live captioning for selected productions. Dates are marked in the Performance Diary. Hearing assistance is also available at the Southbank Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne in the form of personal listen packs, which can be used with your hearing aid or with headphones. Ask Theatre Staff for assistance or call 8688 0800. Auslan Interpreted Performances MTC partners with Arts Centre Melbourne to offer Auslan interpreted performances. Auslan interpretation will be available for Lungs, Double Indemnity and Disgraced. Auslan interpreted performances are marked in the Performance Diary. Wheelchair and Mobility Access Wheelchair access and seating that allows more room for the use of mobility aids are available in all theatres. More Information A leaflet outlining all access services is available at mtc.com.au, at Southbank Theatre or by calling 03 8688 0800.
Thank you
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We gratefully acknowledge our visionary major Donors who share our passion and support our work.
Benefactors Circle $100,000+ Crown Resorts Foundation Packer Family Foundation $50,000+ The Joan and Peter Clemenger Trust The Cybec Foundation Maureen Wheeler AO and Tony Wheeler AO $20,000+ The Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Foundation Dr Geraldine Lazarus and Greig Gailey Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Caroline and Derek Young AM Anonymous $10,000+ Cattermole Family Macgeorge Bequest Malcolm Robertson Foundation The late Mr Noel Mason and Susanna Mason Matsarol Foundation The Myer Foundation Louise and Martyn Myer AO Professor David Penington AC and Dr Sonay Hussein Craig Semple Luisa Valmorbida Anonymous $5,000+ Sandy Bell and Daryl Kendrick Besen Family Foundation Dr Andrew Buchanan and Peter Darcy Ian and Jillian Buchanan John and Robyn Butselaar The Michael and Janet Buxton Foundation Barry and Joanne Cheetham
For more information about supporting MTC please contact: donations@mtc.com.au 03 8688 0959 or visit mtc.com.au/support
Prof Margaret Gardner AO and Prof Glyn Davis AC The Dowd Foundation Jonathan and Melody Feder Robert and Jan Green Jane Hemstritch Anne Le Huray Marshall Day Acoustics (Denis Irving Scholarship) Ian and Margaret McKellar George and Rosa Morstyn Daniel Neal and Peter Chalk Tom and Ruth O’Dea Leigh O’Neill Alison Park Jeanne Pratt AC Trawalla Foundation Trust Dr Michael and Lynne Wright Anonymous (2) Artistic Director’s Circle Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Dianne Lucas Susanna Mason Craig Semple Luisa Valmorbida Caroline and Derek Young AM Legacy Circle Legacy Gifts Ron Chapman The Estate of Gordon J Compton The Robert Salzer Foundation Ltd The Kitty and Leslie Sandy Bequest The Estate of Dorothy Wood
MTC is a registered not-for-profit organisation, with Deductable Gift Receipient status. All donations over $2 receive a tax receipt.
Celebrating our Partners MTC would like to thank the following organisations for their generous support.
Leading Partners
Major Partners
Major Media Partners
Opening Night
Production Partners
Premium Season Partners
Season Partners
DIY WALLPAPER & MURALS
Southbank Theatre Partners
Media Partners
MTC is a department of the University of Melbourne.
MTC is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and by the State Government of Victoria through Arts Victoria.
If you would like to join our corporate family or host a private event, please contact our Corporate Partnerships Manager on 03 8688 0952 or partnerships@mtc.com.au
MTC is a member of Live Performance Australia and the Australian Major Performing Arts Group.
Our Venues 140 Southbank Boulevard
STATION
The iconic Southbank Theatre, home of Melbourne Theatre Company houses the Sumner (559 seats) and the Lawler (150 seats)
100 St Kilda Road
PO W ER
MTC performs at Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse Theatre (884 seats) and the Fairfax Studio (376 seats)
NGV
SOUTHBANK THEATRE
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VCA
ALEX ANDR A AVE
RD ILDA ST K
SOUT HBAN K BLV D
Arts Centre Melbourne
YARRA RIVER
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
D YR CIT
03 8688 0800
FEDERATION SQUARE
GE BRID CES PRIN
S ST DER FLIN
Southbank Theatre
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS
Y WA GS KIN
MTC HQ
DODD S ST
1300 182 183
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Getting there
Parking
Dining and Bars
Train
There is limited street parking in the St Kilda Road area. We suggest you choose one of the nearby commercial car parks, indicated on the map above, such as at Arts Centre Melbourne, Australian Ballet Centre, Wilson Southgate or Wilson Eureka. For ACROD/disabled parking, there are four bays beside Southbank Theatre on Dodds St and multiple bays within the Arts Centre Melbourne Car Park.
Script Bar & Bistro
Southbank Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne are both within a ten-minute walk of Flinders Street Station across the Princes Bridge. Arts Centre Melbourne is located on the right under the spire while the Southbank Theatre is on Southbank Boulevard just past the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International). Tram For tram routes travelling along St Kilda Road, alight at the Arts Precinct stop 1 (opposite NGV International) to walk to Arts Centre Melbourne or Southbank Theatre. Route 1 to South Melbourne Beach travels along Southbank Boulevard. For Southbank Theatre, alight at the Sturt St stop 2 (opposite Melbourne Recital Centre).
Accessibility For info about ways in which MTC makes performances accessible to the widest possible audience, go to page 55, visit mtc.com.au/access or call us on 03 8688 0800.
Within Southbank Theatre, Script Bar & Bistro offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and post-show supper and is open from 7am until late Monday to Friday and from two hours prior to Southbank Theatre performance times on Saturday. Book online at scriptbar.com.au, email bookings@scriptbar.com.au or call 03 8688 0880. Arts Centre Melbourne There are a range of dining options within Arts Centre Melbourne. Go to artscentremelbourne.com.au/your-visit for further information. Southbank Theatre Foyer Bars The Southbank Theatre Foyer Bars open one hour prior to all performances in the Sumner and the Lawler, offering a selection of wines, beers, cider, soft drinks, confectionery, snacks and tea and coffee. For more information visit mtc.com.au/your-visit Qatar Airways MTC Lounge MTC Members enjoy exclusive access to the Lounge at Southbank Theatre, see page 38 for more information.
CRICOS: 00116K
WHERE IDEAS COL L IDE Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2016 season is proudly presented by the University of Melbourne.
The University of Melbourne seeks to make a contribution to the rich cultural life of our nation. We are proud of our close association with Melbourne Theatre Company, which has provided audiences, writers and performers with the opportunity to share unique ideas on the stage for over sixty years.
unimelb.edu.au
Details in this brochure are correct at the time of publication. MTC reserves the right to add, withdraw and substitute artists and vary the program should the need arise. Art direction and design: Emma Barrett. Editor: James Wright. Stylist: Sophie Woodward. Copywriting: Paul Galloway. Season photography: John Laurie, Garth Oriander. Design: Daniel Cordner. Photoshoot coordination: Juliette Hirons and Stacey Brown. Retouching: Haley O’Connor, Helena Turinski. Hair and Makeup: Viviens, Jack Daye. Additional photos: Jeff Busby, Mandy Jones, James Green, Gina Milicia, Amy Oliver, Kristoffer Paulsen, David Paterson, Heath Warwick.
Subscription enquiries PO Box 918, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Phone: 03 8688 0800 Email: mtcticketing@mtc.com.au General enquiries 252 Sturt Street, Southbank VIC 3006 Phone: 03 8688 0900 Email: info@mtc.com.au mtc.com.au
MTC2016