Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Malthouse Theatre is the resident theatre
company of the Malthouse performing arts complex in Southbank
, part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct
.
Originally built in 1892 as a brewery and malting works, the Malthouse building was donated by Carlton and United Breweries for the creation and presentation of contemporary Australian theatre in 1990. The Malthouse building at 113 Sturt Street now houses three theatres (500-seat Merlyn Theatre, the 175-seat Beckett Theatre and the 100-seat Tower Theatre), administration, rehearsal studios and a vibrant cafe and bar. Malthouse Theatre's scenic workshop is located in the neighbouring 111 Sturt Street complex, which includes Chunky Move contemporary dance company and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.
Malthouse Theatre commissions, produces and presents contemporary Australian theatre. Malthouse Theatre leadership has recently been seceded by Artistic Director Michael Kantor, Executive Producer Stephen Armstrong and Associate Producer & Business Manager Catherine Jones, under whom the company has been a leading force in Australia’s performing arts culture. Following Michael Kantor's departure, Marion Potts has been appointed Artistic Director and Jo Porter Executive Producer from 2011.
Malthouse Theatre produces and/or presents up to twenty productions annually, from drama to contemporary opera, music theatre and cabaret, to contemporary dance and physical theatre - a multidisciplinary contemporary theatre where the combined possibilities of all the theatre arts are offered centre-stage. The company regularly co-produces with local and national performing arts companies and tours nationally and internationally. In recent years, Malthouse Theatre productions have been presented by the Edinburgh Festival, Barbican Centre, Vienna Festival, Amsterdam Festival, NZ Festival and Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. In 2009, the company's coproduction with Belvoir St Theatre, Ionesco's Exit the King, in a commissioned adaptation by Geoffrey Rush and Neil Armfield, was reproduced on Broadway and nominated for four Tony Awards, winning Best Actor for Geoffrey Rush.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
company of the Malthouse performing arts complex in Southbank
Southbank, Victoria
Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located direct south of the Yarra River opposite Melbourne's Hoddle Grid. The northernmost area is considered part of the Central Business District and Central Activities District of the city. Its Local Government Area are the...
, part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct
Melbourne Arts Precinct
The Melbourne Arts Precinct is a series of galleries, performing arts venues and spaces in Melbourne, Victoria, in Australia. The precinct is situated less than 1 km from the Melbourne city centre in Southbank and is centred around, and near, St Kilda Road...
.
Originally built in 1892 as a brewery and malting works, the Malthouse building was donated by Carlton and United Breweries for the creation and presentation of contemporary Australian theatre in 1990. The Malthouse building at 113 Sturt Street now houses three theatres (500-seat Merlyn Theatre, the 175-seat Beckett Theatre and the 100-seat Tower Theatre), administration, rehearsal studios and a vibrant cafe and bar. Malthouse Theatre's scenic workshop is located in the neighbouring 111 Sturt Street complex, which includes Chunky Move contemporary dance company and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.
Malthouse Theatre commissions, produces and presents contemporary Australian theatre. Malthouse Theatre leadership has recently been seceded by Artistic Director Michael Kantor, Executive Producer Stephen Armstrong and Associate Producer & Business Manager Catherine Jones, under whom the company has been a leading force in Australia’s performing arts culture. Following Michael Kantor's departure, Marion Potts has been appointed Artistic Director and Jo Porter Executive Producer from 2011.
Malthouse Theatre produces and/or presents up to twenty productions annually, from drama to contemporary opera, music theatre and cabaret, to contemporary dance and physical theatre - a multidisciplinary contemporary theatre where the combined possibilities of all the theatre arts are offered centre-stage. The company regularly co-produces with local and national performing arts companies and tours nationally and internationally. In recent years, Malthouse Theatre productions have been presented by the Edinburgh Festival, Barbican Centre, Vienna Festival, Amsterdam Festival, NZ Festival and Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. In 2009, the company's coproduction with Belvoir St Theatre, Ionesco's Exit the King, in a commissioned adaptation by Geoffrey Rush and Neil Armfield, was reproduced on Broadway and nominated for four Tony Awards, winning Best Actor for Geoffrey Rush.