Arts Centre Melbourne has unveiled its latest addition, The Show Room—a cosy 150-seat studio theatre designed to bring audiences closer to groundbreaking theatre, music, and dance performances. This new venue promises an up-close experience with both independent and established artists, featuring works from acclaimed creators like Van Badham, Gary Abrahams, and Kristen Smyth, as well as the return of Wang Chong 王翀. The Show Room will also showcase collaborations with The Australian Ballet, Arts Access Victoria, and Melbourne Fringe throughout 2024.
The creation of The Show Room marks a creative milestone for Arts Centre Melbourne amidst its redevelopment phase. With the State Theatre undergoing refurbishment until 2027, the team saw an opportunity to transform the existing State Theatre Rehearsal Room into an intimate performance space with a dynamic year-round program. Stephen Armstrong, Arts Centre Melbourne’s Director of Programming, emphasised the significance of this new venue: “The Show Room allows us to present performances that truly capture audiences in a unique and intimate setting. This curated, site-specific program enables us to engage with both the Victorian and international performing arts communities in innovative ways.”
Armstrong added that The Show Room, alongside existing venues such as Hamer Hall, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the Fairfax Studio, and the Playhouse, brings a fresh dimension to Arts Centre Melbourne’s relationships within the arts community. It also offers a platform for artists and organisations deserving of the spotlight provided by Victoria’s flagship performing arts venue.
The 2024 program for The Show Room promises exceptional quality productions across various genres, created by remarkable artists. As The Show Room debuts this week, the excitement builds for how this space will evolve and gain momentum into 2025.
THE SHOW ROOM 2024 PROGRAM
The Show Room’s premiere work Little Murmur, an international contemporary dance production from Aakash Odedra and Lewis Major, opens later this week, playing from 27 July to 4 August. The stage adaptation of the beloved children’s book Grug is on stage from 11-15 September. As part of the Alter State initiative, the acclaimed Restless Dance Theatre’s Private View will play from 2-6 October.
On stage from 16-26 October is a powerful new collaboration between genre-busting writer, Van Badham (QAnon And On), and lauded director Gary Abrahams (Yentl). Werewolf is an alarmingly prescient stage drama about the Melbourne of now. Developed and presented in a collaboration between Arts Centre Melbourne and Melbourne Fringe, Werewolf is a journey into the volatile politics of modern extremism, inspired by the chilling aesthetics of old Hollywood horror.
The Australian Ballet’s Bodytorque, a collective showcase of contemporary dance works, will be staged from 28 October to 3 November. Established in 2004, this choreographic development program supports emerging talent within and beyond The Australian Ballet’s dancing ranks, including notable alumni Alice Topp and Tim Harbour, who have gone on to become resident choreographers with the Company.
Recognised around the world as one of Beijing’s most significant theatre directors and celebrated for his visionary experiments with classic and contemporary plays, Wang Chong 王翀 (The Warfare of Landmine 2.0) returns to Arts Centre Melbourne with Made in China 2.0 from 6-16 November. In this solo performance, Wang Chong 王翀 takes audiences on a journey deep inside his personal experiences and provides a moving examination of the role of the artist and provocateur in uncertain times.
Powerful and daringly revolutionary, Cruel Britannia: After Frankenstein is a queer reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic novel from transgender playwright and performer Kristen Smyth (The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven). Playing from 20-30 November, the work is a gritty exploration of Thatcher’s dystopian Britain: a monstrous, chaos-ridden world of gothic proportions. Smyth’s debut solo theatre show is set to premiere at Edinburgh Fringe before its Australian debut at The Show Room.
Whilst the State Theatre undergoes refurbishment till 2027, Arts Centre Melbourne remains open and audiences will still be able to enjoy performances and events in the Fairfax Studio, the Playhouse, Hamer Hall, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and The Show Room.
The Show Room was made possible by dedicated donor support and the generosity of Arts Centre Melbourne’s Commissions donors, who’ve brought both this new performance space and its artistic program to life.
Early bird discount tickets for performances of Werewolf, Made in China 2.0, and Cruel Britannia: After Frankenstein are available until 11am Friday, 26 July.
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