 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Malthouse Theatre" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg) View from Sturt Street | |
 | |
| Address | 113 Sturt St Melbourne Australia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°49′37″S144°57′59″E / 37.827°S 144.9665°E /-37.827; 144.9665 |
| Capacity | 520 |
| Opened | 1990; 35 years ago (1990) |
| Website | |
| malthousetheatre | |
Malthouse Theatre is the residenttheatre company ofThe Malthouse building inSouthbank, part of theMelbourne Arts Precinct. In the 1980s it was known as thePlaybox Theatre Company and was housed in thePlaybox Theatre inMelbourne's CBD. It is aheritage-listed building which contains three theatres:Merlyn Theatre,Beckett Theatre, andThe Tower.
A multidisciplinary contemporary theatre, Malthouse Theatre produces and/or presents many productions annually, from drama and comedy to contemporary opera, music theatre and cabaret, to contemporary dance and physical theatre. The Company regularly co-produces with local and national performing arts companies and tours nationally and internationally.
Malthouse Theatre productions have been performed internationally includingSolaris, a new play byDavid Greig adapted fromStanisław Lem’s novel at TheRoyal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, in 2019 andPicnic at Hanging Rock, in 2018 adapted byTom Wright and directed byMatthew Lutton at theBarbican Centre in London.
Nationally touring works includeWake in Fright in 2019, adapted fromKenneth Cook’s novel by Declan Greene withZahra Newman, andCloudstreet adapted byNick Enright andJustin Monjo from the novel byTim Winton.[1]
Malthouse Theatre had its beginnings as ‘Hoopla!’ in 1976 whenCarrillo Gantner AC,Graeme Blundell and Garrie Hutchinson formed the Hoopla Theatre Foundation. In 1980 the name was changed to Playbox Theatre Company after moving to the Playbox Theatre at 55 Exhibition Street, before it was destroyed by fire in 1984. In 2004, Michael Kantor reimagined Playbox as Malthouse Theatre after the historic venue that has been the company's home since 1990.[2]
The Malthouse was built in 1882 by theCastlemaine Brewery, then one of the largest in Australia, to supply its brewery on nearby Queensbridge Street. The building was constructed by Nicholas and Edward Fitzgerald, with their managing director J.B. Perrins to establish the South Melbourne Branch of the Castlemaine Brewery. It was built in the Victorian Industrial era and style.[3]
The three-storey malthouse building was converted into a theatre in the 1980s. On the front facing façade, blind arcading were modified to create window openings on the second floor level. A steel roof with unique ventilation monitors tops the building.[3]
Other important features include unpainted decorative bricks with contrasting colours for pilasters and horizontal banding at first and second floor levels, which create a visual separation between floors. However, on the side elevation, the brickwork is uniform across all pilasters and banding.[4]
It was later leased to Barrett Bros & Burston & Co., who also operated the large malting works on theYarra River inRichmond. By the 1970s it had ceased operating and had been painted white and lost much of its architectural detail.[citation needed]
In 1986 owners Carlton & United Breweries donated the building to Playbox Theatre Company to refurbish as their permanent home. After years of fundraising and construction, The CUB Malthouse theatre complex opened officially on 25 August 1990. The Beckett Theatre had opened on 16 March 1990 withThe Forty Lounge Cafe by Tes Lyssiotis, and the Merlyn Theatre on 28 May 1990 with Cafe Fledermaus byRobyn Archer.[citation needed]
The Malthouse is aheritage-listed building and contains several indoor and outdoor spaces. This includes three theatres: the 500-seat Merlyn Theatre (named after philanthropistMerlyn Myer); the 175-seat Beckett Theatre (named after designer John Beckett); and the 100-seat flexible space, The Tower.[citation needed] Directly outside is The Malthouse's Courtyard, and a forecourt which is shared with theAustralian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA),Chunky Move and theVictorian College of the Arts. Malthouse Theatre's scenic workshop is located in the neighbouring ACCA building, completed in 2002, which also includes rehearsal spaces forChunky Move, a Melbourne-based contemporary dance company.[citation needed]
The Malthouse venue hosts over 100 external hirer events annually ranging from festivals, performances, conferences, rehearsals and workshops. This includes large-scale festivals such asRISING andYirramboi. Since 2016, The Malthouse has been a part of theMelbourne International Comedy Festival.[citation needed]
Malthouse Theatre's core artistic team is currently[when?] led by artistic director & co-CEOMatthew Lutton and executive producer & co-CEO Sarah Neal. It also includes Bridget Balodis (director-in-residence),Ra Chapman (resident artist),Jada Alberts (resident artist), and Kamarra Bell-Wykes (resident artist).[2]
Malthouse Theatre's current[when?] board members include: Fiona McGauchie (chair), Michael Kantor (deputy chair), Debbie Dadon, Andrew Myer, Jan Owen, Sue Prestney,Pamela Rabe, Nick Schlieper, Mary Vallentine, andDeborah Cheetham.[2]
Artistic directors have included: