Melbourne Theatre Company Season 2020

Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director & CEO Brett Sheehy has unveiled MTC’s 2020 Season.

‘Season 2020 assembles Australia’s best and brightest for a year of theatre that will have audiences seeing the world differently,’ Brett Sheehy said.

‘Our NEXT STAGE Writers’ Program shines brightly with four new commissions taking pride of place alongside a Tony Award-winning musical, a dazzling Shakespeare, an Australian classic and the most exciting new writing from the West End, Broadway and beyond.’

‘In 2020, the thematic range spans mistaken identity and the madness of love, to one of the most inspirational sports stories in Australian history, the impact of grief and the boundless limits of joy. But whether a drama or a comedy, a classic or a brand new work, these stories are unified by a simple fact – they are vitally important and relevant to our audiences’ lives, here and now.’

‘As Victoria’s State theatre company, we are proud to give audiences another season of exceptional theatre to revel in, and look forward to embarking on a new decade with our passionate audiences by our side,’ Mr Sheehy said.

BIG AND BOLD

Multi-award-winning plays from the West End and Broadway make their Australian premiere at MTC, and Simon Phillips returns for another Shakespearean production.

MTC’s 2020 season opens with the Olivier Award-winning comedy, Home, I’m Darling, starring Jane Turner, Nikki Shiels and Toby Truslove, directed by MTC Associate Artistic Director Sarah Goodes.

Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, makes its Australian premiere starring Lisa McCune, Ryan Gonzalez, Maggie McKenna, Lucy Maunder, Adam Murphy and Chloé Zuel, directed by Dean Bryant.

Christie Whelan Browne, Bert LaBonté and Chris Ryan return to the Company in a glittering new production of As You Like It, Shakespeare’s topsy-turvy celebration of love in all its forms, directed by Simon Phillips with music by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall.

AUSTRALIAN WRITING

Four NEXT STAGE commissions feature in the season, accompanied by a classic and a tribute to an Australian sporting legend.

Benjamin Law makes his playwriting debut with Torch the Place, a poignant modern comedy about finding clarity in the clutter of life, directed by Dean Bryant and starring Fiona Choi, Michelle Lim Davidson and Diana Lin.

Joanna Murray-Smith conjures a world of lust and intrigue in Berlin, starring Grace Cummings and directed by Iain Sinclair.

Dan Giovannoni explores themes of activism, community and hope in SLAP. BANG. KISS., a rollercoaster contemporary performance directed by Prue Clark that asks, can young people really change the world?

William McInnes, Genevieve Morris, Ruva Ngwenya and Louise Siversen star in the world premiere of Aidan Fennessy’s new comedy, The Heartbreak Choir, directed by Peter Houghton.

Alongside these NEXT STAGE commissions, MTC celebrates 50 years of David Williamson's plays on Australian stages with a revival of Emerald City, starring Nadine Garner, Ray Chong Nee, Marg Downey, Jason Klarwein and Rhys Muldoon, directed by Sam Strong.

And MTC transforms the Sumner into a tennis court with on-stage, court-side seating for Sunshine Super Girl, the story of Australian sporting hero Evonne Goolagong, written and directed by Andrea James.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYS

New plays from the UK and Canada along with a masterpiece of American theatre round out the program.

Dan Spielman stars in the Australian premiere of Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, a story about the dangers of desire, power and privilege, directed by Petra Kalive.

MTC Associate Artistic Director Sarah Goodes directs Josh McConville in a new production of True West, Sam Shepard’s searing portrait of two brothers whose savage relationship embodies the fallibility of the American dream.

And Kate Champion directs Robin McLeavy in the one woman show, Girls & Boys by Dennis Kelly that begins as a beguiling tale of universal truths, before hitting home with the full force of a tsunami.

OFF STAGE

As well as its season of plays, MTC’s Education Program will again provide thousands of students across the state with theatre and learning opportunities through programming for young audiences, specialised enrichment programs, education resources, workshops and special partnerships.

The Company also continues its array of artist development programs and initiatives including the Women in Theatre Program, Cybec Electric play reading series, CAAP Directors Initiative and MTC’s landmark NEXT STAGE Writers’ Program, currently in its third year with 25 writers under commission or in residency.

Subscription packages for MTC’s 2020 Season are on sale now.

Tickets for Home, I’m Darling, Torch the Place, Emerald City and Berlin go on sale to the public on 5 December.

Tickets for SLAP. BANG. KISS., Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, The Heartbreak Choir, Fun Home and True West go on sale on 5 March.

All remaining productions go on sale on 4 June.

mtc.com.au/2020

 

HOME, I'M DARLING

BY LAURA WADE

20 January — 22 February

Opening Night: Friday 24 January

 

TORCH THE PLACE

BY BENJAMIN LAW

8 February — 21 March

Opening Night: Friday 14 February

 

EMERALD CITY

BY DAVID WILLIAMSON

6 March — 18 April

Opening Night: Wednesday 11 March

 

BERLIN

BY JOANNA MURRAY-SMITH

25 April — 6 June

Opening Night: Thursday 30 April

 

SLAP. BANG. KISS.

BY DAN GIOVANNONI

7 — 23 May

Opening Night: Saturday 9 May

 

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES

BY HANNAH MOSCOVITCH

15 May — 27 June

Opening Night: Thursday 21 May

 

THE HEARTBREAK CHOIR

BY AIDAN FENNESSY

13 June — 18 July

Opening Night: Thursday 18 June

 

FUN HOME

MUSIC BY JEANINE TESORI;

BOOK AND LYRICS BY LISA KRON

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY ALISON BECHDEL

15 July — 15 Aug

Opening Night: Saturday 18 July

 

TRUE WEST

BY SAM SHEPARD

1 August — 4 September

Opening Night: Thursday 6 August

 

AS YOU LIKE IT

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

MUSIC BY KATE MILLER-HEIDKE & KEIR NUTTALL

14 September — 24 October

Opening Night: Friday 18 September

 

GIRLS & BOYS

BY DENNIS KELLY

30 October — 12 December

Opening Night: Thursday 5 November

 

SUNSHINE SUPER GIRL

BY ANDREA JAMES

20 November — 19 December

Opening Night: Tuesday 24 November

 

Images by Justin Ridler, except Slap.Bang. Kiss. - Illustration by Sue Cadzow.

Read about more 2020 Seasons