Tim Minchin To Open New Sydney Venue, Foundry Theatre
Tim Minchin will open new Sydney live entertainment venue Foundry Theatre in February 2025, followed by a lineup of musicals, comedy and immersive works.
Nestled within the Sydney Lyric at The Star, the Foundry Theatre is Sydney’s highly anticipated new intimate live entertainment venue.
Its first programming announcement for 2025 features a lineup of live music, comedy, musical theatre and cabaret. Kicking it off in style is performer and songwriter Tim Minchin, followed by the Australian premiere of new international musical No Love Songs, musical comedian Gillian Cosgriff, comedians Akmal, Lawrence Mooney and the Umbilical Brothers, Neglected Musicals’ Kiss Me Kate and the immersive cabaret production, L’Hôtel.
Image: Tim Minchin. Photographer: Damian Bennett
Born from the repurposing of Sydney Lyric rear stage, the Foundry Theatre is a multi-purpose, flexible performance space for up to 360 seated or 630 standing. Entering through the Sydney Lyric foyers, patrons are immersed in a theatrical journey through backstage passageways to a vestibule with soaring ceilings and into the Foundry Theatre itself. The minimalist interior design and dynamic lighting immerses both performers and audiences alike, creating unforgetable theatre experiences where no two visits will be the same.
Tickets go on sale for all productions on Friday 6 December.
Tim Minchin is a songwriter, singer, pianist, actor, writer, comedian, and producer, and now, he can add theatre-launcher (yes, it’s the official term) to his impressive resume as he opens Foundry Theatre with Tim Minchin – First at the Foundry.
From 11 February and for five shows only, this will be a unique opportunity to see Tim and his band playing a selection of tunes from his wide-ranging back-catalogue in a brand new, really small, really great venue.
Tim Minchin said: ‘The opening of a new theatre is a rare and wonderful thing, and I was stoked that the legendary Theatre-builder Stephen Found asked me to be the canary in the coalmine. Or the champagne bottle shattering on the hull.’
In March comes No Love Songs. Starring Keegan Joyce (Rake) and Lucy Maunder (Chicago), No Love Songs packs an emotional punch in its heartfelt songs and honest storytelling.
Image: No Love Songs
Following on in April is Kiss Me, Kate presented by Neglected Musicals, a theatre initiative dedicated to presenting musical theatre that has never (or rarely) been seen in Australia. Cole Porter’s musical comedy includes classics Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Too Darn Hot, Always True To You (In my Fashion), Tom, Dick or Harry, and So In Love, presented in the Neglected Musicals format, script in hand.
Later in April, multi award-winning musical comedian Gillian Cosgriff brings her new show, Fresh New Worries to the Foundry Theatre. In addition to being crowned winner of Best Show at the 2023 Melbourne Comedy Festival, Gillian has also won hearts on Thank God You’re Here and Question Everything.
Image: Gillian Cosgriff
The laughs continue in May, as comedian, radio DJ, talk show host and a published author, Akmal brings an avalanche of them to the Theatre. Quick-wtted and a master of unscripted comedy, Akmal has an ability to deal with hot topics in a hilarious and slightly offensive way.
The Umbilicals Brothers take the energy of live performance and the spectacle of cinema and smash them together into a new show performed simultaneously on stage and on the big screen. It’s like nothing they’ve ever done. The Distraction: enabling your screen addiction.
Dead Set Country is Lawrence Mooney’s new hour of stand-up that’s all about a city boy gone bush. Following on from the acclaim for his past three shows, this time he’s covered in dust, speaking slower and line dancing. Roughed up by locals, mourning dead wombats, talking with horses and having an abiding affair with a tractor - in short Mooney is Dead Set Country.
Image: L'Hotel. Photogapher: Daniel Boud
From June, the Foundry Theatre will welcome guests to L’Hôtel - an immersive theatrical world of French intrigue from the minds of director Craig Ilott and co-creator Stuart Couzens. Come dressed in your finest couture and enter a lobby brimming with bohemian verve. Savour the champagne, graze on a French cheese board and meet the cast of characters who call L’Hôtel home – a crème de la crème of performers from the world of cabaret, burlesque and circus. Follow the characters behind closed doors and become voyeurs to L’Hôtel’s secrets. The Paris of your imagining awaits you at L'Hôtel.
Graeme Kearns, Chief Executive Officer at Foundation Theatres said: ‘Taking this underutilised space and turning it into a theatre is something that we’ve wanted to do for more than 10 years, so we are thrilled to announce its first programming for 2025. Audiences have a terrific variety of shows and artists to choose from as they experience our new theatre for the first time.’
Tim Minchin in First at the Foundry | 11 – 15 February No Love Songs | 7 March – 13 April
Kiss Me, Kate | 14–16 April
Gillian Cosgriff in Fresh New Worries | 23 April
Akmal | 1–4May
Lawrence Mooney in Dead Set Country | 8 – 11 May
The Umbilical Brothers | 15 – 18 May
L’Hôtel | 24 May – 6 July
Tickets on sale from 6 December: foundrytheatre.com.au
Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, NSW 2000 Australia | 02 9509 3600 | www.foundrytheatre.com.au
