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The ultimate theatre guide to Melbourne

What's on in Melbourne's theatres, clubs, cabaret bars and comedy spots.

Magician balancing one finger on a globe, suspended updside down, wearing a white suit and hat.
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Piccolo Teatro: Magic Theatre

Specialising in astonishing magic shows and immersive live entertainment.

Visitors enjoying an evening event at the National Gallery of Victoria, seated on stools under shadowy lighting.
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NGV Friday Nights: Cartier

NGV Friday Nights shine with Cartier, featuring live music, flims, food and drinks.

Dark image of a Dracula figure lit with red light on stage.
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Dracula: Ballet at its Darkest

A bold, cinematic reimagining of the gothic classic.

A woman with theatrical witch makeup and an elaborate, tall gray hairstyle intertwined with dark green foliage poses against a solid light green background.
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Pulse

Pulse is a love song to a bleeding ocean created by Susan Bamford Caleo and Elissa Goodrich.

Characters from the PAW Patrol TV series performing live on a theatre stage, with streamers in the air above them and a large audience watching them.
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PAW Patrol Live: Race to the Rescue

The beloved pups of PAW Patrol hit the stage in this interactive live show.

A yellow vintage phone on a wooden table illuminated by a desk lamp, part of an interactive theatre installation at the Malthouse Theatre.
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The Nightline

A crafted theatrical audio-installation experience inspired by late-night anonymous voice messages.

Two faces superimposed onto an artwork of a rearing horse.
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Ubu Roi

The play that inspired the Theatre of the Absurd, Dadaism and Surrealism.

View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River

Twisted Tales and Petrifying Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

A presentation of works by Edgar Allan Poe read by Connor Gale.

Close-up portrait of a woman with short, curly brown hair. She is wearing heavy, dark eye makeup.

La Caduta: Live Play Reading

Live play reading, in both English and Italian.

Ensemble cast of performers on stage, all wearing white t-shirts, blue trousers and braces, with their arms raised in the air, improvising in front of an audience.
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Defrost Festival

Showcasing over 50 unique events dedicated to improv and sketch comedy.

A person with long brown hair tied back, wearing a black blazer and sunglasses, leans forward to kiss a person wearing a rubber bald head face mask, in a grey pinstripe suit and sunglasses, set against a solid bright green background.
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Cold War 2.0

An experimental punk show from the twilight of a global crisis by Doppelgangster.

Historic Supreme Court Library interior with red carpet, arched mezzanine story, domed ceiling, stacks of library shelves and portraits.
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Shakespeare in the Supreme

Hear scenes from Shakespeare performed in the historic Supreme Court Library.

Portrait of Australian musical theatre star Silvie Paladino as she stands with her hands on her hips in a formal gown, in front of bright stage lighting.

Morning Melodies: Silvie Paladino – A Life on Stage

Australian musical theatre star Silvie Paladino reflects on her remarkable journey in the spotlight.

Two performers on a stage, a man dressed in a suit, looking at a man with his arms outstretched suspended by an aerial rope above a low pool of water.
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Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan

A dazzling new operatic work by some of Australia’s most acclaimed creative talents.

A man and a woman lean forward with wide, surprised facial expressions and open mouths, both extend their hands toward the camera with fingers spread wide in a playful, startled gesture.
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Cobble Creek Rangers

Nick and Jesi will teach you how to save the planet...sort of.

Illustration of a white swan, a trumpet and a yellow sun, all superimposed on top of each other, against a pale background.
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The Trumpet of the Swan

An adaptation of E.B. White’s gorgeous novel The Trumpet of the Swan for orchestra and actors.

Three classical musicians surrounded by glittering scolls and stars.

The Wagner Gala Concert

A landmark, one-night-only musical event to mark the reopening of the Ian Potter State Theatre.

A distorted and elongated face that is covered in white paint or foam, their mouth is wide open, the nose looks like a fake prosthetic and they wear glasses.
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Marginalia

Acclaimed theatre mavericks Pummel Squad are back with a new comedy for a world beyond parody.

A spired building on a sunny day

The best kid's theatre shows on in Melbourne

Featuring musical theatre, magic shows and more.

Singers and dancers on a theatre stage in a scene from A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, with spotlights and stage sets.
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A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

An inspiring, exhilarating, energetic musical memoir.

A mid blue background with a light blue flattened disc near the bottom
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Thanks for Your Hospitality

An in-progress ensemble work by James Watson.

A vintage-style black top hat, a fob watch, a blank note card and a pair of leather gloves on a table.
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The Importance of Being Earnest

A witty comedy of romance, mistaken identities and unforgettable laughs.

Woman wearing red goggles and a frowning expression in a swimming pool.
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Nicola Pohl: Lil Ripper at the Pool

Making a splashing solo debut as Lil Ripper, the six-year-old at the pool.

A director's chair in front of a small desk and mirror with makeup lights and a wig on a mannequin stand.
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Mackenzie

A camp, dark and deranged retelling of Macbeth, set in the heights of early 2000s TV stardom.

Cartoon Macbeth figure waving a sword on a grassy hill.
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Bloo-Bleep or Not Bloo-Bleep

It's Macbeth but performed via a custom video game.

Gilded outline of Barbra Streisand's profile.

The Way We Were Starring Melinda Schneider

Celebrating the music and life of Barbra Streisand.

A dancer wears a vibrant green, light-up ballerina-style tutu dress with a matching crown, and large, glowing translucent fairy wings spread out behind her, standing against a dark background.
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Ballet of Lights: Peter Pan in a Sparkling Show

Peter Pan lights up Neverland in a dazzling dance spectacle.

King Arthur and knights standing on stage in medieval dress.
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Monty Python's Spamalot

A riotous retelling of the adventures of King Arthur and his loyal Knights.

An outstretched hand holding a remote.
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Soapboxed

A soap opera trapped in a reality show made for the theatre about the future of humanity.

Two individuals posing in front of a solid green background, one holding a fork, the other holding a chef's knife.
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How to Eat Rabbit

Temperatures, sea levels, and fascists are rising; retreat to a burrow to train for survival.

Photo booth images of a girl screaming and pulling a face with a red background.
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Proof of Concept

A double bill production of works-in-progress.

Famed actors Anthony LaPaglia and Alison Whyte on stage during a performance of Death of a Salesman.
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Death of a Salesman

Anthony LaPaglia reprises his role as Willy Loman in this timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.

A blacklit underwater scene showing a colourful lion fish and a leafy sea dragon behind a large set of teeth.
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Dreamer in the Deep

Embark on a spectacular deep sea adventure with this enjoyable children's puppet show.

A woman's face outlined in the shape of a woman carrying a case, against an abstract background.
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The Homecoming

Harold Pinter’s Tony Award-winning drama comes to the Athenaeum for a limited season.

A train station lit up in rainbow lights

Melbourne's best drag shows and queer-friendly venues

Find burlesque life drawing, cabaret and the best queer-friendly venues in Melbourne.

View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River
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A Streetcar Named Go F**k Yourself

A tale of gay friendship under the heat of the European sun.

A woman on a stepladder in a garden pours water from a watering can over a man standing below.
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Uncle Vanya

Chekhov’s timeless tale, full of mordant wit, unrequited love and longing, finds new life.

American flag cartoon, without the stars.

Reform: Play Reading

A staged reading of Finn McGrath's newest play.

A person demonstrating a dynamic dance move while wearing a comfortable, neutral-toned sleeveless top and trousers, set against a green background.
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Our Last Tree

A performance about climate grief and hope through contemporary dance and live music.

A drawing of five colorful sheep (purple, blue, yellow, orange, and red) walking on a green grassy hill with small flowers.
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Where is the Green Sheep?

A wild and woolly adventure to find that elusive green sheep.

More theatre and shows

Melbourne's major theatres

Audience in curved rows of seating looking towards the stage curtain inside the Regent Theatre.

Regent Theatre

This landmark theatre is one of Melbourne’s premier live performance venues.

Rows of red seats in the historic Princess Theatre.

Princess Theatre

Melbourne’s iconic Princess Theatre is regarded by many as Melbourne’s most spectacular landmark.

Tiered seating and red plush stage curtain.

Her Majesty's Theatre

This heritage-listed theatre has provided entertainment for Melbourne since 1886.

Comedy Theatre stage and tiered seating.

Comedy Theatre

The historic Comedy Theatre hosts musicals, drama and yes, comedies.

Heritage-listed Athenaeum building, with columns and ornate capitals.

Athenaeum Theatre

This heritage-listed venue hosts comedy, music and theatre.

Striking geometric design of the Southbank Theatre, illuminated at night.

Southbank Theatre

Performance space and home of the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Arts Centre Melbourne with winter trees and blue sky, surrounded by city buildings.

Arts Centre Melbourne

With its iconic spire, the Arts Centre Melbourne is a cultural and architectural landmark.

Performance space and seating inside La Mama Courthouse.

La Mama Courthouse

One of the great independent theatres of the city with a focus on diversity and inclusivity.

More theatre venues

Seating and stage in Fairfax Studio, an intimate theatre space.

Fairfax Studio

An intimate theatre presenting smaller-scale and experimental productions.

Performance space and seating inside La Mama Courthouse.

La Mama Courthouse

One of the great independent theatres of the city with a focus on diversity and inclusivity.

A performer wearing a bikini and holding a firestick above her open mouth in a small cabaret venue.

Speakeasy Theatre

A lively, historic vaudeville theatre featuring burlesque, cabaret, comedy and circus every week.

Discover more

Two friends are leaving a theatre.

The best pre- and post-theatre dining in Melbourne

Fuel up before a big show or extend your city visit at these local eateries.

People milling around Fed Square at night.

Melbourne's unmissable after dark events

From hidden laneway markets to epic pop-ups, Melbourne gets lit once the lights go out.

A stage with a grand facade to look like a building, with crowds waiting for a band to come on stage.

The ultimate Melbourne live gig guide

Concert halls and music venues hosting live music this week

People sitting in a dark movie theatre and facing the screen.

Film

Melbourne has a thriving film scene, with film festivals and screenings at cinemas year-round.