AustLit

'The local footy team of this small coastal town have spent so long at the bottom of the ladder they might as well be welded to it. This year a new hope arrives: the Marngrook cousins are named after the Aboriginal game that inspired AFL, and they’re match fit to bring home the team’s first flag in forever.

'This powerhouse new production manifests the physical and psychological demands that a football team faces under the Friday night lights. Set within the era of Adam Goodes’s war cry – and named for the number he immortalised – 37 asks ten actors to throw themselves into this world of blood and sweat to get at the values that drive a national obsession. Community, identity, the price of winning and the meaning of a goal: they’re all up for grabs.' (Production summary)

'Sybylla Melvyn is the smartest, funniest, most outrageous teenager Australia has ever witnessed. Just ask her.

'She’s growing up in the 90s – the 1890s, that is – where life doesn’t throw a lot of options at a girl. But life didn’t reckon on Sybylla. Forced to choose between romance and her own genius, her family and a future she defines, she’s decided she’s having it all.

'Miles Franklin’s novel My Brilliant Career still pulsates with the wild electric energy that made it such a sensation a century ago, and this new adaptation channels that fire into a high-energy musical. It’s a makeover that transforms one of our most enduring literary figures into a heroine for this very moment, while retaining all the wit and charm that has made this such a timeless work.

'A live soundtrack that’s equal parts contemporary pop, folksy bush band and raucous pub rock will translate the untameable spirit of Sybylla into a live theatre experience to blow the ceiling off.

'Adapted by music theatre’s most dynamic duo Mathew Frank and Dean Bryant alongside Sheridan Harbridge, with a cast led by Kala Gare (SIX), this world premiere is directed by our own Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks.' (Production summary)

'Not now, not ever

'When Mrs MacIntyre, the scheming owner of aged care home Elm Grove, decides to cut costs by offering uni students free board in return for them helping out as carers, she does not count on the arrival of Finn Bailey. Lazy and unqualified, Finn soon clashes with over-worked carer Ruby, before setting off a chain of events that lead to romance, rebellion and a residents’ choir.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'Against the backdrop of 1950s and 60s suburban Melbourne and in the wake of the Second World War, multi-award-winning writer Patricia Cornelius delivers a poetic, heart-rending tale that unpacks the shadow of war, and the trauma it leaves behind.

'The youngest of Jack and Martha’s five children, Christine idolises her father, especially his stories of wartime heroics. She cannot understand why her siblings – Jill, Johnnie and twins Door and Mouse – don’t share her love for their dad. Jill, meanwhile doesn’t understand why their mum puts up with him. As Christine watches on, one by one her siblings start to rebel against the tumultuous environment they are growing up in. Once fascinated by her father’s war stories, they slowly start to lose their shine as the conflict in Vietnam intensifies and war once again becomes front of mind for the family.'

Source: Production blurb.

'A clever twist on Charles Dickens’s classic Christmas morality tale, A Very Jewish Christmas Carol is a funny and delightful journey of discovering who we are and remembering the things that unite us.

'Caulfield baker Elysheva Scroogeavitz is determined not to let anything get in the way of fulfilling customer demand for her Bubby’s famous Polish gingerbread. Not her family’s impending Chrismukkah celebrations; not her contractions and imminent labour; and certainly not the ghosts who’ve suddenly shown up in her kitchen. But the Rein-Dybbuck of Chrismukkah Past, Gingerbread Golem and Lilith Claus have other ideas, and Ely’s about to get an unexpected lesson in the importance of making time for the ones we love.'

Source: Production blurb.

'When 15-year-old Lucy Lam wins the inaugural Equal Access Scholarship to a prestigious private school, the smart and well-liked student is not prepared for the new world she’s suddenly propelled into. It’s a world of wealth and opportunity, overseen by The Cabinet – a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates, and even their teachers. But when The Cabinet turn their attention to Lucy she has to make a choice: fit in and succeed, or stay true to herself. Either way, there’s a cost.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'Cyrano is the most interesting person in any room – a wordsmith, a charmer, a ruthless fighter. She works twice as hard and runs twice as fast as any of the pretty boys, because she's deeply ashamed of something about herself. She's fallen hard for Roxanne, the brilliant, beautiful new girl in town with a penchant for poetry and a way with words. Just like Cyrano. But Roxanne's only got eyes for Yan: hot, manly Yan; all-brawn-and-no brains Yan, who's dumbstruck around Roxanne – probably shy, right? Until suddenly he starts saying the most amazing things. But it's not Yan writing these perfect love scenes, it's Cyrano …'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Muse and mentor, Sunday Reed was the founder of Melbourne’s Heide Museum of Modern Art, and the heart of a circle of artists that included the likes of Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester. In this world premiere MTC commission, Nikki Shiels (Home, I’m Darling) embodies Reed’s passionate and unconventional spirit, bringing to life an audacious fantasy of her fateful affair with Nolan, her unbroken devotion to her husband, and the devastating price she paid for living and loving on her own terms as a woman in mid-20th century Australia.

'Sunday Reed isn’t like most women. In fact, she’s not like most men. Outspoken, uninhibited, adventurous, she has a laser eye for the new – in life and in art. When struggling artist Sidney Nolan arrives at Heide, the idyllic utopia Sunday is creating with her beloved husband John Reed on the outskirts of 1940s Melbourne, what ensues will haunt all three to their dying days. And in the aftermath, Australian art will never look the same.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'Jacky is a blackfella with a bright future in the big city. He skilfully negotiates the gig economy, earning his keep as a cultural dancer and sex worker. Glenn is a white middle-aged record dealer, finalising a divorce and indulging a fantasy which leads him straight to Jacky. When Jacky’s brother Keith rolls into town, and Glenn’s ex-wife Linda suddenly needs an Aboriginal dancer, can Jacky keep up with demand?'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'In 1840, a settler swore he found a bible printed in Edinburgh, a blue silk purse and a broken looking-glass in the remains of a Gunaikurnai camp near Ninety Mile Beach. But did he also really see the face of a ‘pale woman’ in a possum-skin cloak? Was there really a ‘white woman’ in Gunaikurnai country or were these unverified stories a cover for other activities – these are the questions Jacinta is trying to answer when she holes herself up in a country motel to put the finishing touches on her thesis. But can she solve a 150-year-old mystery in four days? And get justice for her people?

'The Black Woman of Gippsland explores colonial Victorian ‘history’ through a vital First Nations’ lens.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'If you’re trying to make sense of 2020, you’re not alone. Stuck inside longer than at any point in history, homeschooling your kids and zooming your workmates while watching racial reckonings and bonkers elections play out on your screens, the year was, at the very least, unique. Bracketed by masking up for bushfires and then viruses, and unmasking as we finally hit the donut days, Victorians spent months deprived of one of the fundamental ways we have of understanding our humanity – the communal experience of theatre.

'To celebrate the reopening of the Sumner, Dean Bryant interviewed a group of MTC favourites to share how they got through the year that was, transforming their words into a one-weekend-only theatre event that’s both personal and universal. There’ll be laughter, tears and the occasional song as we come to terms with one of the more epic years of our lives.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'On a whim, middle-aged Hester brings the orphaned, adolescent Katherine into her home – it’s the start of a powerful friendship for both women. But when a sudden tragedy interrupts their seemingly idyllic outback life, it threatens to twist their unshakable bond to breaking point. A haunting thriller in the best traditions of Australian Gothic, The Well is a taut work of gnawing suspense as these two women navigate the emotional and psychological terrains of desire, memory and social isolation.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'A young girl hits a ball against the tin wall of her family’s home with a frying pan. This is where it all began for Evonne Goolagong. Hers is a quintessentially Australian story about a girl from the bush who dared to dream, and with the unlikely support of an outback farming town, rose to become the No. 1 tennis player in the world, and a household name by the age of 19.

'Evonne Goolagong’s heartwarming story is a celebration of spirit and passion over adversity, and a tribute to a woman whose sporting prowess continues to inspire a nation, giving hope to thousands of young girls across the country. With its distinctively Australian sensibility and humour, Sunshine Super Girl asks us to consider our nation’s future and the part we can play for the next ‘Goolagong’ waiting in the wings.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In this backwater country hamlet on the fringes of the commuter belt, the local choir was always the quiet heartbeat of the town. It brought people together. But then a devastating event shattered everything and split the town in two. Now, Choir leader, Barbara, and her friends must start a new choir – The Heartbreak Choir – and they have a lot to prove. Not just to the town, but to themselves. With no basses, no gigs, no Annual Arts and Culture Festival and a tentative rehearsal space in the old CFA Hall on the edge of town, this choir, more than ever, need to find a reason to sing.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'SLAP. A video of 16-year-old Immi hitting a soldier during a military occupation goes viral. BANG. Sofia’s impassioned speech for the victims of a school shooting makes international news. KISS. In the car park of a Wangaratta Woolies, people rally around Darby and Daniel as the boys lock lips in an attempt to set the world record for the longest kiss.

'Can young people really change the world? Multi-award-winning playwright and MTC Writer in Residence Dan Giovannoni knows they can. In SLAP. BANG. KISS. he tracks three young people whose stories kick-start a series of events none of them could have anticipated, transforming them into global symbols of revolution. But when their stories go viral and the whole world is watching, what will they do next?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Tom meets Charlotte in a bar. Tom’s a foreigner on his first trip to Berlin. Charlotte’s a beguiling bartender. They’re both young, smart and charismatic – and in the early hours, they end up back at Charlotte’s Prenzlauerberg apartment. Over the course of the night, desire and longing dance hand in hand with devastating secrets. Are they just two young people falling in love, or are they contemporary victims of history’s undiluted reach?'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'Teresa’s mum finds it impossible to let anything go – from grudges to household objects. She thinks of her home as a museum full of irreplaceable treasures. But she’s not really a curator – she’s a hoarder – and her house is enough to give Marie Kondo heart palpitations. When her kids return home to celebrate her 60th birthday, she’s over the moon to have the family back together. But this isn’t a reunion. It’s an intervention.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'It’s 2006 and less than 10% of China is online. The Chinese government looks to Silicon Valley to protect their citizens from the unfiltered chaos of the internet, resulting in the construction of an epic firewall called the Golden Shield. With American companies actively working to build it – stifling political debate in the process – are they responsible, or just doing good business? If they can be prosecuted for working against the promotion of democracy, should they? And if dissidents start disappearing, who should be put on trial?

'With interweaving storylines from across the globe, Golden Shield is an urgent legal drama that explores the personal and political ramifications of corporate greed in the global economy. A trail-blazer of contemporary theatre, Anchuli Felicia King finds fascination in the space where technology and tradition meet for this piercing, funny and extremely timely new play.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'‘Mae, you can fool the world, you can fool your friends and you can even fool yourself, but you can’t fool me…’

'Hollywood bombshell Mae West built her career on lookin’ good – walkin’ the walk and talkin’ the talk – while legendary photographer Diane Arbus was famous for finding beauty in the everyday. When Diane turns up at Mae’s glistening LA apartment in 1964 to take her portrait, tensions quickly flare. Mae’s version of herself is very different to the one Diane wants to catch on film. But whose version wins out when a master of illusion meets a master of truth?

'Drawing on actual events, award-winning Australian playwright Stephen Sewell imagines what might have transpired between these two extraordinary women, creating a powerful portrait of beauty, sexuality, wildness and longing.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.