Melbourne Arts Center officially announces new performance space, Showrooma 150-seat private theater that will provide audiences with the opportunity to experience groundbreaking theater, music and dance performances up close.
The Show Room program will showcase the work of independent artists and established art institutions, including provocative new works by renowned theater creators Van Badham, Gary Abrahams and Kristen Smyth, as well as the much-anticipated return of Wang Chong. Throughout the remainder of 2024, the gallery will also showcase collaborations and works with The Australian Ballet, the Victorian Arts Center and the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
The creation of the showroom represents the most creative expression of the Melbourne Arts Center team as the organization goes through a period of reconstruction.
“While the National Theater is due for refurbishment until 2027, we saw an opportunity to convert the existing National Theater rehearsal rooms into a more intimate performance space with year-round programming,” Melbourne Arts Center Program Director Stephen Armstrong said. “Without The Show Room, we wouldn’t be able to deliver performances that truly engage audiences in such an intimate space. Carefully curated, site-specific programming allows us to engage with the wider Victorian and international performing arts community in new ways .
Armstrong continued: “In addition to our existing venues – Hammer Hall, Sydney Meyer Music Bowl, Fairfax Studios and Playhouse – the showroom serves as a solid foundation for our existing relationships in the arts community. Bringing a new dimension and providing us with the opportunity to work as Victoria’s flagship performing arts venue, we can offer noteworthy artists and organizations. The Showroom’s 2024 program includes work across a variety of genres by some of the finest artists. Excellent quality work. We’re really excited to debut The Show Room this week and see how the space shapes up as we gain momentum in 2025.
2024 exhibition hall plans:
Show Room’s debut work, Little gossip“”, an international contemporary dance work by Aakash Odedra and Lewis Major, will open later this week and run from July 27 to August 4 day. Stage adaptation of beloved children’s book Heather It will be performed from September 11th to 15th. As part of the Alter State program, the critically acclaimed Restless Dance Theater private view It will be held from October 2-6.
From October 16th to 26th, genre-defying author Van Badham (QAnon and others) and praised director Gary Abraham (Yentel). werewolf is a shockingly prescient stage play about Melbourne today. Developed and presented in partnership with Melbourne Arts Center and Melbourne Fringe Festival, werewolf Inspired by the chilling aesthetic of old Hollywood horror films, embark on a journey through the volatile politics of modern extremism.
Australian Ballet Body torqueA collective display of modern dance works will be held from October 28th to November 3rd. Established in 2004, this choreographic development program supports emerging talent within and beyond The Australian Ballet’s dance ranks, including renowned alumni Alice Topp and Tim Harbour, who Later he became the company’s resident choreographer.
Wang Chong is recognized around the world as one of Beijing’s most important theater directors and is renowned for his visionary experiments in classical and contemporary theatre.Mine Warfare 2.0) Return to Melbourne Arts Center Made in China 2.0 November 6-16. In this solo performance, Wang Chong takes the audience deep into his personal experience and provides a moving examination of the role of artist and provocateur in uncertain times.
Powerful and boldly revolutionary, Cruel Britannia: After Frankenstein is trans playwright and performer Christine Smith’s queer reinterpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel (The Gospel of Jesus the Queen of Heaven). The production, which will run from 20 to 30 November, is an in-depth exploration of Mrs Thatcher’s dystopian Britain: a gothic world of monsters and chaos. Smith’s debut solo play will premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe before having its Australian premiere at The Show Room.
While the National Theater is undergoing refurbishment until 2027, Arts Center Melbourne remains open and audiences can still enjoy performances and events at the Fairfax Studios, Theatre, Hammer Hall, Sydney Meyer Concert Hall and Showcase.
The Showroom is made possible by the dedicated donor support and generosity of Melbourne Arts Center Council donors who bring this new performance space and its arts program to life.
For more information, visit www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/visit/theatres-and-spaces/the-show-room.
