Malthouse Theatre has lifted the curtain on its 2026 season, revealing a year of intimate portraits, radical reimaginings and urgent new voices. Across ten productions spanning drama, comedy, cabaret and dance, the 2026 season is set to be a year-long exploration of identity, transformation and connection in an age of uncertainty.
Guided by executive producer Vivia Hickman and incoming artistic director Dean Bryant, the program aims to amplify diverse voices and bold new ideas — from the fierce tenderness of Blak motherhood in Black Light to the fevered ambition in All About Eve. Together, these works ask who we are, how we endure and what it means to create – and keep creating – in turbulent times.
The 2026 season will feature six new Australian works, five world premieres and three new Malthouse commissions. It’s a year of “extraordinary ambition, creativity and diversity,” Hickman says, one that invites audiences to “listen more deeply, see more clearly and imagine more boldly”.
What shows will make up Malthouse’s 2026 season?
Black Light (Feb 13–Mar 7): A new First Nations work by Jada Alberts starring real-life sisters Lisa and Rachael Maza, Black Light is an intimate portrait of Blak motherhood that delves into survival, fear and resilience under the weight of colonial Australia.
Game. Set. Match. (May 1–23): Written by and starring Megan Wilding, Game. Set. Match. is a sharp, genre-shifting piece that transforms from a rom-com into a revenge thriller – expect a darkly funny take on love and power, directed by Jessica Arthur.
Pride and Prejudice (May 14–23): This is Bloomshed’s acclaimed modern reimagining of Austen’s classic, recast through the lens of Australia’s housing crisis with quick wit, bold staging and biting social commentary.
House of Rot: Grey Gardens (Jun 18–20): A cabaret loosely inspired by the true story of Grey Gardens, aka the cult tale of Big and Little Edie – two eccentric recluses clinging to their decaying family home. It's set to be a haunting homage to beauty and madness starring Paul Capsis and Adam Noviello.
Vista (Jul 22–Aug 1): The world premiere of Stephanie Lake’s latest dance work, combining explosive physicality, hypnotic rhythm and the poetic imagery that defines her company’s style.
Break of Day (Aug 7–29): Sarah Goodes directs Kat Stewart in Steve Rodgers’ moving portrait of a mother and daughter navigating love, technology and survival in a forgotten country town.
The Nightline (Aug 13–29): Created by Roslyn Oades and Bob Scott, this immersive sound installation transforms Malthouse’s Bagging Room into a midnight switchboard of anonymous confessions from sleepless Australians.
Koreaboo (Sept 24–Oct 10): After a sell-out Sydney season, Michelle Lim Davidson’s debut play comes to Melbourne – a funny and tender story about belonging, identity and the gravitational pull of Seoul’s K-pop scene.
Ritual Ritual Ritual (Oct 19–31): A new Malthouse commission by Rae Perks for the Suitcase Series, exploring intergenerational hope and climate anxiety through the eyes of high school students.
All About Eve (Nov 20–Dec 12): Incoming artistic director Dean Bryant directs Ivo van Hove’s adaptation of the legendary 1950 film. Christie Whelan Browne plays both Margo Channing and Eve Harrington in a daring feat of dual performance – it is set to be the theatrical event of the season.
How and when can you get tickets for Malthouse's 2026 season?
Tickets for the full 2026 season are on sale here.
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