Macbeth reimagined from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. A f*ck you to Christmas. An award-winning Australian memoir about growing up Black in white middle-class Australia. A sci-fi adventure. An exploration of secret queer identity within the confines of a Pentecostal Church. These are just a handful of the eclectic stories you can expect to see unfurl on stage at the Malthouse Theatre in 2024.
Malthouse Theatre Co-CEO and artistic director Matthew Lutton OAM said: “This is a highly theatrical season. There isn’t a moment of domesticity or realism in sight, as every work celebrates theatre that transports you into fantasies, heightened realities, folklore, or ecstasy. It is very deliberately a season of productions celebrating how theatrical theatre can be.”
As well as being a “highly theatrical” season, Malthouse’s 2024 season features eight stories that vow to uphold inclusivity and diversity. Here is everything you need to know.
What shows will feature in the Malthouse Theatre's 2024 season?
The Hate Race: The season will open in February with the premiere of The Hate Race, a re-telling of Caribbean-Australian writer Maxine Beneba Clarke’s award-winning memoir about growing up Black in Australia.
Yentl: After debuting in 2022 to widespread critical acclaim (we gave it five-stars), Malthouse has announced a return of Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s Yentl, which follows a young woman who defies tradition by discussing and debating Judaism with her rabbi father. If you want some homework until then, put Barbara Streisand’s legendary 1983 music film on your list.
Homo Pentecostus: In May, audiences are invited to embark on an odyssey of self-discovery and liberation with Joel Bray’s Homo Pentescostus. Here Bray will unveil an intimate exploration of his secret queer identity within the confines of a 1990s Pentecostal Church. From the humble church halls to disco dance floors, Homo Pentecostus peels back the layers of conflict in this testament to resilience, truth and love.
Multiple Bad Things: Also premiering in May is the latest work by Back to Back Theatre, which will follow a small group of people who find themselves alone in a vast, unknown void. They are looking for a refuge, a haven away from modern life, war, and the climate emergency in this poignant work that touches on themes of inclusion, identity and intersectionality.
Macbeth (An Undoing): Playwright Zinnie Harris will reimagine Shakespeare’s Scottish play from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. Expect an exhilarating and revamped tale of manipulation and ambition and see the 11th century spring to the 21st century stage.
The Interpreters (Apologia): A new work from revered first-person artist Nicola Gunn, The Interpreters (Apologia) will unpack Gunn's fantasy of becoming a French actress in this surreal comedic encounter.
Under the Skin: Adapted from the Michel Faber sci-fi novel, Under the Skin follows an otherworldly woman called Isserley who embarks on a mysterious mission to hunt hitchhiking men. Isserley’s perspective shifts as she learns why she’s been sent to hunt. Expect a synthesis of performance and technology, live motion capture and digital creature design.
F*ck Christmas: Director Susie Dee will tee off the season with a wild, mutinous, punk celebration of Christmas. Touching on the naughty and nice binary, the issues around being forced to sit on an old man’s knee, and themes of joy, excess and overconsumption, F*ck Christmas promises to unwrap secular traditions and create an alternative celebration.
How and when can we get tickets?
Tickets to see The Hate Race, Yentl, Homo Pentescostus, and Macbeth (An Undoing) are on presale from Thursday, August 17. Tickets are released to the general public on Thursday, August 24, on the Malthouse Website.
Tickets to see Multiple Bad Things, Interpreters (Apologia), Under the Skin, and F*ck Christmas are on presale from Thursday, February 8, 2024. Tickets will be released to the general public on Thursday, February 15, 2024, on the Malthouse Website.