Arts Centre Melbourne

When Heather Mitchell embodied the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG: Of Many, One on the Sydney stage in November 2022, her performance lingered with everyone who witnessed it.  A great legal mind, feminist, and later, improbably, a pop culture darling, Ginsburg continues to have an outsized impact on culture. Mitchell made her performance of this icon feel expertly effortless. With the script by barrister-turned-playwright Suzie Miller (of Prima Facie fame) and direction by Priscilla Jackman (White Pearl), this trio of powerhouse women did justice to the notorious RBG, and made incredible theatre in the process. (Which also inspired STC’s similarly acclaimed follow-up play, Julia, about the impetus of Julia Gillard’s famous misogyny speech.)  As Divya Venkatarmaran wrote in her four-star review for Time Out: “RBG: Of Many, One is a sweeping but satisfying portrayal of its subject’s life, delving into its main subjects with grace and patience, in (a relatively short) 90-odd minutes. And it’s an unexpectedly funny watch...” If you missed it, don’t feel bad – we just received news that will turn that FOMO around. Sydney Theatre Company announced today that RBG: Of Many, One will be returning in 2024 for an extensive Australian tour including seasons in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra – and Heather Mitchell will be reprising the role.  The national tour of RBG: Of Many, One will open at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House in February 2024, Canberra Theatre Centr

After a stellar opening in Sydney, Bell Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is going on tour – and the next stop is Melbourne. The classic comedy will be calling Arts Centre Melbourne home from April 25 to May 11.  Kicking off a jam-packed 2024 season, Bell Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream tells the tale of love and mischief over one magical night where fairies, runaway lovers and bumbling actors get entangled in an enchanted forest. Follow along as a talented ensemble of cast and creatives reimagine the magical play, led by director Peter Evans who has pared back the play to 110 minutes and done a spectacular job at reinventing the timeless tale for a new audience. The all-star cast includes Ella Prince playing Puck, along with Ahunim Abede as Hermia, Isabel Burton as Helena, Mike Howlett as Demetrius, Matu Ngaropo as Bottom, Richard Pyros as Oberon, Imogen Sage as Titania and Laurence Young as Lysander. Tickets range from $40 - $110 and you can book them here.

Edit: A second Melbourne show has been added to Dolly Alderton's tour, after her first date completely sold out. She'll now be doing a show at the Palais Theatre on November 13 in addition to her booked out talk at the Arts Centre Melbourne on November 14. Tickets to her talk at the Palais Theatre are on sale now, you can buy them here – snap them up while you can! If you know a young woman who's an avid reader, chances are her eyes will light up at the mention of best-selling author Dolly Alderton. The British writer skyrocketed to popularity with her debut memoir-turned-TV show, Everything I Know About Love – a quasi-bible for those navigating life in the fraught 20s age demographic.  For the very first time, Alderton is headed Down Under for a tour of talks, off the back of her latest New York Times best-selling novel Good Material. She's heading to Arts Centre Melbourne for an appearance on November 14, and bringing along her latest stories for Melburnians to enjoy. Not only is she a beloved author, but Alderton originally gained recognition for her Sunday Times 'Dear Dolly' advice column – and she'll incorporate her favourite anecdotes from this within her live show, as well as her own insightful musings on various aspects of life. Audiences will have a chance to ask questions of their own, too, so get brainstorming.  Alderton will also make appearances in Sydney on November 5 and 6, Perth on November 10 and Brisbane on November 17 before heading to Wellington on Novembe