Melbourne theatre and musicals in January

Hey Melbourne, the Mormons are back! After wowing audiences in Sydney with plenty of "did they really just say that?” humour, The Book of Mormon is heading to the Princess Theatre. For the uninitiated, The Book of Mormon follows two inept Mormon missionaries from Salt Lake City on their journey to save mortal souls in a corner of Uganda ruled by a one-eyed warlord. It’s the brainchild of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone – hence, you can expect a lot of explicit language – along with Avenue Q and Frozen co-creator Robert Lopez. 

Due to popular demand, Melbourne Theatre Company's rip-roaring musical adaptation of My Brilliant Career is returning for a limited five-week run in 2026. This incredible production takes one of the best-known early Australian novels, the 1901 book of the same name by Miles Franklin, and twists it into a musical for a new generation. Six star Kala Gare is reprising her role as Sybylla Melvyn, with much of the original ensemble of actor-musicians also coming back.

Written and directed by acclaimed Larrakia, Yanyuwa, Bardi and Wardaman artist Jada Alberts, Black Light is a bold new work kicking off Malthouse’s 2026 Season. Supported by a powerhouse First Nations cast including Trisha Morton‑Thomas and Tahlee Fereday, as well as real-life sisters Rachael and Lisa Maza reuniting on stage for the first time in 17 years, the production threads together the familiar tangled intimacies and everyday drama of family life.

It's been seen by more than a million people on Broadway and many more on the West End, and now the Tony Award-winning MJ the Musical is heading to Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. Centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ the Musical features more than 25 of Michael Jackon’s biggest pop hits set to show-stopping dance numbers, including ‘Beat It’, ‘Smooth Criminal’, ‘Man In The Mirror’ and ‘Thriller’.

If you’re ready to pop the Champers, laugh ’til your belly hurts and revel in tricks you didn’t know were humanly possible, strap in for a glittering night at Blanc de Blanc Encore. The cabaret spectacle fuses a delectable mix of circus, cabaret, jazz and comedy (with a couple of bottles of bubbles for good measure) for an effervescent night out – leave the kids at home for this one.