Melbourne Theatre Company

Last updated

Melbourne Theatre Company
IndustryTheatre
Founded1953;70 years ago (1953), as Union Theatre Reportory Company
Founder John Sumner
Headquarters
Melbourne
,
Australia
Products Theatrical productions
Website www.mtc.com.au

The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia. [1]

Contents

The company's Southbank Theatre houses the 500-seat Sumner and the 150-seat Lawler, and the company also performs in the Arts Centre Melbourne's Fairfax Studio and Playhouse, all located in Melbourne's Arts Precinct in Southbank. Considered Victoria's state theatre company, it formally comes under the auspices of the University of Melbourne. As of 2013 it offered a Mainstage Season of ten to twelve plays each year, as well as education, family and creative development activities, and reported having a subscriber base of approximately 20,000 people and played to a around quarter of a million people annually. [2]

History

The Melbourne Theatre Company was founded in 1953 by John Sumner as the Union Theatre Repertory Company, based at the Union Theatre of the University of Melbourne's Student Union building. [3] Sumner's original idea was to present a season of plays over those months when the Union Theatre was not being used by student drama societies. It was Australia's first professional repertory theatre, presenting a new play every two weeks during the season. Later, that became three weekly repertory. The first play, Jean Anouilh's Colombe , opened on 31 August 1953, starring Zoe Caldwell (who was later to have considerable success on Broadway), George Fairfax and Alex Scott.

Over the years, Melbourne Theatre Company has championed Australian writing, introducing the works of writers such as Alan Seymour, Vance Palmer, Patrick White, Alan Hopgood, Alexander Buzo, David Williamson, John Romeril, Jim McNeil, Alma De Groen, John Powers, Matt Cameron, Ron Elisha, Justin Fleming, Janis Bolodis, Hannie Rayson, Louis Nowra, Michael Gurr, Jack Davis, Michael Gow and Joanna Murray-Smith (to mention only a few) to mainstream Melbourne audiences. The first Australian play produced by the company, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler, in 1955 was quickly recognised as an Australian classic.

Lawler had by that time succeeded Sumner as Director of the company, taking it through the 1955 and 1956 seasons. When Lawler left to perform The Doll in London, he handed the directorship to Wal Cherry, who oversaw the company from 1956 until 1959. Cherry's experimental and daring approach to theatre did much to broaden the tastes of Melbourne theatre-goers, though the company suffered at the box-office. In 1959, John Sumner returned and subsequently steered the company through twenty-eight years of growth, watching it become, by the time he retired in 1987, the largest theatre company in Australia. Since then the company has had three artistic directors: Roger Hodgman (1987–1999), who steered MTC through the financially troublesome period of the late 1980s and 1990s; Simon Phillips, who was Artistic Director from 2000 to 2011; and Brett Sheehy from 2012. Robyn Nevin, Pamela Rabe, and Aidan Fennessy managed the 2012 season in the interim between Phillips and Sheehy.

Fennessy was Associate Director for some time. [4]

The Melbourne Theatre Company has performed in many Melbourne venues in its history, including the Russell Street Theatre, the Melbourne Athenaeum, St Martins Theatre, the Merlyn and Beckett Theatres at the Malthouse, the Playhouse and Fairfax Studio of the Arts Centre Melbourne, the Comedy Theatre and the Princess Theatre. [5]

Artistic Directors

Awards and nominations

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001. [7] Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2001 Life After George (Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Play Won [8]
Art (Melbourne Theatre Company)Nominated
Simon Phillips – Measure for Measure (Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Direction of a Play Nominated
Caroline O'Conner – Piaf (Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play Won
John Gaden – The Unexpected Man (Company B Belvoir and Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play Won
Company (Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Musical Nominated
Dale Ferguson – Trelawny of the 'Wells' (Melbourne Theatre Company)Helpmann Award for Best Costume DesignNominated
2002 The Tempest (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best PlayNominated [9]
Caroline O'Connor - Bombshells (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated
Dale Ferguson – The Seagull (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Scenic DesignNominated
2003 Simon Phillips – The Blue Room (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Direction of a PlayNominated [10]
Simon Phillips – Great Expectations Nominated
Rachael Griffiths - Proof (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayWon
Christopher Gabardi – Cloud Nine (Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Nominated
2004 Inheritance Best PlayWon [11]
Frozen Nominated
Julian Meyrick – Frozen (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Direction of a PlayNominated
Helen Morse – Frozen (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated
Frank Gallacher – Frozen (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a PlayNominated
Belinda McClory – Frozen (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayWon
2005 The Sapphires Best PlayWon [12]
Pamela Rabe – Dinner (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated
Richard Piper – The Daylight Atheist (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a PlayNominated
Urinetown, the Musical (Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Musical Nominated
Ros Horin – Through the Wire (Performing Lines in association with Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work Nominated
2006 Simon Phillips – King Lear (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Direction in a PlayNominated [13]
Hamish Michael – Two Brothers (Melbourne Theatre Company & Sydney Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best MusicalWon
2007 Jefferson Mays – I Am My Own Wife (Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company and Hothouse Theatre)Best Male Actor in a PlayWon [14]
Matthew Newton – The History Boys (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
Dan Wyllie – The Pillowman (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
2008 Geneviève Picot – Rock n Roll (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated [15]
Alison Whyte – Don's Party (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
Travis McMahon – Don's Party (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
2009 Peter Evans – Blackbird (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Direction of a PlayNominated [16]
Grant Piro – Realism (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
2010 Richard III (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best PlayWon [17]
August: Osage County (Melbourne Theatre Company)Nominated
Jane Menelaus – August: Osage County (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female in a PlayNominated
Robyn Nevin – August: Osage County (Melbourne Theatre Company)Nominated
The Drowsy Chaperone Best MusicalNominated
2012 The Importance of Being Earnest (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best PlayNominated [18]
Simon Phillips – Songs for Nobodies (Melbourne Theatre Company in association with Duet)Best Direction of a PlayNominated
Colin Friels – Red (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a PlayNominated
Bob Hornery – The Importance of Being Earnest (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayWon
Patrick Brammall – Clybourne Park (Melbourne Theatre Company)Nominated
2013 Alison Bell – Constellations (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated [19]
Valerie Bader – Australia Day (Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
2014 Zahra Newman – The Mountaintop (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated [20]
Tom Budge – The Beast (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
2015 Clare Watson – What Rhymes with Cars and Girls (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Direction of a PlayNominated [21]
Julie Forsyth – Endgame (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
Damien Millar – Marlin (Arena Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company)Best New Australian WorkNominated
2016 North by Northwest (Melbourne Theatre Company and Kay + McLean Productions)Best PlayNominated [22]
Mark Leonard Winter – Birdland (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a PlayWon
Katrina Milosevic – The Distance (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
2017 Jasper Jones (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best PlayNominated [23]
Helen Morse – John (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated
2018 The Children – (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company)Best PlayWon [24]
Sarah Goodes - The Children – (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company)Best DirectionWon
Pamela Rabe – The Children – (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayWon
Sarah Peirse – The Children – (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company)Nominated
John Bell – The Father (Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Male Actor in a PlayNominated
Jane Montgomery-Griffiths – Macbeth (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
Bunny Christie – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Arts Centre Melbourne)Best Scenic DesignNominated
2019 Melita Jurisic – Arbus & West (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a PlayNominated [25]
Zoe Terakes – A View from the Bridge (Melbourne Theatre Company)Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayNominated
Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall – Twelfth Night (Melbourne Theatre Company) Helpmann Award for Best Original Score Nominated

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References

  1. ↑ Geoffrey Hutton (1975). "It won't last a week!": the first twenty years of the Melbourne Theatre Company. Melbourne: Macmillan. ISBN   0-333-17506-9.
  2. ↑ Annual report 2013
  3. ↑ [Julian Meyrick, ed. (2004). The Drama Continues: MTC the first fifty years 1953–2003. Southbank: Melbourne Theatre Company. ISBN   0-9751712-0-8.]
  4. ↑ Cameron, Matt; Houghton, Peter (2021). "Vale Aidan Fennessy: Playwright, Director, Actor". Melbourne Theatre Company. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "AusStage – Melbourne Theatre Company". AusStage. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Former artistic leadership". Melbourne Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018.
  7. ↑ "Events & Programs". Live Performance Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  8. ↑ "2001 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  9. ↑ "2002 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "2003 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "2004 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "2005 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "2006 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  14. ↑ "2007 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "2008 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  16. ↑ "2009 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  17. ↑ "2010 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  18. ↑ "2012 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  19. ↑ "2013 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  20. ↑ "2014 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  21. ↑ "2015 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  22. ↑ "2016 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  23. ↑ "2017 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "2018 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "2018 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 26 July 2022.

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