About Malthouse Theatre
Image: Pia Johnson
Malthouse is one of Australia’s leading theatres located in Melbourne. For more than 45-years Malthouse has been a home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas. Engaging with both local and global communities, our programming premieres the latest in theatrical thought and ideas, collaborating with artists from Australia and around the world.
A STATEMENT ON THE SITUATION IN GAZA AND ISRAEL
We lament with those in the Palestinian and Jewish communities who have lost lives and loved ones in the conflict. We have no tolerance for the rise in antisemitism, islamophobia and xenophobia. We call for an end to violence.
– 8 December 2023
CULTURE
We champion artistic and cultural diversity and seek out alternative points of view. Committed to inclusivity, Malthouse Theatre invites collaboration without bias. We actively address inequities in representation. We believe fiercely in gender equality. We champion positive change and passionately influence its enactment.
Malthouse Theatre acknowledges the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge their sovereignty and their Songlines. We pay respect to their Elders and their Children. We embrace and celebrate the oldest culture in the world.
We support the right of a Treaty for all First Nations peoples of Victoria and Australia. We engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, supporting their right to self-determine artistic identity while promoting artists and emerging talent, audience development and community engagement.
VENUE
The Malthouse in Melbourne is our dedicated venue: a home for innovation and live experiences that provoke and entertain. A historic beer-making malthouse built in 1892, the building at 113 Sturt Street, Southbank was gifted by Carlton & United Breweries to Playbox Theatre in 1988. Converted into an agile and contemporary theatre complex, Malthouse comprises a world-renowned 500-seat Merlyn theatre, the recently refurbished 180-seat Beckett Theatre, the Tower and our bespoke workshop.
Renamed simply to Malthouse in 2020, our building also accommodates rehearsal rooms and meeting spaces. And of course, there is the Box Office, The Malthouse Bar and the Café to make your experience at with Malthouse Theatre a memorable night out.
HISTORY
For over 40 years, we have fanned the flames of Melbourne’s radical culture, exerting significant influence on our city’s artistic community. In 1976, Carrillo Gantner, Graeme Blundell and Garrie Hutchinson formed the Hoopla Theatre Foundation, which transitioned into the Playbox Theatre Company in 1980. In 2004, Michael Kantor reimagined Playbox as Malthouse Theatre, named after the iconic venue that has been the company's home since 1990.