Southbank Theatre turns 10

By Alex Dalziel

On July 1, Southbank Theatre celebrated its 10th birthday with a world premiere production of Golden Shield.

The theatre, which is the principal home to the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), released 1000 tickets at $10 each to entice as many members of the public to join in the celebrations.

MTC artistic director Brett Sheehy said: “For 10 years, Southbank Theatre has welcomed audiences and artists from Melbourne, Victoria and beyond; firmly establishing itself as a creative, cultural hub and embedding MTC in the heart of the Melbourne Arts Precinct.”

Southbank Theatre hosted its first performance in 2009, with the world premiere of Poor Boy starring Guy Pearce.

The building was designed by architect Ian McDougall from the award-winning Melbourne architecture firm Ashton Raggett McDougall (ARM) and stands out among Southbank’s Arts Precinct with its use of three-dimensional geometric figures on the façade, inspired by the paintings of American abstract expressionist Al Held.

The theatre was constructed alongside the Melbourne Recital Centre, which was designed by the same architecture firm.

Southbank Theatre will also be opening its doors to the public on July 27 for Open House Melbourne. The day will include backstage tours and an exhibition of costumes, props and set models in the foyer.

The event will also include a free public talk from Ian McDougall from ARM Architecture alongside fellow architects Meaghan Dwyer and Kerstin Thompson to discuss the evolution of the Arts Precinct and the art of designing cultural spaces.

mtc.com.au/Southbank10