Night Night

The Lark

From the creators of the critically acclaimed Mother (★★★★★) comes The Lark. Noni Hazlehurst, beloved star of stage and screen, takes centre stage in this new work written by Daniel Keene and directed by Matt Scholten. Rose Grey is saying her final goodbye to The Lark, a small inner-city pub in Melbourne. It’s been closed for six months and will be demolished as the suburb gentrifies. But for Rose, now in her seventies, this derelict building is her whole life. She’s lived here since she was a child, finally taking over from her father as he grew old. Her memories, both bitter and sweet, bind her to The Lark. Trapped in the past, she fears that The Lark might hold her forever in suspension. Now she wants to escape from this cycle of endless return and wrench herself free. With rave reviews on its 2025 world premiere in Melbourne, you won’t want to miss Noni Hazlehurst's breathtaking performance. A powerful and moving meditation on life, death and change. Originally commissioned and produced by Arts Centre Melbourne and Hey Dowling. Auslan Interpreted Performance – Sat 11 Jul, 2:00pm

Ensemble Q with Ed le Brocq

From Mozart to Leunig - a journey through words, whimsy and the power of music Hailed by Limelight magazine as ""Australia's top echelon of musicians,"" Ensemble Q Australia tours its Regional Touring Program with a vibrant mix of beloved classics and compelling new Australian works. ; Featuring ABC Classic presenter and writer Ed le Brocq, the program unveils a newly commissioned work by Anne Cawrse, inspired by le Brocq's deeply moving story Sonam & the Silence, a meditation on the transformative power of music. In a similar spirit, le Brocq gives voice to Michael Leunig's whimsical imagination in Calvin Bowman's Curly Pyjama Letters. Bookending these new works are great pillars of the chamber repertoire - Puccini’s hauntingly lyrical Crisantemi, Webern’s deeply romantic Langsammer Satz and Mozart's much-loved Clarinet Quintet, featuring internationally renowned clarinettist Paul Dean. Ensemble Q is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland

Onstage Dating

Bron Batten is going on first dates. Live onstage. Watch from the safety of your seat or volunteer to be a part of the action as Bron takes modern romance to the next level – all in front of the audience! You could bear witness to the blossom of true love – or watch it crash and burn in front of your very eyes. Developed whilst she was in residence in Paris, London and Lithuania, Bron went on over 60 online dates as part of her ‘research’, determined to get to the heart of the internet. This is the result. Featuring a different person each night, this hilarious, award-winning and sell-out show has toured all over Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe, thrilling audiences with its unique insight into the world of dating. In the age of Tinder and the online dating app, you can witness the thrill and heartbreak of modern dating up close and personal, as Bron facilitates, interrogates and gleefully destroys the rituals of contemporary romance. Auslan Interpreted Performance – Sat 18 Jul, 2:00pm "If only all awkward first dates were as funny as this" - Sydney Morning Herald "Brave and glorious, sincere, unapologetically real, and hilarious... Onstage Dating is an absolutely superb show" - Regional News NZ "Super-intelligent performance" FOUR STARS - The Age "Situated somewhere between experimental theatre, comedy and live Tinder banter, this show is the perfect date night... Clashes audience participation with modern courtship like you've never quite seen before" - The Times, UK BRON BATTEN - Performer and Creator Bron Batten is an award-winning Melbourne-based performer and theatre-maker whose work has been presented nationally and internationally at venues including London’s Soho Theatre, The Space (Glasgow), Dark MOFO, Arts House and The Wheeler Centre. Her acclaimed collaboration Sweet Child of Mine toured Australia, Chicago, Wellington and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She is the creator of Onstage Dating, a multi-award-winning live art work recognised with Green Room Awards for Innovation and Best Performer, and presented across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Bron has received residencies in Paris and Lithuania and the prestigious Ian Potter Fellowship for international professional development. GARY ABRAHAMS - Outside Eye Director Since graduating from The Victorian College of The Arts in 2009 Gary has worked extensively as a director, writer, dramaturge and actor. He has recently directed the Australian premiere of the hit Broadway play “Buyer and Cellar“ for The Melbourne Theatre Company , the Australian premiere of “Bad Jews” for The Vass Theatre Group and “The Lonely Wolf” for his company Dirty Pretty Theatre as part of the 2015 NEON Festival at Melbourne Theatre Company. Gary has worked as an assistant director at the Melbourne Theatre Company on the plays “All About My Mother” (2010),“Songs for Nobodies” (2010), “The Gift” (2011),“Australia Day” (2012) and the Melbourne Theatre Company and Chunky Move Melbourne Festival collaboration “Complexity of Belonging” (2014).

AUTO-TUNE

Described as an ‘absolute must-see’, this auto-tune rock opera is brought to you by re:group performance collective, the acclaimed team behind Coil, UFO and POV. Set in Wagga Wagga in the early 2000s, AUTO-TUNE is a raucous work of “gig theatre” that follows Michael, a teenage Silverchair fan who discovers he has a strange superpower. The same way auto-tune technology perfects pitch, Michael finds he can time-travel, auto-tuning his life to rid it of dumb statements, awkward pauses and cringe jokes. But when this music-mad weirdo makes the biggest mistake of his life, will his auto-tune superpower save him? Told through an audiovisual set of 17 banging songs and live video captions, this innovative and genre defying performance feels like discovering your new favourite band on the side-stage of a music festival. In a pitch perfect world where algorithms seem to be the answer, AUTO-TUNE is a fifty-five minute romp into a messy, sweaty universe that proves otherwise. It is a regret-filled love letter to millennial culture - Nokia 3315s, teen drinking, Limp Bizkit and questionable decision-making - featuring eclectic and energetic songwriting and a compelling narrative about the value of mistakes.

Gillian Cosgriff - Life, Oh Life

Award-winning musical comedian Gillian Cosgriff is here to talk about life. Not just her life. Not just your life. Life as a concept. And time. As a concept. We’re living in an age of relentless productivity, where every second should be optimised. We’re also outsourcing our questions to technology more than ever. But you know who has lived experience of being alive? Other people! Gillian is a singer, writer, actor, musician, composer and comedian, best known for her role in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Sonia Friedman Productions). She has toured extensively with her solo shows as a comedian and cabaret performer, most notably at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Leicester Square Theatre in London. She co-wrote the opera Lorelei for Victorian Opera with Casey Bennetto and Julian Langdon in 2018, which premiered at the Malthouse Theatre.

Truck Driver

Bev's an old-school truckie who's seen Australia change through his windshield. He's got a million stories from a life on the road - some funny, some dark, all steeped in diesel and dust. The highway's not what it used to be, and Bev's struggling to shift gears. His tough exterior and controversial views hide a man grappling with a world that's leaving him behind. 'Truck Driver' invites you into the cab to share Bev's journey - both literal and figurative. It's a white-knuckle ride that veers between laughter and gut-punches, tall tales and hard truths. From the team behind 'Maureen: Harbinger of Death' comes a diesel-soaked odyssey into the heart of a changing Australia. Nell Ranney and Jonny Hawkins' new play is a defiant, genre-bending mash-up of comedy, tragedy, and gritty realism. This is life in the slow lane. It's not always pretty, but it's real. Strap in and listen up - Bev's got something to say. And you might just learn a thing or two. Auslan Interpreted Performance – Sat 15 Aug, 2:00pm This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. Its development was proudly supported by the NSW Government and the House of Oz. Photo credit Joy M Lai

Heartbreak Hotel

Heartbreak Hotel offers a holistic and humorous exploration of how heartbreak affects our minds and bodies, in an exhilarating new performance blending vulnerable memoir, famous novels, and scientific texts. This one is for the young hearts, the old hearts, and the broken hearts. Heartbreak Hotel invites audiences into a world of love, loss, and everything in between. Join Karin McCracken as she navigates the highs and lows of heartbreak, with Simon Leary embodying the ex-loves and best friends along the way. Packed with lo-fi covers of classic breakup songs, bad Tinder dates, and tentative fresh starts, this show is as funny as it is heartfelt. In an exhilarating new performance blending vulnerable memoir, famous novels, and scientific texts, Heartbreak Hotel offers a holistic and humorous exploration of how heartbreak affects our minds and bodies. Created by Eleanor Bishop and Karin McCracken, winners of the 2022 Bruce Mason Award, this work is generous, reflective, and full of wit. You’ll want to cry. You’ll want to laugh. And you’ll leave reminded of the value of feeling deeply — the good, the bad, and the heartbreakingly beautiful. Auslan Interpreted Performance – Sat 22 Aug, 2:00pm

Winter Season

Presented by HOTA

Comedy Underground Saturday Showcase

Presented by HOTA, Home of the Arts and Based Comedy

Six60

Presented by HOTA

Lady Blackbird & Electric Fields

Thaw

Presented by HOTA