Misplaced Pages

State Theatre

Address	100 St Kilda Road, Southbank Melbourne Australia
Coordinates	37°49′13″S 144°58′6″E / 37.82028°S 144.96833°E / -37.82028; 144.96833
Owner	Victorian Arts Centre Trust
Capacity	2079
Current use	Live Theatre, Opera, Ballet, Dance
Construction
Opened	October 1984
Architect	Roy Grounds
Website
www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

The State Theatre opened in 1984 and is part of the Arts Centre Melbourne located by the Yarra River and St Kilda Road. Like the other performance venues within the Arts Centre, the State Theatre is underground. It has over 2,000 seats and its stage is one of the largest in the world.

The State Theatre is typically used as a venue for ballet, opera and musical theatre.

The first performances in the State Theatre were Fiddler on the Roof by Opera Australia in May 1984, and the John Copley production of Verdi's Don Carlos in by the Victoria State Opera in August.

Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet each use the State Theatre as their main Melbourne venue. It is also used by The Production Company for short seasons of musical theatre.

Over summer, the State Theatre usually hosts a major musical or large-scale theatre production. Notable summer productions have included The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, My Fair Lady, The King and I, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hello, Dolly!, H.M.S. Pinafore, Dusty, War Horse, Chicago, The Secret Garden, The Full Monty, Saturday Night Fever, Dream Lover and Evita.

Gallery

• Interior
• Lobby

See also

• List of theatres in Melbourne

References

1. "World Theatres Day". Victorian Heritage Register. 14 April 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
2. "Curtain up on major upgrades at Arts Centre Melbourne". Aussie Theatre. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
3. Lahey, John (28 October 2020). "From the Archives, 1984: Melbourne launches the Arts Centre theatre complex". The Age. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
4. "Theatre centre unveiled". Australian Jewish News. 11 May 1984. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
5. Hince, Kenneth (1984). "The Victoria State Opera". Meanjin. 43 (1): 123–8. ISSN 0025-6293. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
6. "State Opera season". Australian Jewish News. 15 June 1984. Retrieved 30 September 2023.

External links

• State Theatre page at The Arts Centre website

• Tourist attractions in Melbourne
• Theatres in Melbourne
• Concert halls in Australia
• Opera houses in Australia
• Theatres completed in 1984
• 1984 establishments in Australia
• Music venues in Melbourne
• Music venues completed in 1984
• Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA)