Malthouse Theatre

If it wasn't for their cafe and bar, all my visits to Malthouse would be unbearable. Every season at Malthouse I have seen has been sour note after sour note. So many of their productions are underdeveloped and make no sense. They have little to no storyline and I notice that a lot of Malthouse shows do this thing where their actors suddenly go crazy and start tearing up the set, regardless of whether it adds to the story or not. As well as the quality of their work, I'm incredibly disappointed with their recent choices for the Bensen Writers Group. I recently applied for a place in that program, and sadly wasn't successful. As there were 70 people applying for a five spot program, it's understandable that I didn't get in. However, what makes this insulting is that the successful recipients have already been working in the industry for sometime. As someone who has been struggling to get his foot in the door for years now, I find it rather unfair that they chose people who have already had a chance to develop their careers. It's obvious that the decision came down to who had a better CV rather than any creative merit. It's all about playing it safe rather actually creating something that could change theatre. I always try to give Malthouse the benefit of the doubt, as I know that people make mistakes. Just would be nice if I saw more of their component side.

Just saw Because The Night. Just Incredible. Totally captivating. An inspired take on covid safe theatre. Bravo. BRAVISSIMO.

A lovely performing arts venue with bars and snacks. Whether you enjoy yourself will ultimately depend on what you thought of the production you attended. All in all high class theatre that holds its head high in Melbourne's cultural oasis.

We had such a great time! We went there for "Because the night"!
What an amazing experience! We were fully immersed in the play, we could follow the actors around and see the scene as they were happening. During the play you can look for hints to see if you can solve the mystery!

I watched "Because the night" and words cannot describe the intensity of the experience. Malthouse has set the bar really high with this thoughtful, creative and immersive production. Kudos to everyone.

I had am amazing time here, catching a live show. The staff were lovely, friendly and always smiling. A very pricey place, I wont lie, I felt like the Soda Water was to classy for me, but boy, it was actually really good soda water.no joke. I love soda water, and this just tasted really good.
Aside from that, the place was really cozy, comfortable and a pleasant experience.

Saw Because The Night here and loved it- amazing use of space and theatre! Venue itself is highly mobility accessible, though counters for bar and box office might be a bit high for good wheelchair access, and staff were happy to accommodate and answer questions.

If your into performance and theatre, this is an experience you definitely don’t want to miss out on. Something so incredibly different and innovative you wouldn’t have seen before.
Because The Night is a theatre show loosely based on Hamlet, however instead of the actors performing traditionally on a stage, they perform alongside you in rooms, where you are able to explore, walk through and watch at your own leisure. You cannot touch the actors and they cannot touch you, they simply perform like you aren’t there. Different scenes are performed at the same time, and you start by entering either the Gymnasium, Bedroom or Office (chosen at time of booking).
No phones or bags are allowed in, so the inside remains a mystery to you. You are given a mask and a cape to wear, and you must remain silent as you explore the rooms. We were astonished by how many rooms there actually were, we didn’t even get to see them all in the 90 minutes. We seemed to be fish out of water and a little confused as what we were meant to be doing, my advise is to follow the actors, and not delve too much into each room looking for answers to the story as we did. Enjoy the show, we highly recommend it!
Tickets can be purchased from the Malthouse Theatre website and were $120pp. Only 60 audience members per show.

Saw a Yirramboi show at the outdoor stage - fantastic. Great performances, great ambience. And the bar staff were super lovely.

Because The Night a detailed, wonderful, dramatic experience with hidden gems around every corner. Malthouse exceeds expectations with its shows again.

Underwhelming to say the least - tasteless food with very small portions. Certainly won't be back.

Always a good night at the Malthouse theatre. Clever to use the exterior space during covid-19 times.

Great atmosphere, went to see Lano and Woodley at the outside theatre and they so was wonderful. Staff were excellent. Had food and a drink which we all enjoyed.

Had a fantastic night on Wednesday outdoors drinking Scotchmans hill Vegan Prosecco, eating vegan cauliflower and laughing at silly comedians.bring on more nights like this.thank you

Love the coffee and the chilled out atmosphere at Malthouse theatres cafe area. We live nearby and regularly go over for a coffee or a beer and to relax at their tables under the trees.

Perfect for summer days and boy are we glad the Covid lockdowns are over.

Experience of the outdoor stage was soured by the food made available during the performance, there was very little variety, nothing for kids, not even a bowl of hot chips, husband had to leave and go two blocks down to get done food for our son who is on the spectrum food was overpriced, and wasps everywhere. Will not be going back.

So nice to see creatives collaborating at the end of our really long isolation lockdown. There is hope yet.

It's a pretty good theatre, but it sadly draws theatregoers that don't know how to behave during a show. When I saw The Importance of Being Earnest a few months back, my wife and I were very distracted by the pissing contest among those many members of the audience trying to demonstrate how much they 'got' the comedy. We left halfway because it was unbearably grating.

Going to the theatre on a Friday night shouldn't be watching a competition between the show you paid for and some pseudo-intellectuals spilling wine all over themselves while cackling to perform just how much they 'get it' and aren't they just so clever?

A well constructed comfortable modern theatre. Toilets are in a much better condition than the older more well known theatres in the city. The seats were comfy and there was more leg room for people to pass by. It was not too difficult to find parking. But it was Sunday evening. I would imagine that during the weekday it would be quite a challenge. Nice court yard with seats and plenty of standing room in pleasant surrounds. The theatre was wheelchair accessible. There's a front seating wheelchair area about 5 rows from the front of the stage.

Lovely place with a warm, inviting theatre. Saw the Importance of Being Earnest here. Great bar and atmosphere