MTC's 2020 Season Revealed - FUN HOME, AS YOU LIKE IT, and More!

Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director & CEO Brett Sheehy today unveiled MTC's 2020 Season, a suite of plays that will ignite imaginations, challenge preconceptions and enrich lives throughout the country.

'Season 2020 assembles Australia's best and brightest for a year of theatre that will have audiences seeing the world differently,' Brett Sheehy said.

'Our NEXT STAGE Writers' Program shines brightly with four new commissions taking pride of place alongside a Tony Award-winning musical, a dazzling Shakespeare, an Australian classic and the most exciting new writing from the West End, Broadway and beyond.'

'In 2020, the thematic range spans mistaken identity and the madness of love, to one of the most inspirational sports stories in Australian history, the impact of grief and the boundless limits of joy. But whether a drama or a comedy, a classic or a brand new work, these stories are unified by a simple fact - they are vitally important and relevant to our audiences' lives, here and now.'

'As Victoria's State theatre company, we are proud to give audiences another season of exceptional theatre to revel in, and look forward to embarking on a new decade with our passionate audiences by our side,' Mr Sheehy said.

Multi-award-winning plays from the West End and Broadway make their Australian premiere at MTC, and Simon Phillips returns for another spectacular Shakespearean delight.

MTC's 2020 season opens with the brilliant Olivier Award-winning comedy, Home, I'm Darling, starring Jane Turner, Nikki Shiels and Toby Truslove, directed by MTC Associate Artistic Director Sarah Goodes.

Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, makes its Australian premiere starring Lisa McCune, Ryan Gonzalez, Maggie McKenna, Lucy Maunder, Adam Murphy and Chloé Zuel, directed by Dean Bryant.

Christie Whelan Browne, Bert LaBonté and Chris Ryan return to the Company in a glittering new production of As You Like It, Shakespeare's topsy-turvy celebration of love in all its forms, directed by Simon Phillips with music by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall.

Four NEXT STAGE commissions feature proudly in the season, accompanied by an unrivalled classic and a glorious tribute to an Australian sporting legend.

Benjamin Law makes his playwriting debut with Torch the Place, a poignant modern comedy about finding clarity in the clutter of life, directed by Dean Bryant and starring Fiona Choi, Michelle Lim Davidson and Diana Lin.

Joanna Murray-Smith conjures a riveting world of lust and intrigue in Berlin, starring Grace Cummings and directed by Iain Sinclair.

Dan Giovannoni explores themes of activism, community and hope in SLAP. BANG. KISS., a rollercoaster contemporary performance directed by Prue Clark that asks, can young people really change the world?

William McInnes, Genevieve Morris, Ruva Ngwenya and Louise Siversen star in the world premiere of Aidan Fennessy's touching new comedy, The Heartbreak Choir, directed by Peter Houghton.

Alongside these NEXT STAGE commissions, MTC celebrates 50 years of David Williamson's plays on Australian stages with a revival of his finest comedy, Emerald City, starring Nadine Garner, Ray Chong Nee, Marg Downey, Jason Klarwein and Rhys Muldoon, directed by Sam Strong.

And MTC transforms the Sumner into a tennis court with on-stage, court-side seating for Sunshine Super Girl, the triumphant story of Australian sporting hero Evonne Goolagong, written and directed by Andrea James.

Astonishing new plays from the UK and Canada along with a masterpiece of American theatre round out the program.

Dan Spielman stars in the Australian premiere of Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, a powerful story about the dangers of desire, power and privilege, directed by Petra Kalive.

MTC Associate Artistic Director Sarah Goodes directs Josh McConville in a fiery new production of True West, Sam Shepard's searing portrait of two brothers whose savage relationship embodies the fallibility of the American dream.

And Kate Champion directs Robin McLeavy in the gripping one woman show, Girls & Boys by Dennis Kelly that begins as a beguiling tale of universal truths, before hitting home with the full force of a tsunami.

As well as a season of remarkable plays, MTC's acclaimed Education Program will again provide thousands of students across the state with life-changing theatre and learning opportunities through programming for young audiences, specialised enrichment programs, education resources, workshops and special partnerships.

The Company also continues its array of renowned artist development programs and initiatives including the Women in Theatre Program, Cybec Electric play reading series, CAAP Directors Initiative and MTC's landmark NEXT STAGE Writers' Program, currently in its third year with 25 writers under commission or in residency.

Subscription packages for MTC's 2020 Season are on sale from Tuesday 3 September at 9pm.

Tickets for Home, I'm Darling, Torch the Place, Emerald City and Berlin go on sale to the public on 5 December.

Tickets for SLAP. BANG. KISS., Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, The Heartbreak Choir, Fun Home and True West go on sale on 5 March.

All remaining productions go on sale on 4 June.

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