The new programme of plays came out on the Melbourne Theatre Company website tonight - and I'm feeling a little underwhelmed, as I was with the Sydney Theatre Company 2025 Season.
The Sydney Theatre Company season underwhelmed me because of the fact that I've seen four of the eight plays, not that I will be dibbing into the whole of the season, but I don't need to see these play again, as excellent as they are. Bloom, a musical about an old folks' home is great, but once is enough. And yes, it's playing with a different cast, but I don't need to see that again. Joanna Murray-Smith's Julia is a tour de force, but once is enough, even if Justine Clarke is amazing in the role. And The Dictionary of Lost Words was good - very good. But once is enough.
Suzie Millar's RBG: Of Many, One was in Melbourne a couple of months ago. Again, it's excellent, but I don't need to see it again. The same goes with Happy Days, this time with Pamela Rabe as Winnie, where here in Melbourne Judith Lucy took on the main role.
So, if I want to go to Sydney, for whatever reason, and have a play to see over the weekend, I'm left with Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Talented Mr Ripley. Thankfully they're playing months apart.
The other highlight is at the end of the year is the Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This is the same production that was on at the Red Stitch Actors Theatre, which transferred to the Comedy Theatre and is some of the best theatre I've seen in Australia in the last 25 years. It might be worth my time. It's worth a though.
The Melbourne Theatre Company 2025 season hasn't grabbed me either - but maybe I need to have more of a thorough read of the program.
It's starting out with a play called 37, which was performed this year. Again, it's excellent, but isn't this a bit of lazy programming. Other hand, it is an incredible play.
They're also doing David Williamson's The Removalists. I think I did that play in my last year of high school.
I'm curious to see how they go about adapting Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. The MTC are good at adapting classics onto the stage. I enjoyed their North by Northwest and Storm Boy.
They're also going back to doing a Shakespeare - and Much Ado About Nothing is always good as a crowd pleaser. This is their Christmas play. (This year it's an adaption of My Brilliant Career).
The rest of the season seems to be a lot of plays which have done well in London and on Broadway which have been brought over and will be given an Australian lease on life.
Normally, Jay and I get a season ticket. On first glance, this year I'm not so sure.
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