MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY

The Melbourne Theatre Company (popularly known as MTC) is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts Precinct in Southbank. Despite being recognised as Victoria's State theatre company, it is a department of the University of Melbourne. Currently, it offers a Mainstage Season of ten to twelve plays each year, a Studio Season and an Education Season in the smaller Lawler Studio, and affiliate writers programs. It has a current subscriber base of 21,000 people and plays to a quarter of a million people annually.

In 2005 it was announced that the company would have its own theatre on Southbank Boulevard in Southbank. The MTC Theatre with its bold b&W cubic-inspired venue opened in January 2009 with a production in the Sumner Theatre, a state-of-the-art 500-seat venue. The MTC Theatre also houses the flexible Lawler Studio for small scale work. In March 2010 the theatre was badly hit during a severe hailstorm, and refurbishments to the venue occurred throughout 2010.

Behind the MTC is the Victorian College of the Arts School of Drama. Most of the buildings that make up the Victorian College of the Arts of Melbourne University, are stately and historic. Then, you come across the façade of the School of Drama, designed by Castles Stephenson + Turner Pty Ltd / Edmond & Corrigan. The unique, colourful design makes it clear that this is a place of creativity.

This post is part of Madge's Weekly TopShot meme.