Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical will make its world premiere in Sydney in November next year.
Acclaimed Broadway actor Will Swenson will reprise his role as Neil Diamond for the Australian season of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, premiering at Princess Theatre in August next year.
Pre-sale tickets go on sale today, with tickets available to the general public from next Monday (October 6).
A play about the West Gate Bridge disaster will feature in the Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2026 season.
MTC’s 2026 season
- My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin; adapted by Dean Bryant (book and music), Mat Frank (music) and Sheridan Harbridge (book)
- Do Not Pass Go by Jean Tong
- West Gate by Dennis McIntosh
- The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
- Shoelace Chaser by Madelaine Nunn
- Retrograde by Ryan Calais Cameron
- Losing Face by Marieke Hardy
- Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov; adapted by Joanna Murray-Smith
- The Jungle and the Sea by S Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack
- Eliza by Tom Holloway
- Before I Forget by Kamarra Bell-Wykes
- A Room with a View by EM Forster; adapted by Grace Chapple
The Back to the Future musical now playing in Sydney has scrapped the rest of the season (from Jan 25) and the Australian tour.
Poor sales and audience numbers being cited as the reason.
Yeah. They really don’t need to turn every popular movie into a musical.
Herald Sun reports Waitress was meant to debut in Sydney in August 2026, but Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre became available after the scrapping of Back to the Future’s national tour.
The State Theatre will reopen in October 2026.
CBD redevelopment given green light after Marriner Group donated to mayor’s campaign
The City of Melbourne has approved a major CBD redevelopment proposed by the Marriner Group one year after the now Lord Mayor Nick Reece, who promised not to take donations from property developers, accepted a $25,000 donation from the group.
Together with Lasalle Investment Management, the Marriner Group wants to demolish part of the heritage-listed Comedy Theatre on Exhibition Street and build a 27-storey tower behind it containing offices and a 270-room hotel.
Reece, as well as councillors Roshena Campbell, Kevin Louey and Mark Scott, who were all candidates on “Team Nick” for the election, recused themselves from the decision. Philip Le Liu also had to recuse himself, as he had received a donation from the Marriner Group as part of “Team Arron Wood” for the election.
The council resolved unanimously to advise the government that it “does not object to the application” subject to conditions such as the preparation of a hotel management plan.
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Perfect casting.
Broadway’s smash-hit musical “Waitress” is coming to Australia, with a cast led by none other than Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rob Mills.
Bassingthwaighte, who will lead the cast as Jenna, will be joined by Gabriyel Thomas (“Cats,” “Sister Act”) and Mackenzie Dunn (“Grease,” “Annie”) as Becky and Dawn, her coworkers at the diner.
Star of stage and screen Rob Mills will play Dr Pomatter, and legendary actor John Waters will be Joe, the owner of the diner.
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True. Imagine the Human Centipede as a musical. 
Also, can we count stand-up comedy as theatre? Can highly recommend Elouse Eftos. Saw her WIP show on the weekend, and it’s looks like it’s going to be good when it premieres. Also, 
Velvet Inferno premieres at Sydney Opera House on July 24.