The State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne will reopen in October 2026, six months ahead of schedule, Arts Minister Colin Brooks has revealed.
The theatre, which is the Melbourne home of Opera Australia (OA) and the Australian Ballet, has been closed since April last year for a refurbishment funded in large part by a $15 million donation from the Ian Potter Foundation. The venue will be renamed the Ian Potter State Theatre in recognition of the largest single philanthropic donation to an Australian performing arts centre in history.
All those jazz hands: Rhonda Burchmore and construction workers at the State Theatre.Credit: Jason South
The closure has forced the companies to seek alternative venues. Both have used the Regent Theatre, while OA has also performed at Margaret Court Arena.
While the works include new seats throughout and extensive repair of the gold leaf ceiling panels, most of the changes will not be visible to the naked eye.
“This refurbishment has involved stripping out the theatre and then putting in up-to-date fire protection systems, acoustics, new seating, new climate control and, really importantly, improvements in accessibility,” Brooks said on Monday.
All three levels of the theatre will now be fully accessible for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues, and will feature lift access and wider aisles. Capacity in the theatre has been reduced slightly, from 2079 seats to 2009, to accommodate the changes.
March 2024: The State Theatre after the Australian Ballet’s production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.Credit: Eddie Jim
Media and guests were given a sneak preview of the theatre on Monday. It looked, frankly, like a building site.
But thankfully, Rhonda Burchmore – a veteran of this massive stage (the size of four tennis courts, apparently) – was on hand to bring a reliable bit of showbiz glamour to proceedings.
Towering in heels, wearing a hard hat and draped in a shimmering gold floor-length gown with obligatory slit up one thigh, Burchmore sang All That Jazz. The headgear wasn’t strictly necessary, except as a tribute to the legendary Paul Robeson, who performed at the Sydney Opera House in 1960, while it was still under construction, similarly adorned.
“It gives me goose bumps,” she said of performing in the space. “I’ve done shows here for 30-odd years, and to see this beautiful theatre all done up and spruced up, like the jewel of the Arts Centre and of Victoria, it’s a real privilege as an artist.”
Arts Centre chief executive Karen Quinlan said the theatre was undergoing its first significant renovation since it opened in 1984, and every effort was being made to retain the key features of the interior design by Oscar winner John Truscott.
“This is a conservation project in many ways,” Quinlan said. “We’re not just trying to make good, we’re actually taking it back to what it originally was, with respect.”
The renovation is part of the broader Melbourne Arts Precinct development, a $1.7 billion multi-year project comprising the new NGV Modern development and the creation of a native garden and walkway linking St Kilda Road with Sturt Street.
The theatre is, Quinlan said, “one of the state’s great assets. It’s important that we ensure our civic buildings evolve over time … to ensure our cultural institutions stay fit for purpose.”
What can Melbourne expect when the ribbon is cut (again)?
“I can’t tell you anything about the programming,” Quinlan said. “However, I can say it will involve the ballet and the opera and a number of artists.
“We are really, really looking forward to October. I’m definitely having a party.”
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