The Melbourne Theatre Company, which is the oldest professional theatre in Australia, known popularly as the MTC, is based in the Ferrars Street complex in South Melbourne, which serves as its administrative, costuming and rehearsal base. However, until its new Southbank theatre (currently under construction) opens, it performs mostly in the Playhouse and Fairfax Studio of the Victorian Arts Centre. It has also experimented with productions in Space 28 of the Victorian College of the Arts. Despite being recognised as Victoria's State theatre, it is owned by and run as a department of Melbourne University and has been around since 1953. It gives a regular season of plays and drama, as well as an annual education season for educating high-school drama students.

The Melbourne Theatre Company began life as the Union Theatre Repertory Company, named for being based in the Union Theatre of the University of Melbourne's Student Union building, originally producing work there when the university was out of term.

The first Australian play which was produced by the Melbourne Theatre Company was The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll in 1955. Ray Lawler, the playwright, was also the Artistic Director of the company at that time. The most influential Artistic Director, however, has been John Sumner. He directed from 1959 to 1987.

The Melbourne Theatre Company has been many places throughout its 52 year history. The 2005 announced move to Southbank is merely the latest of many moves, including to the Playhouse, to Russell Street, to the Athenum Theatre (for both experimental and mainstream work, particularly in the 1980s) and to Normamby Road in South Melbourne. The venue in the Southbank precinct, which is anticipated to seat 500 people, will be completed in 2008 when the buildings open.

Melbourne Theatre Company offers costume hire to actors and students. For students it offers work experience and tours, as well as support for Drama and Theatre Studies classes during VCE and summer schools for interested students. Tickets are usually offered as a discount for secondary and tertiary students.

Annual sponsors of the Melbourne Theatre Company include Hanging Rock Winery, The Deck Restaurant, QuayWest, Paul Mitchell, Epicure, Playbill, Crown Lager and Boomerang Paper. Philantrophic sponsors include Harold Mitchell Foundation, Robert Salzer Foundation, and the Sydney Myer Fund, this last is specifically used for scholarships. The print media sponsor of the Melbourne Theatre Company is The Age.

The Melbourne Theatre Company does its best to be accessible to those with special needs. The seats are available for wheelchair users at the Plsyhouse and the Fairfax Theatre. People with hearing impairments may use a headset which can be acquired from the theatre, and if they use a hearing aid, they can put their aid into the induction loop. Auslan is also used with interpreters at various performances. For those with vision impairments, there are audio describers from a sound booth at the back of the theatre, and also tactile tours on Saturday matinee an hour before the audio described performance.

External links

• Melbourne Theatre Company homepage - the navigation uses JavaScript
• The Melbourne Theatre Company's new home in Fairfax, from the ABC.
• The Melbourne Theatre Company - Australian Performing Arts
• Malthouse Theatre Melbourne is actually a different company

Landmarks in Melbourne | Melbourne culture | Theatre in Australia