Melbourne Theatre Guide: Top Shows to Catch in June 2026
In June 2026, Melbourne's theatre scene features an exciting lineup of five productions, mixing popular revivals with fresh Australian pieces. Starting from May 28 until June 7, Brian Lipson’s solo show, 'A Large Attendance in the Antechamber,' will take place at Trades Hall's Old Council Chambers and explore the life of Sir Francis Galton, who founded eugenics. Following that, from June 17 to 19, Back to Back Theatre will perform 'Ganesh Versus the Third Reich' at the University of Melbourne before it heads to Paris's Festival d'Automne. Additionally, the Melbourne Shakespeare Company will showcase Sarah Ruhl’s 'Eurydice' at fortyfivedownstairs from May 29 to June 14. Marieke Hardy’s comedy 'Losing Face' will run at Southbank Theatre from June 22 to July 25, while Khalid Abdalla’s multimedia solo piece 'Nowhere' is set for Malthouse Theatre from June 2 to 6.
Key facts
- Brian Lipson's 'A Large Attendance in the Antechamber' runs 28 May–7 June at Trades Hall Old Council Chambers as part of RISING 2026.
- The play centers on Sir Francis Galton, founder of eugenics, and won two Greenroom Awards in 2000.
- Back to Back Theatre's 'Ganesh Versus the Third Reich' shows 17–19 June at University of Melbourne Arts and Culture before Paris's Festival d'Automne.
- The production won the Helpmann Award, three Greenroom Awards, and the Edinburgh International Festival Critics' Award.
- Melbourne Shakespeare Company's 'Eurydice' by Sarah Ruhl runs 29 May–14 June at fortyfivedownstairs, directed by Gary Abrahams.
- Marieke Hardy's 'Losing Face' at MTC Southbank Theatre from 22 June to 25 July features a cast including Michala Banas and Madeleine Sami.
- Khalid Abdalla's 'Nowhere' plays 2–6 June at Malthouse Theatre as part of RISING, exploring his experiences as an activist and actor.
- Additional June highlights include 'House of Rot' by Dino Dimitriadias and 'The Shepherds' by Carly Sheppard at Arts House.
Entities
Artists
- Brian Lipson
- Sir Francis Galton
- Bruce Gladwin
- Khalid Abdalla
- Sarah Ruhl
- Gary Abrahams
- Aisha Aidara
- Tomas Kantor
- John Voce
- Marieke Hardy
- Michala Banas
- Madeleine Sami
- Christie Whelan Browne
- Genevieve Morris
- Dax Carnay-Hanrahan
- Beng Oh
- Dino Dimitriadias
- Victoria Falconer
- Paul Capsis
- Adam Noviello
- Chenturan Aran
- Carly Sheppard
- Alisdair Macindoe
- Louise Adler
- Randa Abdel-Fattah
- Kate Mulqueen
Institutions
- RISING
- Trades Hall
- Back to Back Theatre
- University of Melbourne Arts and Culture
- Festival d'Automne
- Melbourne Shakespeare Company
- fortyfivedownstairs
- Melbourne Theatre Company
- Southbank Theatre
- Malthouse Theatre
- Sydney Festival
- Adelaide Writers' Festival
- Arts House
- Footscray Community Arts Centre
- Theatre Works
- ScreenHub
- ArtsHub
Locations
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Geelong
- Paris
- France
- London
- United Kingdom
- Egypt
- Sydney
- Bondi
- Adelaide
- Naarm
- Old Council Chambers
- Trades Hall
- University of Melbourne Arts and Culture
- fortyfivedownstairs
- Southbank Theatre
- Malthouse Theatre
- Arts House
- Footscray Community Arts Centre
- Theatre Works