THE Melville Theatre Company finally has its forever home after Melville council reopened the refurbished Main Hall at the city’s civic centre in Booragoon earlier this month.
The amateur thespians have been without a home since their former theatre on Stock Road was repurposed for an aged care facility by the council in 2020.
MTC president Michelle Sharp, who recently took over the role after 14 years volunteering for the company on and off the stage, said the newly refurbished venue had sparked a lot of creativity amongst the club and its committee.
• Melville Theatre Company is gearing up for its first show, Summer of Shorts, in its new home in the City of Melville Main Hall. Photo by Cole Baxter
Season
“We are so grateful for the City of Melville for supporting the local arts community and for ensuring the space is suitable for our upcoming 2024 season,” Ms Sharp said.
“We can’t wait to welcome audiences from far and wide to our beautiful new venue.”
The MTC has been putting on shows for 40 years, and is one of the city’s most prolific with four or five shows each year.
It’s shift to the hall wasn’t universally loved back in 2020, with ballroom dancing guru Stan Morgillo unhappy that his classes were pushed out, but the Herald spotted that his beginners courses had popped up in the Melville Recreation Centre earlier this month, with a new term starting at the end of April.
The hall upgrade will see the space shared with other arts and community groups, as well as citizenship ceremonies, cultural and formal events held by the City.
As well as a new ceiling and upgraded bathroom and kitchen, the hall now boasts retractable seating, lighting, curtains and an audio-visual system.
Melville mayor Katy Mair attended the opening ceremony feating performances by DJ Yira and the Tender Strings quartet, and said it was fantastic to see the building to get a new lease of life 56 years after it first opened.
“I can’t wait to see the joy the City of Melville Main Hall will bring to the community, and the arts and events it will host.”
Melville Theatre Company’s first production in its new home is Summer of Short, a series of three one-act plays written and performed by local actors and running from March 8 -17. Tix available from www.taztix.com.au/event/melville