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Playhouse
Theatres & Spaces

About the Playhouse

Sit on the edge of your seat during an intense drama, tap your toes to razzle-dazzle good-times musical theatre or revel in sparkling chamber opera and stunning contemporary dance in our 884-seat Playhouse, also renowned for its foyer collection of Indigenous artwork.

The plush, purple Playhouse has seen it all since it debuted in May 1984 with the Melbourne Theatre Company’s staging of Euripides' Medea, starring Zoe Caldwell and Patricia Kennedy.

Intimate, intense and intriguing, the Playhouse has gone on to host everything from The Production Company’s

entertaining musicals and side-splitting laughter-packed stand-up of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, to the Australian children’s classic Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and contemporary dance magic from world-renowned companies Nederlands Dans Theater and TAO Dance Theater.

 

Seating

Seat base measurements for Playhouse are as follows:

Depth: 430mm
Width: 410mm
Weight capacity: 120kg

All our venue seats have armrests, excluding the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

Upon request, we have 2 bariatric seats available for use in all venues, excluding the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The use of bariatric seats are restricted to certain areas within each auditorium. Please call to discuss your booking via the Contact Centre on 1300 182 183.

Bariatric 1: D 480mm W 600mm – 220kg weight capacity
Bariatric 2: D 480mm W 600mm – 300kg weight capacity

Downloadable map

Playhouse Seating Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

We are located at 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, just across the Yarra River from Flinders St Station. We have our own car park and there are also multiple public transport options for getting here.

Head to our Hire our Spaces page to discover all the options available.

Please note: The Channel is not available for hire.

If you book tickets online, you can use the “Select your own Seat” option to choose seats straight from the map – and if you click the little camera up in the top left hand corner, we will even give you a cheeky peek at what it looks like to sit from different parts of our theatres. There are also downloadable maps available on the pages of each of our main venues.

If you are outside the building or in the foyer then 100%, yes! We want you to share your memories of your visit with friends and family, but unless you have sought permission from us, any footage you take must be for personal use only and not contravene any of our policies around filming. Thanks for respecting this, now snap away!

Photography during performances is generally not permitted. Please check with venue staff upon entering to confirm the photography policy for the performance you are attending.
You certainly can. In fact, we would love to show and tell you about a bunch of stuff you might never know unless you get the lowdown from one of our excellent tour guides! Head to Explore the Buildings for more information.
Still need help? View all frequently asked questions
Playhouse

Playhouse

Location Address

100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004

Postal Address

PO Box 7585, Melbourne VIC 8004

Box Office Enquiries

1300 182 183
tickets@artscentremelbourne.com.au
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 4:30pm

Box Office Opening Hours

Due to current government guidelines, our Box Offices are only open pre-show. The Theatres Building Box Office opens 90 minutes before the show.*

*Hours are subject to change around performance times

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