Melbourne Theatre Company has revealed the components of its 2026 campaign, 10 mainstage productions (plus an education add-on) that add up to “an ambitious line-up of distinctly Australian stories, world premieres and new examinations of enduring classics – all grappling with what it means to live and connect in the world today,” according to the company’s Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks.

Kala Gare in MTC’s My Brilliant Career. Photo © Pia Johnson

My Brilliant Career

MTC opens with a runaway success: the musical My Brilliant Career, back by popular demand after its sold-out premiere season in 2024. Sheridan Harbridge, Dean Bryant and Mathew Frank reimagine Miles Franklin’s heroine, Sybylla Melvyn, as a modern singer-songwriter defying expectations in 1890s Australia.

Kala Gare reprises her Green Room-winning role, joined by much of the original actor-musician ensemble. Directed by Sarks with design by Tony Award-winner Marg Horwell, this joyous, feminist revival fuses bush ballad, pub rock and pop into an electrifying anthem for independence.