Theatre sorts: Ian Potter State Theatre

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The refurbishment of a key venue in Melbourne’s Arts Precinct is welcome for its improved accessibility, but might fall short of diversifying its audience ...

On a gorgeous, warm Friday evening – the first since daylight saving began – I walk in spring air along Swanston Street towards the multi-venue complex south of the Yarra known as Arts Centre Melbourne. My purpose: to attend Housewarming, the celebration gala held to mark the reopening of the Ian Potter State Theatre.

The renovation of the theatre, which began in 2024, represents the first completed milestone in the Victorian government’s Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation, described on various websites as “the largest cultural infrastructure project in Australia’s history”. The project, covering multiple venues and institutions – from those at Federation Square to those comprising Arts Centre Melbourne – is slated to cost $1.7 billion, and includes construction of The Fox: NGV Contemporary, the new gallery that will be a stone’s throw from where I attended Housewarming.

Housewarming was a free event. Over the weekend, the spruced-up venue hosted multiple performances of the show, all of which had sold out within minutes. That Friday night was the first time the public had been allowed in since the venue’s closure two and a half years earlier. Walking in moments before Housewarming commenced, I had the immediate impression that the crowd looked a bit different from those usually at the venue – more diverse in some respects. The theatre is home to the Australian Ballet and Opera Australia, tickets for which are prohibitively expensive for most Melburnians.

Directed by Michael Kantor, Housewarming showcased talented artists, including some working in our best-known and celebrated companies. It’s hard to fault the performances of the Stephanie Lake Company dancers, Robin Fox’s light and sound productions or Emma Donovan’s voice, magnificently augmented by the new acoustics. The collaboration between street dance communities Cypher Culture and Jungle City also brought a thrilling energy to the night.

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