Sydney's Top 10 Theatre Venues
There are some amazing theatres and performing spaces right here in Sydney. These are Time Out's top picks
By Alexandra Coghlan
The born-again Eveleigh rail yards yield to the adventurous CarriageWorks
Finest frocks and dapper duds
Remember the scene in Pretty Woman where Richard Gere whisks Julia Roberts off to the opera? Too. Romantic. For. Words. All this can be yours (minus the prostitution) for a night at Sydney Opera House. Romantic classics La Traviata, La Boheme or Madame Butterfly, prefaced with Champagne and harbour views, will put you in the mood.
New by name, old school by nature
Tucked in among King St cafés and antique shops is this gem. Tatty décor and a general air of wear and tear only add to the charm of the longest running theatre company in NSW. Staging a mixture of contemporary and classic, it's perfect for a vintage night out.
Intense and intimate drama
The tiny Downstairs Theatre yields some of the most exciting drama available in Sydney. Choose your seats wisely; the front row is risky, where fake blood is concerned, but gives an exhilarating sense of involvement. While plays from resident company B Sharp tend toward the progressive and contemporary, smaller-scale classics also feature. Enjoy the ambience of the Belvoir's bar and the bohemian-chic clientele.
Bit of culture, hint of sand
With its vibrant young company, outdoor setting and irreverently contemporary approach to Shakespeare, this company gives the Bard a truly Aussie makeover every summer. As relaxed as it gets, the plays have no seating or tickets, so just turn up with your picnic rug and deck chairs. So if you hate the play, you can easily stroll off to the beach instead.
The Band Rotunda at Balmoral Beach,(02 9924 6388)
Don beret, make like a boho
This traditional pub is the unlikely home to one of Sydney's best-kept theatre secrets - an upstairs theatre that combines a down-to-earth atmosphere with edgy drama. Their nightly $30 beer, laksa and show deal keeps Sydney students, artists and pseuds equally sustained both intellectually and physically.
Quality theatre in very Sydney settings
Housed in one of the converted wharves at Walsh Bay, the Sydney Theatre Company is entwined in our past. With Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett at the helm, the drama blends theatrical greats with increasing focus on contemporary international and Australian works. Wharf 1 provides reliably good theatre; for the more adventurous, Wharf 2 is the more experimental venue of choice.
Avant-garde adventures
Worth visiting for the space alone, CarriageWorks is the latest incarnation of the Eveleigh Rail Yards. Built in the 1880s, its cavernous interiors are faithfully preserved, giving it a limitlessness very different from the plush cocoons of most theatres. Hosting performance ensembles, including the Sydney Dance Company, Carriageworks is gaining a reputation as the venue for the most progressive Sydney drama, dance and art. )
Offbeat theatre in a mainstream venue
The Studio is the Emo little sister to the Opera Theatre's Prom Queen and home to quirkier, more provocative permutations of drama, dance, cabaret and music. Choose between intimate cabaret tables clustered around the stage, and conventional theatre seating (with great sight-lines) in the risers. With the quality of a major venue, minus the implied conservatism, The Studio is even better than the sum of its parts.
A glimpse into Sydney's past
A monument to another age,with elements of Gothic, Italianate and Art Deco design, this theatre itself offers a spectacle to rival on-stage action. Hosting every kind of show from theatre to film and music, there's something to suit every taste. For glorious nostalgia, pick something along traditional lines, so the venue and performance work together.
Large-scale extravaganzas
Star City is Sydney's aggressively secular temple to Sensation and Indulgence, which theatrically are to be found in the brightest and glossiest of musical theatre productions, including The Rocky Horror Show and Phantom Of The Opera. If too much of a good thing appeals, or you feel like wallowing in lavish stagings and lashings of chorus girls, then Sydney's own Vegas-style venue will sate your desires.
Other theatres in Sydney:
Seymour Centre
Contains a number of venues.
