Red Stitch Actors Theatre Explained

Red Stitch Actors Theatre
Address:2 Chapel Street
City:St Kilda East, Victoria
Capacity:80

Red Stitch Actors Theatre is an ensemble theatre company based in Melbourne, Australia.

Established in 2001 and with its first season in 2002, Red Stitch has presented over 100 contemporary plays. These include works from international playwrights such as Edward Albee, Annie Baker, Jez Butterworth, Martin Crimp, Amy Herzog, Sarah Kane, Neil LaBute and Simon Stephens, and more recently Australian playwrights such as Melissa Bubnic, Tom Holloway and Joanna Murray-Smith.[1] [2]

Red Stitch's 80-seat theatre is a converted church hall on Chapel Street, St Kilda East opposite the Astor Theatre.[3] The company was based until 2003 in an industrial building in Inkerman Street, St Kilda.[4] Red Stitch occasionally plays seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne's Fairfax Studio and tours to other cities across Australia. Its 2023 production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is scheduled to transfer to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre in June 2024.[5]

In 2019, Red Stitch revamped the Cromwell Road Theatre in South Yarra as a flexible space seating up to 120, to be a second venue for the company.[6]

Red Stitch productions have won numerous Melbourne Green Room Awards including Best Production - Theatre Companies for Harvest by Richard Bean in 2007 and Iphigenia in Splott by Gary Owen in 2022.[7] [8] Its production of Red Sky Morning by Tom Holloway was nominated for the national Helpmann Award for Best Regional Touring Production in 2011.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Red Stitch announce 2016 season celebrating 15 years . 24 November 2015 . Arts Review . 16 January 2016.
  2. News: Bailey . John . 27 August 2006 . Reap and sow for all . . Melbourne . 17 January 2016 .
  3. News: Usher . Robin . December 1, 2010 . Well Red ensemble sticks to the script . . Melbourne . 17 January 2016 .
  4. News: Usher . Robin . March 15, 2002 . Why build a house when you can build a theatre? . . Melbourne . 17 January 2016 .
  5. Web site: Bergman . Gabi . 17 April 2024 . Red Stitch’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF secures season at the Comedy Theatre . 21 April 2024 . AussieTheatre.com.
  6. Web site: Red Stitch opens second theatre against the odds. Francis. Hannah. 2019-11-22. The Age. en. 2020-01-24.
  7. Web site: 2007-04-02 . 2006 Green Room Recipients . 2024-04-21 . australianstage.com.au . en-GB.
  8. Web site: 2022 Green Room Awards Recipients Stage Whispers . 2024-04-21 . www.stagewhispers.com.au.