All posts by OZGUYZ - Mike Hester

ARCHITECTURE, ARTS, MUSIC & THEATRE

MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY [MTC]

Melbourne Theatre CompanyMelbourne Theatre Company

Founded in 1953, Melbourne Theatre Company is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia. It is a semi-autonomous department of the University of Melbourne. See the current season repetoire and productions – BOOK HERE or look at the subscription season. The MTC has  a full education program and a studio program, it is not only Victoria’s major theatre company, but one of the major performing arts companies in Australia and one of the largest theatre companies in the English-speaking world.

In January 2009, the MTC Theatre, the Company’s new performance home, opened on Southbank Boulevard in the heart of Melbourne’s cultural precinct, allowing much of our season to be performed on the new 500-seat stage of the Sumner Theatre. There is also the 150-seat Lawler Studio, which will allow the Company to develop edgier works and new writers. With the Company continuing to stage works at the Arts Centre’s Playhouse (850 seats) and Fairfax Studio (350 seats), we have, for the first time in many years, access to the widest range of venue sizes to suit any play we might wish to produce.

The Company in 2009 has also moved its Headquarters from Ferrars Street, Southbank, where it has been since the 1970s, to new renovated offices and workshops in Sturt Street.

Despite all these exciting developments, the Company’s mission has not changed since the first season more than fifty years ago:

To produce classic and contemporary Australian and international theatre with style, passion and world class artistic excellence in order to entertain, challenge and enrich audiences in Melbourne, Victoria and Australia.

FOOD & WINE

Connect with a Sausage, Melbourne Wi-Fi Hot Spots

The latest place I have discovered for a Wi-Fi connection was from the café chairs and tables outside the delicatessen hall at Queen Victoria Market.  Located on the Cnr. of Elizabeth Street and Thierry Streets outside  the side entrance to the Delicatessen Hall.

The access Wi-Fi I tapped into was from McDonalds on the opposite corner, with no need to be inside to the store,  I accessed the connection from across the  road.

This is a great place to have lunch and we purposely went to have one of the continental sausages from  ‘Bratwurst Shop &  Co.’   I had a spicy bratwurst for approximately $7.20 topped with Sauerkraut, cheese and my choice of mustard.  Let the queue above at the counter speak for itself.   If a sausage does not take you fancy there is a feast of Delicatessen stallholders plying there produce for you to try just inside the hall.

There is another Wi-Fi spot at Queen Victoria Market, Cnr. Queen and Victoria Streets,  within the Food Court area.

We walked from the market down Swanston Street though the city to Federation Square for a coffee, Cnr. Flinders & Swanston Streets.  Located there is another place to catch up on your email, upload your latest blog or travel pictures, sitting on the steps basking in the sun.  If you are lucky you’ll catch one of the international or local buskers entertaining, or you can call into the Melbourne Visitor and Information Centre located below.

If the weather is no so warm try the Great Space Cafe at 45 Collins Street, underneath the Sofitel in the food court area.  Popular with the corporate community this ‘Paris End’ of Collins Street location gets busy during the lunchtime period.

Wi-Fi Hot Spots can be found in several places around the city you’ll find a more comprehensive list thanks to ‘Only Melbourne’ here.  Most sites are free wireless internet connections, or free with the purchase of a coffee…

What’s underneath the Onion Skin:

Other things to do nearby – it’s a Market,  shop till you drop  and the Melbourne City Baths in Swanston Street

Close by to: Melbourne Central and CBD, juts walk further up Elizabeth Street

Suburb/Neighbourhood: NORTH MELBOURNE [45 minutes walk from Southbank Homestay]

Food: Bratwurst & Co.

How to get there: Melways reference  – Map 2B C12

By Car: Stacks of parking at the rear of the market

By Tram: 19, 57 & 59 from anywhere in Elizabeth Street

By City Explorer Bus: –  – Free tourist shuttle, get off at stop 8 for the  Queen Victoria Market .  Walk through the market to the opposite side and main entrance on Elizabeth Street.

ARTS, ATTRACTIONS, MUSIC & THEATRE

MELBOURNE in APRIL – at the SPIEGEL TENT

The Famous Spiegel Season , 12 February – 24 April, 2011

The Famous Spiegel Tent, which for much of the past decade has been a much-loved feature of the Arts Centre forecourt, returns to Melbourne with an exciting new program of cutting-edge cabaret, music, comedy and circus programmed by the Arts Centre. Check out the program here.

Offering a range of ticketed shows, the Famous Spiegel tent season will run for 11 weeks from 12 February and will also introduce visitors to a series of themed outdoor spaces designed to provide a relaxed social atmosphere in the shadow of the iconic aspire.

Whether you are attending one of the season events or just strolling past, take a moment to have a drink the bar located in the vintage tram next to the tent on the forecourt and chill out watching the promenade along St Kilda Road.

ARTS, ATTRACTIONS, COOL, THIS MONTH

Lanway Gallery

Hosier Lane is located between Flinders Lane and Flinders Street opposite the entrance to Federation Square Atrium, and well worth the walk across the road. The walls of this and adjacent laneway buildings form the canvas for the artists work. To some ‘Tagging’ as this art is frequently called, is frowned upon – even these folk I think may walk away thinking WOW!!.

If you are visiting at the weekend you may even catch some Melbourne’s newly weds in vintage cars using the laneway as the backdrop to their wedding photos.

At the end of the lane is located two Spanish Tapas Bars, the perfect place to end your walk and visit to this space.