Join us for our Opening Ceremony at 9:45am. This year we celebrate our Drama School’s 90th anniversary.
Located in Melbourne’s bayside suburb of St Kilda, The National Melbourne was a dream realised by Australian soprano Gertrude Johnson and home to The National Theatre (est 1974), Ballet School (est 1939) and Drama School (est 1936).
From 9:30am until 12:30pm our much-loved heritage-listed venue will be open to the public, with a free program of guided behind the scenes theatre tours, historic exhibits, and on-stage open rehearsals by the talented students of The National Drama and Ballet Schools.
Opening Ceremony
Join our CEO, Rod Gilbert and special guests for the official Opening Ceremony at 9:45am in the Foyer.
Access All Areas – Free guided back of house tours
Armed with historical facts and figures, our talented drama students are taking audiences on a guided tour of this historic St Kilda landmark, including exclusive access to our ballet and drama training studios, intriguing insights into the venue’s history, a chance to step out of the wings and onto the heritage listed national theatre stage, and the opportunity to watch students in an open rehearsal process.
Tours will run at 10am, 10:15am, 12pm and 12:15pm and are free, however registration is essential. Book here!
Open Rehearsals – Students and Teachers share their creative processes
The National Drama School’s Director of Drama, Dr Jaime Dörner and his students battle the cursed Scottish play in a series of rehearsed readings from Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Damian Smith, Artistic Director of The National Ballet School, leads students in an open rehearsal showcasing the breadth of the School’s training. The presentation opens with the classical brilliance of Paquita, followed by selected variations performed by students from the Pathways Program, before shifting gears with an energetic contemporary work by Adrian Ricks, performed by the School’s full time students.
The National Melbourne Open House
- 9:45am – Opening Ceremony
- 10:00am – Venue Tour (Bookings Essential)
- 10:15am – Venue Tour (Bookings Essential)
- 11:00am – Open Rehearsal (Free – No booking required)
- 12:00pm – Venue Tour (Bookings Essential)
- 12:15pm – Venue Tour (Bookings Essential)
