Now in its 32nd year, Bloomsday in Melbourne is back with a fresh production that leans into wit, history and a touch of chaos. Between The Lines – The James Joyce/Groucho Marx Letters will take over fortyfivedownstairs in the CBD, continuing a long-standing tradition of celebrating one of literature’s most influential figures in a distinctly Melbourne way.
Held each year on 16 June, Bloomsday marks the events of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses, set across a single day in 1904. Named after its central character Leopold Bloom, the global celebration has grown into a lively mix of readings, performances and playful tributes. In Melbourne, it has evolved into something more theatrical, with original works that bring new perspectives to Joyce’s legacy.
This year’s production asks a pointed question. “Who gets to own history?” The story follows a young scholar in 1987 who uncovers what she believes are groundbreaking letters between Joyce and comedy icon Groucho Marx. What begins as a career-defining discovery soon unravels as she is pulled into a competitive academic world where recognition is far from guaranteed.
The result is a literary mystery layered with tension, humour and commentary on power. As her work is gradually claimed by others, the play explores authorship, gender and the uneasy dynamics of intellectual ownership. It also imagines the unlikely exchange between two towering figures, blending Joyce’s complexity with Marx’s sharp comedic edge.
“For more than 30 years Bloomsday in Melbourne has been putting James Joyce’s work onto the stage to enlighten, and to entertain”, explains writer Steve Carey.
“Even though this work is a piece of fiction, Groucho Marx was a prolific letter writer and did actually ex- change letters with literary superstars like T.S. Eliot and E.B. White, and it’s very interesting to explore what would happen when the high priest of modernism exchanges letters with the king of the one-liner,” he said.
“But the play is about more than that, it’s an exploration of their attitudes towards women in the 1930s, compared with what’s happening in the play during the 1980s – as seen from our viewpoint, some 40 years later. We want the show to entertain but also provoke great conversation on the way home from the theatre.”
Directed by Renee Palmer and starring Tref Gare and Scott Middleton, the production blends absurdity with insight. With only five performances scheduled, it is a short run that adds another chapter to a long-running celebration of literature, performance and ideas in the heart of the city.
Between The Lines – The James Joyce/Groucho Marx Letters will play at fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane Melbourne from 17-21 June 2026. For more information and tickets click here
