Malthouse Theatre is set to transform late-night voices into an unforgettable theatrical experience when The Nightline arrives this August, inviting audiences to step inside an immersive audio installation unlike anything else on Melbourne’s theatre calendar.
Running from 13 to 29 August in the Bagging Room, The Nightline has been created by acclaimed documentary theatre maker Roslyn Oades and ARIA Award-winning sound artist Bob Scott. The intimate production places each audience member alone at a vintage telephone switchboard, where they navigate a collection of anonymous voice messages recorded by Melbourne residents between midnight and 6am.
The recordings capture honest reflections from shift workers, insomniacs, emergency workers, truck drivers, new parents, prank callers and night owls, offering a rare glimpse into the city after dark.
Originally commissioned for RISING in 2021, the Melbourne premiere was cancelled on opening night due to pandemic restrictions. Since then, the production has toured nationally and internationally before finally returning to the city where it was first conceived.
Ahead of the Malthouse season, Oades and Scott invited Melburnians to once again contribute anonymous recordings, creating an updated collection that reflects the city’s present-day late-night experiences.
“There is a distinct, open-hearted honesty to the anonymous messages left for The Nightline under the cover of darkness,” reflected Co-creator and Director Roslyn Oades.
“Bringing this work back to my home city of Melbourne, the place where the idea was dreamed up–in response to my own overnight experiences–is incredibly special. We look forward to inviting local listeners to pull up a chair, pick up a receiver, and share a deeply human moment in the dark with their fellow Melburnians.”
Malthouse Theatre Executive Producer and co-CEO Vivia Hickman said the work offers a unique portrait of Melbourne.
“Roslyn Oades and Bob Scott have created an exceptionally delicate, moving portrait of a city in its quietest hours. Since capturing the imagination of audiences across Australia and overseas, it is a privilege to bring The Nightline back to the city where it all began.”
For more information, tickets or to contribute an anonymous late-night message, visit malthousetheatre.com.au or nightlineproject.info.
