Grant Street Theatre, located in the ‘Arts End’ of town, has undergone a radical revamp with a new destination bar, lounge and theatre space open to public, artists and audiences alike in Melbourne from Friday 23 May.
The University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Art and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music commissioned “Maverick event planners” Supple Fox (MONA FOMA, DARK MOFO, Melbourne Festival and more) to transform the old Grant Street Theatre into a multi-purpose performance space that will play host to a programmed line up of performance art, jazz, contemporary music and a mix of local and student performances each week through to July.
Lionel’s Lounge will be the centre of the Grant Street beat. Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm till late, it’s Southbank’s newest sanctuary where wine, cocktails, snacks and a specially curated program featuring everything from quiet piano playing in the corner to polished cabaret works and the new and avant-garde.
The Grant Street site can expand and retract and can be used as a bar and lounge for up to 80 people, a theatre space that seats 120 and an outdoor area for mini festivals.
Think old school charm meets contemporary styling, as the European inspired program and bar provides a fresh new spot to meet friends, witness incredible acts from all around the world and watch young local artists breaking new ground with a mix of free and ticketed events.
Opening night at Grant Street kicks off on 23 May with the album launch of Mooncalf – the newest creation from Melbourne’s mercurial pianist Marty Hicks and long time collaborator and vocalist Georgie Darvidis, performing their stunning celebration of the inescapable humanity, and inherent perfection, in making music.
A program of free music continues each Friday night throughout the season featuring enigmatic purveyors of shamanic disco, heartbreak house and synthesized boogie decadence, Total Giovanni; fresh from Melbourne Now and a stint in Mick Turner’s band on his recent tour with Cat Power, musical wunderkind Evelyn Morris (aka Pikelet) performs solo; award-winning singer, dancer and fierce entertainer Simone Page Jones brings a touch of hysterical cabaret to the Southbank stage; and Melbourne institution Hue Blanes takes a break as keys player for Funk/Soul legends The Bamboos and The Harry James Angus Band to bust out some good time rags.
Thursday nights at Grant Street will showcase a series of ground breaking new works from VCA and MCM artist groups including; LazerCats 2000, Jordan White Trio, Michael Julien Quintet and Sarah Bruce.
Saturday nights will host a special artist programmed party with DJs and performances curated by a range of the city’s creative wild childs including Melbourne based gathering Last Tuesday Society; powerhouse performer and The Bruise frontwoman Kira Puru; choreographer, performer and live performance artist Holly Durant (Finucane and Smith and Rogue Collective); VCA Alumni and Jazz aficionados Ad Libitum; multi-instrumentalist, installation artist and Out Hear Founder Dale Gorfinkel; and for one extraordinary night only Grant Street welcomes London based artist and director Theo Adams for an electric and transcendental experience he is internationally renowned for.
Grant Street has had a makeover by Melbourne architects, Six Degrees renowned for their work on numerous projects including Melbourne Theatre Company, St Mary’s House of Welcome and Melbourne City Square to help create this brand new multi-purpose theatre and bar space which involved the restoration of valued heritage building – the old police drill hall.
Grant Street has been refurbished as part of a $24 million funding partnership between the Victorian Government, University of Melbourne’s VCA and MCM, and with special thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Lionel Gell Foundation who has committed to a $1.3 million ten year funding agreement to support Lionel’s Lounge.
Season 1: May 23 – July 6
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 6pm till late
For full program go to grantstreet.com.au
Image credit: Black Tape Productions
