New Sydney Entertainment Venue Foundry Theatre to Open in 2025

Arts & Entertainment City News Theatre & Performance

Lydia Watson Moore
December 4, 2024

Image: Image: sydneylyric

Foundry Theatre, Sydney’s highly anticipated new entertainment venue, is opening its doors in February 2025, bringing with it a thrilling lineup of live music, comedy, musical theatre, and cabaret.

Opened by singer, writer, pianist, actor, and comedian Tim Minchin, Foundry Theatre will be located within the Sydney Lyric at The Star, born from the repurposing of the Sydney Lyric rear stage.

It is described as a multi-purpose performance space that seats up to 360 people, with soaring ceilings, minimalist interior design, and immersive lighting, which combine to create unforgettable theatre experiences.

Tim Minchin brings his latest work down under

First in the theatre’s exciting lineup is Tim Minchin himself, followed by the Australian premiere of international musical No Love Songs, musical comedian Gillian Cosgriff, comedians Akmal, Lawrence Mooney, and the Umbilical Brothers, Neglected Musicals’ Kiss Me Kate, and the cabaret production, L’Hôtel.

Tim Minchin – First at the Foundry opens on February 11. For five shows only, theatre guests will have the unique opportunity to experience Minchin and his band playing a diverse collection of tunes from his extensive back-catalogue in a brand-new venue.

When discussing the Theatre’s opening, Minchin said, “the opening of a new theatre is a rare and wonderful thing, and I was stoked that the legendary theatre-builder Stephen Found asked me to be the canary in the coalmine. Or the champagne bottle shattering on the hull. Or the mohel removing the foreskin of the… anyway, you get my drift. Stoked.”

Dazzling line-up of shows for 2025

Following on from Minchin’s show is the Australian premiere of the new international musical No Love Songs, starring Keegan Joyce (Rake) and Lucy Maunder (Chicago). Theatre-goers will be able to experience the emotional songs and storytelling that led to sell-out seasons at Edinburgh Fringe, London, and its US premiere.

In April, Foundry Theatre will welcome the musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, presented by the team at Neglected Musicals, a theatre initiative dedicated to presenting musical theatre that has never, or rarely, been seen in Australia.

From late April, it will feature a lineup of comedians, starting with multi-award-winning musical comedian Gillian Cosgriff with her new show Fresh New Worries. Then, from May 1 – 4, comedian, radio DJ, author, and talk show host Akmal will bring his quick-witted, unscripted comedy to the theatre.

Lawrence Mooney will perform his new hour of stand-up, Dead Set Country, from May 8 – 11, then The Umbilical Brothers will bring The Distraction, a unique show that blends live performance and cinema.

From May 24, guests will be able to immerse themselves in the cabaret production L’Hôtel, a theatrical world of French intrigue from the minds of director Craig Ilott and co-creator Stuart Couzens.

Graeme Kearns, Chief Executive Officer at Foundation Theatres said, “Taking this under-utilised space and turning it into a theatre is something that we’ve wanted to do for more than 10 years, so we are thrilled to announce its first programming for 2025. Audiences have a terrific variety of shows and artists to choose from as they experience our new theatre for the first time.”

Tickets for all productions go on sale on December 6 and can be purchased from Foundry Theatre’s website.