Meraki Arts Bar acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional owners of the land upon which our bar stands.

A Classic Fifty-seat theatre that hosts small scale, high-finesse productions.

Home to our ongoing season of theatre, Meraki Mainstage is our curated space for the Sydney Theatre scene. Fully soundproofed for an intimate and engaging experience, this space is designed to give emerging and independent companies and artists a space worthy of telling the stories they wish to share.

Opening Hours

Tues – Sat: 7:30 – 9:30pm

Guest Enquiries

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Artist Enquiries

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Accessibility

The Meraki Mainstage theatre is located on the second level of Meraki and is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible at present. It is accessed via two separate flights of stairs from the ground floor (the second flight including a corner half way up), each of which has a handrail.

What's On

18/05 - 03/06 : 7:30pm

Short Blanket

 
Main Stage
Theatre
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PREVIEW: May 18th

SEASON: May 19th – June 3rd

Live Podcast Q&A with Theatre Thought post show on Tuesday 30th May

 

When the industry gets in the way of the story, how far would you bend? Lainey, an emerging Filipinx writer, is finally given her big break.

Fresh off an acclaimed season in indie theatre, Lainey is given a chance to tell her story on the mainstage, but it all rests on her having a successful industry showing. From there and throughout, Lainey and the crew wrestle with the act of balancing what they want to say, to what people want to see.
The world premiere of an original Australian work from playwright Matt Bostock, Short Blanket is a searing examination of tokenisation, representation and the ethics of selling stories in places that are seemingly never ready for them.
Content warnings include: sexual violence, violence, racial slurs, violence, coarse language, and non-consensual acting choices

Approximate running time: 90 minutes, no interval.

Please note that Meraki Mainstage has a strict lockout policy, and latecomers will not be admitted.

*ACCESSIBILITY: The Meraki Mainstage theatre is located on the second level of Meraki and is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible at present. It is accessed via two separate flights of stairs from the ground floor (the second flight including a corner half way up), each of which has a handrail.

16/06 : 8:00pm

Changing Face International Film Festival’s short film night

 
Main Stage
Film
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Don’t miss an unforgettable night of international cinema at Changing Face International Film Festival’s short film night! Featuring CFIFF’s April and May Films of the Month, plus award-winning Queer shorts from previous seasons in celebration of Pride Month.

The program includes ‘Scarecrow,’ the story of a photographer who discovers his camera is a weapon, by Iranian director Faryad Khosravyanii. Heartfelt drama ‘Brother’ by Aleksei Borovikov, a compelling tale of love, sacrifice, and self-discovery. Writer and director Joel Brown’s ‘Djaambi’, an emotionally resonant exploration of racism, identity, and mental health. ‘Operation Save The Moon’, a whimsical animated adventure to reconnect the moon to its celestial hook, by UTS students Justin Hsieh and Chloe Spanos, + MORE!

Venue opens at 6pm for drinks and food.
Doors for event at 7pm
Screenings from 8pm

*ACCESSIBILITY: The Meraki Mainstage theatre is located on the second level of Meraki and is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible at present. It is accessed via two separate flights of stairs from the ground floor (the second flight including a corner half way up), each of which has a handrail.

21/06 - 24/06 : 7:30pm

Water for the Madman

 
Main Stage
Theatre
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Adult: $35
Concession: $30

Limited season, for one week only in the Meraki Mainstage:

Water For The Madman is an original solo performance art piece created by Billy White. Featuring spoken word, surrealist film imagery, lyrical movement, field recordings and experimental music, the show weaves a compelling story about a gay man with Type 1 Diabetes trying to navigate his late 20s as a flailing libertine.

Billy shines a raw, uncompromising, and personal light on themes of Type 1 Diabetes, queerness, and mental health, stylishly wrapped in a flourish of hope, humour, and redemption, making it an entertaining and wild jaunt for fabulous people.

 

Billy White – Performer/Creator

Amanda Scott – Producer/Co-Director

Please note that Meraki Mainstage has a strict lockout policy, and latecomers will not be admitted.

*ACCESSIBILITY: The Meraki Mainstage theatre is located on the second level of Meraki and is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible at present. It is accessed via two separate flights of stairs from the ground floor (the second flight including a corner half way up), each of which has a handrail.

27/06 - 01/07 : 7:30pm

Murder Village: An Improvised Whodunnit

 
Main Stage
Theatre
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It’s Agatha Christie, improvised! After winning the Meraki Arts Bar Remount Award at Sydney Fringe in 2022, Murder Village returns to Sydney for more cunningly improvised whodunnits.

Immerse yourself in the cozy world of a 1950s Agatha Christie-style novel as the country’s funniest improvisers craft eccentric characters and perplexing mysteries from your suggestions. Any of the village’s suspicious denizens could be dispatched at any moment, and any of them could be the murderer. It’s your secret ballot votes that determine who lives, who dies and who will be unmasked as the culprit.

In Murder Village, the local police inspector may be incompetent but thankfully there is always an amateur sleuth on hand to sort the red herrings from the tell-tale clues. See if you can solve the crime first… whether you see one show or all of them, no two chapters of this critically acclaimed show are the same!

 

Official website www.improvisedwhodunnit.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/improvisedwhodunnit

Instagram www.instagram.com/improvisedwhodunnit

 

*ACCESSIBILITY: The Meraki Mainstage theatre is located on the second level of Meraki and is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible at present. It is accessed via two separate flights of stairs from the ground floor (the second flight including a corner half way up), each of which has a handrail.

04/07 - 15/07 : 7:30pm

Tough Titties

 
Main Stage
Femeraki
Theatre
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Adult: $35
Concession: $30

Limited season, for two weeks only. June 4th – 15th.

Welcome to the most tantalizing, rib-tickling, and intellectually stimulating feminist variety show to grace the Meraki Mainstage! Tough Titties is a 90 minute comedy show, filled with fabulous fem & enby performers.


In a world where the patriarchy reigns supreme, Tough Titties is a outburst of sharp satire, parody, outright absurdity & gut-busting entertainment that doesn’t hold back at exploring the plethora of social & political issues that feminine people experience all while kicking the patriarchy in the dick.
Entangled with sketch comedy, hilarious stand up comedians and captivating storytellers, you are bound to feel empowered and enlightened. Smashing the patriarchy has never been this side-splittingly delightful.
And if you don’t like feminism… then TOUGH TITTIES!

Presented by Queen Hades Productions

07/07 : 9:30pm

Forbidden Fruit Film Night: Femeraki Festival

 
Main Stage
Femeraki
Film
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Indulge in a tantalizing feast of cinematic delights at the Forbidden Fruit Film Festival, a captivating showcase of women, genderqueer, and enby directors. As part of the Femeraki Festival, meticulously curated by the visionary minds of Queen Hades Productions, this extraordinary event promises to redefine the boundaries of storytelling and ignite your passion for inclusive cinema.

Step into a world where untold narratives come alive on the silver screen, crafted by bold and visionary filmmakers who challenge societal norms and push creative boundaries. From compelling narratives to thought-provoking documentaries, the Forbidden Fruit Film Festival celebrates the diverse perspectives and raw talent of underrepresented voices.

 

*ACCESSIBILITY: The Meraki Mainstage theatre / Green Room bar is located on the second level of Meraki and is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible at present. It is accessed via two separate flights of stairs from the ground floor (the second flight including a corner half way up), each of which has a handrail.

 

20/07 - 05/08 : 7:30pm

The Pitchfork Disney

 
Main Stage
Theatre
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Previews: 20th – 21st July

Opening Night: Saturday 22nd July

Season: 25th July – 5th August

@ 7:30pm

 

A chocolate-coated post-apocalyptic fairy tale.

Presley and Haley have lived alone in their dead parents’ apartment eating nothing but chocolate and sleeping pills for ten years. They tell each other stories about the world outside: a post apocalyptic wasteland inhabited by packs of wild dogs. Or is it? One night the arrival of a mysterious stranger turns their lives upside down, the boundaries between reality and fantasy begin to blur, and the siblings are forced to confront their darkest fears and the truth of what happened to their parents.

Please note that Meraki Mainstage has a strict lockout policy, and latecomers will not be admitted. Please carefully read the booking and cancellation policy when making your booking and contact Meraki as soon as possible should your plans change.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Written by Philip Ridley

Directed by Victor Kalka

Cast

Jane Angharad

James Smithers

Harry Winsome

assistant director Frances Colin

intimacy coordinator Shy Magsalin

sound designer Ryan Devlin

produced by Virginia Plain Theatre

photography Clare Hawley

 

Meraki Arts Bar

VISIT

231 OXFORD STREET, DARLINGHURST NSW 2010

Trading Hours

TUES - SAT 6PM - Late

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