THE MACHINE STOPS To Make Melbourne Premiere At Theatre Works This August
The dystopian adaptation of E.M. Forster’s 1909 novella will run 22–30 August at Theatre Works, St Kilda.
By: A.A. Cristi Jul. 16, 2025
Theatre Works will present the Melbourne premiere of The Machine Stops, a bold new stage adaptation by Briony Dunn based on the prophetic novella by E.M. Forster. Performances will run from 22–30 August 2025 at Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street in St Kilda.
Described as “Black Mirror meets Beckett,” The Machine Stops reimagines Forster’s radical 1909 vision of a subterranean future society controlled by a global instant-messaging system. In this chilling world, humanity has retreated underground, human contact is feared, and technology dictates every aspect of life. Through striking sound and lighting design, the production asks: what kind of future are we making?
Directed by Briony Dunn and starring Mary Helen Sassman and Patrick Livesey, the production reunites Green Room Award-winning collaborators Dunn, Lighting Designer Niklas Pajanti, and Sound Designer Darrin Verhagen. The creative team also includes Set Designer Betty Auh, Costume Designer Betty Auhl, and Producer Dianne Toulson.
Dunn explains, “We’re crafting a work that will change how audiences experience time, asking them to reflect on their own lives and the people sharing the future with them. Like all good sci-fi, The Machine Stops showcases a future you hope never eventuates—but could become ours if we don’t pay attention.”
Presented as part of the 2025 By Theatre Works programming stream, the production joins a season that includes Three Sisters, The Beep Test, Storked, Love and Information, and Soldier Boy.
TICKETING INFORMATION
The Machine Stops
Dates: 22–30 August 2025
Times: Tues–Sat at 7:30pm
Preview: Fri 22 August at 7:30pm
Opening Night: Sat 23 August at 7:30pm
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes (no interval)
Venue: Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Tickets: $55 Full, $48 Concession, $40 Preview, $25 Mob Tix (+bf)
Bookings: theatreworks.org.au
Enquiries: (03) 9534 3388
Suitability: Ages 15+
Content Warnings: Loud noises, flashing lights, post-apocalyptic themes, and references to euthanasia
Accessibility: Theatre Works is a wheelchair-accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.
Australia - Melbourne Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL (Regent Theatre, Melbourne)
54.9% of votes
2.
TWELFTH NIGHT (St Kilda Botanical Gardens)
18.1% of votes
3.
MJ THE MUSICAL (Her Majesty's Theatre)
16.5% of votes
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