BNT at Ballarat Heritage Festival
We’re part of several wonderful theatre events throughout the Ballarat Heritage Festival with the Ballarat Performing Arts Community (BPAC). There…
Auditions: God of Carnage
Auditions are now open for our October production of God of Carnage directed by Ruby Abbott. Performances will run from October 16th until the 19th…
Next Fall Cast Announcement
Thanks to all of the wonderful auditions for our June production, we can finally announce the selected cast for Geoffry Nauffts’ Tony Award-nominat…
Vote for us in the Webby Awards!
Ballarat National Theatre’s Persuasion Podcast Nominated for a Webby Award!
We are beyond thrilled to announce that Ballarat National Theatre’s Pe…
Barkly Square Open Day 2025
On Saturday the 29th of March, Ballarat National Theatre will be featuring a stall and roving performers at the Barkly Square Open Day!
We will ha…
2026 Season Submissions Closed
UPDATE: Submissions have been closed.
Submissions for our next season are now open! If you've been thinking of directing a show or bringing a stor…
Auditions: Next Fall
Auditions are now open for our June production of Next Fall directed by Matthew Henderson. Performances will run from June 19th until the 22nd.
Au…
Front of House Call-Out for This is the Way the World Ends
Join the Front of House team for This is the Way the World Ends!
We are looking for volunteers to help with Front of House for our upcoming readin…
Ballarat Pride Community Day Market
On Saturday the 22nd of February, Ballarat National Theatre will be featuring a stall in the Pride Market at the Ballarat Pride Community Day!
We…
2025 Annual General Meeting Minutes
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Tuesday 11 February.
Before the meeting, we presented the inaugural BNT Community Awards.
We had 40…
Message from the 2025 President
I am excited (and nervous) to formally take on the role of President of BNT for 2025. I have been on the Board for the past 12 months and believe…
2025 BNT Board
Announcing the new BNT board for 2025, with positions decided at the 2025 AGM.
The current board 2025 consists of the following…
2025 BNT Community Awards
Following another year of exceptional work from our community, we have a new set of members to acknowledge whose outstanding contributions have gone…
2025 Theatre Season
Big news, we’ve selected the productions for our 2025 season!
The first production in the season will be a dramatic reading of Barry Kay's…
2025 Annual General Meeting and BNT Community Awards
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 11 February.
Before the meeting, we will be presenting BNT Community Awards.
Date: 11 February L…
Archival copy of old BNT advert found
Thanks to Bat Prince who recently found a VHS at a thrift store and discovered an advertisement for our 1988 production of Noises Off.
The footage…
2024 Victorian Drama League Awards
We're proud to share Ballarat National Theatre's success at the 2024 Victorian Drama League Awards on December 1. BNT was able to submit one show f…
Company history on the website
Evelyn and Liana are in the process of developing the website to suit our archival needs. As most of you are aware we got a grant to have the websi…
2024 Royal South Street Society Ballarat Eisteddfod – Speech and Drama
Ballarat National Theatre has been proud to sponsor the 2024 Royal South Street Society Ballarat Eisteddfod – Speech and Drama discipline which ena…
Board positions update
In light of recent changes to the board with the resignation of President Megan J Riedl and the leave of Secretary Laura Hudson, we can advise of th…
Board Update
BNT board President Megan J Rield has had to make the decision to step down from her role on the board.
We're very grateful for her contributions in…
Historic productions identified
In 2020 a mysterious film reel returned to the hands of the Ballarat National Theatre board. It was old, weathered, and clearly damaged. There was…
Vale Doug Sarah OAM
Ballarat National Theatre and its members are saddened by the passing of Doug Sarah OAM, Life Member and past Board Member.
In addition to his wor…
Join us at the 2024 VDL Award Presentation Dinner
BNT members and friends are invited to come and represent BNT at the annual awards for all companies in the Victorian Drama League.
The evening will…
BNT Board Change
BNT board roles have been updated following Secretary Laura Hudson taking a leave of absence. Liana Emmerson has also returned from leave to the…
Board Member Change
The BNT Board welcomes new members.
We put out the call and it was answered! Three new board members have joined the team…
Something Borrowed Something Blue cancelled
Unfortunately, the planned production of Something Borrowed, Something Blue will not be going ahead in our 2024 Season. Developing and staging a ne…
Front of House Call-Out for Dancing at Lughnasa
Join the Front of House team for Dancing at Lughnasa!
If you're looking to an opportunity to get involved, there's still time to be part of our Sep…
Words and People in Dancing at Lughnasa
Our September production of Dancing at Lughnasa is set in Ireland in 1936. Here are some people, words and some fun insults in the show that audienc…
Donegal County Accents
There’s no better way to learn an accent than from someone with the accent!
The cast from our upcoming production of Dancing at Lughnasa were ex…
Dancing at Lughnasa Tickets
Tickets are now on sale for our September production, Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel, directed by Mary-Rose McLaren. An Olivier Award-winning pl…
Vale Peppa Sindar
VALE PEPPA SINDAR (1957-2024) Ballarat National Theatre would like to acknowledge the unexpected passing of life member Peppa Sindar. Peppa has be…
Season Submissions Reading Group Call-out
The submissions are now in for our 2025 season and we are looking for discerning members to join the reading sub-committee. This is a great oppor…
Dancing at Lughnasa Cast Announcement
Thanks to all of the wonderful auditions for our September production, we can finally announce the selected cast for Brian Friel’s Olivier Award-wi…
Board Member Change
BNT board member Jack Brown has had to make the decision to step down from his role on the board.
We're very grateful for his contributions in the…
Persuasion Trending Internationally
After much anticipation, the Persuasion podcast is proving to be an instant hit, not just with our local community but also internationally. The pr…
Front of House Call-Out for A Date With Death
We’re looking for fabulous volunteers to join the Front of House crew of our July production, A Date With Death. Whether you already have experien…
A Date With Death Rehearsals
For our July production, A Date With Death, we put together 9 short pieces with 8 directors and 16 actors, for a smorgasbord of plays and monologue…
BNT Volunteers at Ballarat Tweed Ride
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, our members volunteered this past weekend at the Ballarat Tweed Ride, a local community event involving vintag…
A Date With Death Tickets
Tickets are now on sale for our July production, A Date With Death, offering a series of one act plays and shorts delving into a theme that touch…
Board Member Leave
Board member Liana Emmerson is taking leave from her role on the BNT board due to complications from a head injury received in April. Liana has ena…
Auditions: Dancing at Lughnasa
Audition bookings are now open for our September production of Dancing at Lughnasa directed by Mary-Rose McLaren
Auditions will be Sunday 2 June…
2025 Season Submissions Now Open
Submissions for our next season are now open! If you've been thinking of directing a show or bringing a story to life, now is the time to make a su…
Persuasion: first episodes released!
From the director who brought you our Webby Award Honouree audiobook podcast production of Pride and Prejudice comes our latest Jane Austen adaptat…
New BNT Website
Welcome to the brand new BNT Website!
Graciously delivered to us by to Wayne at VirtualBean and funded by a Ballarat Connected Communities Grant…
A Date With Death Cast Announcement
After a great turn out at the auditions, we are pleased to announce the cast for our upcoming production of A Date With Death…
2024 Annual General Meeting Minutes
Wednesday 14 February, 2024
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Tuesday 13 February.
Before the meeting, we presented the inaugural BNT…
Message from the new president
I am very excited to take on the mantle of President of BNT and put my experience as a local creative and arts management professional to use in the…
2024 BNT Board
The Annual General Meeting is held in February. The date, venue and time of the AGM are sent out to members at least three weeks in advance at whic…
2024 BNT Community Awards
After a year of exceptional work from our community, we have established a new way of acknowledging the valued input of our members. The awards wer…
Pontypool cancelled
Ballarat National Theatre has made the decision, in conjunction with the director, to withdraw our April production of Pontypool due to having insu…
2024 Theatre Season
We’ve selected the production for our 2024 season and are now in the process of organising venues and performance rights. Some details cannot be an…
Join us for Theatre Club
BNT Members are invited to watch a professional recording of an international theatre performance with our members-only Theatre Club. Want to take…
2024 BNT Board Nominations
There are even more rewarding ways to contribute to this theatre community and being on the board is one of them. Board nominations are open for 20…
2024 Annual General Meeting and BNT Community Awards
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 13 February.
Before the meeting, we will be presenting BNT Community Awards.
Date: 13 February L…
BNT Community Awards
After a year of exceptional work from our community, we are establishing a new way of acknowledging the valued input of our members.
The awa…
2023 Victorian Drama League Awards
We're proud to share Ballarat National Theatre's success at the 2023 Victorian Drama League Awards on December 3. BNT was able to submit one show f…
Wyrd Sisters Winners!
A wonderful and innovative contribution to the Wyrd Sisters’ props has been through 3D printing, generously created by Keen Magpie Prints. This inc…
Donation from WVST
BNT would like to thank our member Benj Beatty for a donation that was made for our September production of Wyrd Sisters, on behalf of Western Vict…
Board Member Change
BNT board members Robyn Ashmore and Cathy Adamson have stepped down from their roles on the board.
Previous board member Megan Riedl has returned…
Ballarat Connected Communities Grant
We have some exciting news regarding the successful Ballarat Connected Communities grant application for a Ballarat National Theatre (BNT) website…
Donation from Sam Graffeo: Buxton Real Estate
Thank you to BNT member Sam Graffeo who has made a donation of $200 to BNT in his capacity as a Sales Consultant at Buxton Real Estate in Ballarat…
Fresh storage for rehearsal room
With two productions actively rehearsing in our new space, it has been important or organise the things we've been using regularly in the room. To…
Getting crafty for Wyrd Sisters
The crew (and some cast) of Wyrd Sisters have been busy during their weekly 'crafternoons'.
The sessions involve all sorts of crafting of props an…
Vale Yvonne Downing
Yvonne was part of Ballarat National Theatre for over 50 years. One of only two Platinum Honorary Life Members, BNT's highest Award. Brian McClella…
Season Submissions Now Open
We are very excited to announce that submissions for our next season are now open! If you've been thinking of directing a show or bringing a story…
BNT Board member change
BNT board members Juliette Cavendish and Megan J Rield have had to make the choice to step down from their roles on the board.
We're very gratefu…
BNT Awarded Significant Grant
We're excited to announce we have received notice that our 2023 Season will get very welcomed support through a monetary grant from the City of Bal…
Setting up our new home
Now we have a new home, the various bits and pieces of the company are finding their way into the space. Today, Robyn Ashmore spent time putting up…
Persuasion soundtrack in the news
Our upcoming podcast of Jane Austen's Persuasion has been in the news this week with a focus on the production's soundtrack.
This week's edition o…
A New Home for BNT
Given the date of publication, we must begin by confirming that this is NOT an April Fool's Day joke.
The BNT board has moved a motion to take up…
BNT President becomes Citizen of the Year
This week BNT President Liana Emmerson was named the Ballarat Citizen of the Year 2023 for her wide range of community work over the years, includin…
EOY Theatre Party
We finished off a year of Monologue Karaoke with a final session at Volta with performances from Sam Graffeo, Simon Carrol, Hedley Thompson, Olivia…
Helping Hand Grant
Earlier in 2022, BNT successfully applied for the Metricon Home Solutions Helping Hand Grant. The grant was promoted to sporting or any community c…
2022 Victorian Drama League Awards
This year we were lucky to have one of our productions eligible for entry into the VDL awards. Children of the Black Skirt missed out due to the ti…