Description

La Mama Theatre on Faraday Street was originally built in 1883 for a Carlton printer, and was used as an electrical engineering workshop, boot and shoe factory and silk underwear factory until the 1960s, when it was rented by Betty Burstall from Carlton's Del Monaco family.

A devastating fire destroyed most of the historically significant and heritage-listed building in May 2018. However, with unrelenting determination, the newly and lovingly built La Mama Theatre emerged like a phoenix from the ashes in December 2021.

The La Mama Courthouse Theatre is situated on Drummond Street in Carlton. Originally built in 1887, the building is a single-storey Victorian Gothic-style structure, composed in a symmetrical but picturesque form, and is historically significant as part of the early civic core of Drummond Street.

Mint Inc's complete restoration of the building in 2005 included everything from restoring its limestone façade to refurbishing the original timber furniture. All the amenities were made more user-friendly, and, with the more recent and modern upgrade to the box office and bar area as well, new access and opportunities have been provided for generations of theatre-makers, artists and audiences to come.

What's On

On Saturday morning at La Mama Theatre, and on Sunday morning at La Mama Courthouse, there will be both open access and timed guided tours by a long-term staff member.

The tours will include external and internal access to all areas of the newly rebuilt La Mama on Saturday, and to the Courthouse on Sunday. There will also be stories and other information, from each theatre's history and about ongoing current theatre activities within each venue. Tea and coffee will be provided and there is a chance to sit and relax between tours. Bar service will also be operating.