<div><strong><em>UPDATE!</em></strong>
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<div><strong><em>Exciting news! The John and Myriam Wylie Foundation has just accepted to match donations on a dollar by dollar basis!</em></strong>
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<div><em>For every dollar you donate the Foundation pledges the same amount. This will guarantee our successful campaign and we are very grateful for this belief in our project and work!</em>
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<div><strong><em>CHAPTERS</em></strong>
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<div>The First Chapter has already been written, thanks to contributions, by Dr Cheryl Threadgold, so the project is well on the way now.
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<div>So important is this mission, that the French Government has officially recognised it through :
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<div>the STAFE (Dispositif de soutien au tissu associatif des Français à l’étranger - Scheme to support community organisations for French nationals living abroad) a grant program managed by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to support local associations that assist French citizens living outside of France
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<div>and provided a support grant to MFT!
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<div><strong><em>IN ADDITION!</em></strong>
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<div><em>All contributors will be mentioned in an honour roll in the Book.</em>
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<div><em>Bonjour, je m'appelle Michel Bula </em>and I am fundraising for Melbourne French Theatre's [MFT] 50th anniversary 1977 to 2027 [oui !] Book called:
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</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/100612867_177235209099509_r." width="100%" />
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<div>Celebrating Melbourne French Theatre 1977–2027: Fifty Years on a Ten Dollar Bill
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<div>Le Theatre français de Melbourne fête ses 50 ans
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<div>We are raising funds to pay the authors and to cover scoping works.
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<div>It is so important to mark the anniversary and tell the incredible story of Australia's longest-running French theatre - the first to present plays in French with English surtitles [see <a href="https://melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MFT website</a> ] - and its place in the story of theatre in French in this country from 20th to 21st centuries. MFT has brought many [previously unknown or little known] French playwrights in premiere seasons in this country - Georges Feydeau, Marivaux, Beaumarchais, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Yasmina Reza, Jean-Michel Ribes, Jaoui and Bacri, Barrillet and Grédy, Marc Camoletti, Florian Zeller, Francis Veber, Jean-Pierre Martinez and <a href="https://melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au/past-shows/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more</a>
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<div>We seek your support to mark a remarkable history :
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<div><strong>Our Statistics</strong>
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<div>@ February 2026 – founded in 1977 – 49 years, 110 productions and more than:
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<div>59 different playwrights, sometimes represented in several of their works, 820 actors, 68 directors, 5,055 members of production teams and more than 72,500 [including some 26,650 school and university students and teachers/lecturers] spectators
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<div><em>School tours</em>
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<div><a href="https://melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au/le-petit-prince-incusion-or-excursion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Le Petit Prince</a> shows since 2007
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<div>7,860 spectators - students + general public
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<div><a href="https://melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au/courteline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Courtes Lignes</a> shows since 2010
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<div>1,855 spectators - students + general public
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<div><a href="https://melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au/le-petit-nicolas-incursion-or-excursion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Le Petit Nicholas</a> workshop + shows since 2013
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<div>3,227 spectators - students + teachers
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<div>– that is MFT!
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<div><strong>Chapter titles</strong>
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<div>Contents page
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<div>Foreword
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<div>Chapter 1 – The Anniversary – Melbourne French Theatre Turns Fifty [nearly complete]
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<div>Chapter 2 – The Early Years – at the University of Melbourne and in the
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<div>wider community
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<div>Chapter 3 – Colin Duckworth
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<div>Chapter 4 – The Plays
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<div>Chapter 5 – Bilingual Plays, Surtitles and Other Innovations
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<div>Chapter 6 – The Theatres
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<div>Chapter 7 – The Actors
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<div>Chapter 8 – The Directors
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<div>Chapter 9 – The Production Team
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<div>Chapter 10 – The Audience
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<div>Chapter 11 – The Tours
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<div>Chapter 12 – Partners and the Community
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<div>Chapter 13 – A Look at the Fiftieth Year/The Fiftieth Year in Review
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<div>Chapter 14 – Michael Bula – Fifty Years and Beyond
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<div>with
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<div>Index
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<div>Appendices
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<div>Timeline of major events in the history of MFT
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<div>Surtitles diagram
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<div>Complete list of productions
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<div>Images of (a selection of) Melbourne French Theatre posters
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<div>List of videos/films/photos
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<div>Author bios
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<div>Funds will help make this project happen, pay authors and presentation to publishers, as we are an incorporated association not for profit and record MFT's work for eternity ...
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<div><em>Veuillez nous aider ...</em>
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John Collins

Anonymous

Catherine Jackson

mark cleary

Kerry Mullan

Linton Lethlean

Anne Stapleton

Marijke van Schaik

Felicity Cook

Caley Otter

Prasanna N

THOMAS SORS

Henri Kauthen

Susan Rundle

Nick Hobden

Severine Roman

MFT writes its 50th anniversary book with thematic Chapters

MFT writes its 50th anniversary book with thematic Chapters

Still $21,710 to go. Help us build momentum.