UPDATE!

Exciting news! The John and Myriam Wylie Foundation has just accepted to match donations on a dollar by dollar basis!

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!

CHAPTERS

The First Chapter has already been written, thanks to contributions, by Dr Cheryl Threadgold, so the project is well on the way now.

So important is this mission, that the French Government has officially recognised it through :

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

and provided a support grant to MFT!

IN ADDITION!

All contributors will be mentioned in an honour roll in the Book.

Bonjour, je m'appelle Michel Bula and I am fundraising for Melbourne French Theatre's [MFT] 50th anniversary 1977 to 2027 [oui !] Book called:

Celebrating Melbourne French Theatre 1977–2027: Fifty Years on a Ten Dollar Bill

Le Theatre français de Melbourne fête ses 50 ans

We are raising funds to pay the authors and to cover scoping works.

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 MFT website ] - 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 more

We seek your support to mark a remarkable history :

Our Statistics

@ February 2026 – founded in 1977 – 49 years, 110 productions and more than:

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

School tours

Le Petit Prince shows since 2007

7,860 spectators - students + general public

Courtes Lignes shows since 2010

1,855 spectators - students + general public

Le Petit Nicholas workshop + shows since 2013

3,227 spectators - students + teachers

– that is MFT!

Chapter titles

Contents page

Foreword

Chapter 1 – The Anniversary – Melbourne French Theatre Turns Fifty [nearly complete]

Chapter 2 – The Early Years – at the University of Melbourne and in the

wider community

Chapter 3 – Colin Duckworth

Chapter 4 – The Plays

Chapter 5 – Bilingual Plays, Surtitles and Other Innovations

Chapter 6 – The Theatres

Chapter 7 – The Actors

Chapter 8 – The Directors

Chapter 9 – The Production Team

Chapter 10 – The Audience

Chapter 11 – The Tours

Chapter 12 – Partners and the Community

Chapter 13 – A Look at the Fiftieth Year/The Fiftieth Year in Review

Chapter 14 – Michael Bula – Fifty Years and Beyond

with

Index

Appendices

Timeline of major events in the history of MFT

Surtitles diagram

Complete list of productions

Images of (a selection of) Melbourne French Theatre posters

List of videos/films/photos

Author bios

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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