The Spare Room Tickets – Season Ended

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The Spare Room played Melbourne until 10 October 2026 and is no longer on sale. Discover similar shows on sale now, or subscribe and we'll tell you about future seasons and ticket offers.

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About The Spare Room

Nicola is coming to Melbourne for three weeks to receive treatment she believes will cure her cancer.

From the moment Nicola staggers off the plane, Helen becomes her nurse, her guardian angel and her stony judge, as they negotiate an unmapped path through Nicola’s bizarre therapy.

Composer Jane Hammond and Librettist Therèsa Borg tenderly realise the rage, pained love and friendship at the essence of Garner’s award-winning book and let the story sing.

Depicting the friendship at its centre are sopranos Natalie Jones and Antoinette Halloran, who return to Victorian Opera as Helen and Nicola. Sarah Goodes makes her operatic debut as the Director of this production, conducted by Phoebe Briggs.

Heartening, harrowing and darkly funny, The Spare Room makes its world premiere as a moving new Australian opera.

More Information

Children under the age of 15 must be under the supervision of a responsible adult (18 years of age or older) at all times.

Content warning: This production contains coarse language, haze effects, live animals and sensitive themes about cancer, death and sexual assault of a minor.