About The Mill

The Mill Theatre at Dairy Road has been run by producer Lexi Sekuless as a largely solo operation for the past four years, growing from an idea into a 67-seat independent theatre delivering professional productions, programs and opportunities for Canberra artists. In 2026, artsACT funding was announced for The Mill for the first time, marking a significant new chapter for the organisation. With that support, actors and producers Maddie and Mark Lee have now joined Lexi, and a bigger team is working behind the scenes to build on what has been created so far. Together, they are developing programs, partnerships and opportunities for artists, while also looking at the long-term future of the venue and how The Mill can continue to grow as a sustainable home for independent theatre in Canberra.

location: be careful trying to find us!

Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Road Fyshwick ACT 2609. Near Mojo Guitars and Screencraft Media

Access via entrance 1 and park in P3. The building has a large Screencraft sign and the public entrance is just up from that sign (not underneath it!). Once inside, walk about 5 metres and the theatre is to the right, next to Mojo Guitars.

how is the Mill run?

This venue opened in November 2022 and was built by the Molonglo Group with the technical fit out by Elite Event Technology. In 2024, Willard Public Affairs joined the Mill Theatre team as Principal Sponsor and the Mill Theatre Co-Production Series began, a program which provides an avenue for creatives to present their own work in the Mill Theatre space. You can read more about that here.

The Mill Theatre at Dairy Road presents several professional productions in-house each year. We are an independent professional producing house. That means we make theatre as our jobs, sometimes full time, sometimes part time. Our seasons are based on these principles:

The Adaptation: there is nothing new under the sun - what can we learn from an existing work?

The Tentpole: which shows will have most appeal for our audiences?

The Gamble: with a bit of the past and a bit of popularity under our belts, we'll take some risks.

The Revival: regular programming of the national repertoire is essential for telling our Australian stories (that's what we think!)

The Insider (2026 addition): stories set within specific industries, professions, or communities, designed to engage their internal networks while offering audiences a fresh, authentic perspective on those worlds.

In 2026, we are also pleased to welcome Sidestage as a new Major Sponsor of the Mill Theatre, supporting the continued growth and ambition of our season and the Co-Production Series.

I have a play, can I just senD it to you?

Please have a big think before you do this. If you have never written anything before and never worked professionally then you can hire the theatre and produce the show yourself. Please do not send scripts and assume that another producer will do your work. Instead, come and see a show here, go and watch shows around town and do some research about how the live events industry works. When you do this, you are more likely to find the right location and the right people and in this way, you are setting yourself up for greater success!

You can read some thoughts and ideas from Lexi about what to do if you have written a play. Please note that we do offer tea & chats, the chance to watch some rehearsals and bits of advice or perhaps other connections and contacts which hopefully might be useful. However, the best first step is always to see the work!

how can I get involved then?

The first thing is see the work - leave the house and come to see a show! There are drop-ins at the Mill and you can get a taste for the type of work at those. Please try to keep in mind that the Mill is committed to the growth of the professional theatre industry and there are other places and groups who welcome those who like theatre as hobby, and they are great! There is room for everyone!

are there any courses for kids or adults?

Currently we are not running any kids courses but there are several courses for adults. You can read more about these here.

MILL THEATRE PUBLIC CALENDAR

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