Now in their 32nd year of celebrating this much-loved worldwide event, Bloomsday in Melbourne proudly bring their latest season to fortyfivedownstairs, Between The Lines – The James Joyce/Groucho Marx Letters.
A young scholar makes the discovery of the century – letters between James Joyce and comedy legend Groucho Marx – and believes she has secured her legacy. But in the cut-throat Joyce Industry, credit rarely goes to a woman.
A razor-sharp, wryly witty literary mystery that follows her descent into a patriarchal web of ego and academic theft, Between The Lines – The James Joyce/Groucho Marx Letters invites audiences on a heady journey as her groundbreaking discovery is hijacked by the very mentor she trusted to protect it.
Packed with intellectual gymnastics and dramatic reversals, this electric new Bloomsday offering asks, “Who gets to own history?”
An annual commemoration of Irish writer James Joyce, celebrated on June 16th, Bloomsday is a world-wide event that marks the date in 1904 when his famous novel Ulysses takes place. Named after the protagonist Leopold Bloom, this internationally celebrated day features literary readings, performances, costumed reenactments, and many more varied events.
Running for five performances only, the 2026 Bloomsday in Melbourne season is directed by Renee Palmer and features an ensemble of much-lauded local talent, including Seon Williams, Christina Costigan, Scott Middleton, Tref Gare, and Shannon Woollard.
Established in 1994, Bloomsday in Melbourne is an Australian literary and theatrical group dedicated to celebrating the life and works of James Joyce, particularly his landmark novel Ulysses. For over 30 years, the organisation has hosted an annual festival on or around 16 June—the date immortalised as Bloomsday—featuring professionally staged plays, literary seminars, and social gatherings. The group creates original theatrical scripts annually that reimagine Joycean themes for contemporary audiences.
