Visitor Guide · St Kilda VIC
SEEING A SHOW
AT THE NATIONAL
THEATRE,
ST KILDA
This December our Christmas pantomime, Peter Pan, plays The National Theatre in St Kilda. We’re not the venue: for venue enquiries, contact The National Theatre directly.
Getting There
GETTING TO
THE NATIONAL
Address
WHERE IT IS
20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda VIC 3182, on the corner of Carlisle and Barkly Streets.
Tram & Train
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Trams 16 and 3a stop out the front of the theatre at stop 33. The 96 tram stops at Luna Park (stop 138), a 350 metre walk away. Balaclava station is about a 15 minute walk (1,200 metres).
Parking
PARKING
There’s street and commercial parking around the theatre; always check the signs. The closest multi-storey paid parking is at Acland Court Village.
Source: nationaltheatre.org.au/your-visit (Parking and Public Transport), checked 27/10/2026.
On the Night
INSIDE THE
NATIONAL
Finding your seat
The main auditorium is up two levels: the grand staircase or a staff-operated lift takes you to the first level, then it’s 26 steps (or the venue’s stairclimber) into the auditorium. If you need the lift or stairclimber, the venue asks you to contact its box office well before the show.
Food, drinks and prams
There are two food and drink bars: one on the ground floor and Gertrude’s Lounge on the upper mezzanine. The venue is cashless (Visa, Mastercard and American Express). There’s no cloak room at the moment, but prams and bulky items can be left at the box office and collected after the show.
Box office
The National Theatre box office is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, and from 45 minutes before show time. Phone (03) 9525 4611.
Source: nationaltheatre.org.au/your-visit (Bars, Cloak Facilities, Get in touch), checked 27/10/2026.
A St Kilda Landmark
ABOUT THE
NATIONAL
The building opened in 1921 as The Victory Theatre, a 3,000 seat cinema. In 1935 the Australian soprano Gertrude Johnson founded the National Theatre Movement of Victoria, which bought The Victory in 1971 and converted it into a 783 seat theatre between 1972 and 1974. The National Theatre opened in 1974.
Today the heritage-listed theatre is also home to The National Drama School (est. 1936) and The National Ballet School (est. 1939).
Source: nationaltheatre.org.au/about/our-history, checked 27/10/2026.
Coming to the National
OUR PETER PAN,
PERTH 2022
Before St Kilda, Perth audiences met our Peter Pan at the Regal Theatre in December 2022. These photos are from that season.
Zealous in Melbourne
PETER PAN AT
THE NATIONAL
Peter Pan is our first season in Melbourne. Back home in Perth, Zealous Productions has staged a traditional Christmas pantomime at the Regal Theatre every December since 2021; here’s our Regal Theatre guide.
New to panto? Here’s what a pantomime is, and how Peter Pan works as a panto.
Good to Know
QUICK ANSWERS
Where is The National Theatre in St Kilda?
20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda VIC 3182, on the corner of Carlisle and Barkly Streets.
Where do I park for The National Theatre?
There’s street and commercial parking around the theatre (check the signs). The closest multi-storey paid parking is at Acland Court Village.
Which tram goes to The National Theatre?
Trams 16 and 3a stop out the front at stop 33. The 96 stops at Luna Park (stop 138), a 350 metre walk away.
What’s on at The National Theatre this Christmas?
Our Christmas pantomime, Peter Pan, from 20 to 24 December 2026. Only 7 performances, tickets through The National Theatre.