There is something quite voyeuristic about listening to strangers speak when they have no idea who is listening. In The Nightline, Roslyn Oades and Bob Scott transform the nocturnal city into an intimate soundscape of confession, loneliness, humour and unexpected connection, offering audiences a rare, unfiltered glimpse into a city after dark.
The Nightline is an immersive audio experience unlike most theatrical encounters. There is no conventional stage, no cast performing before us and no narrative imposed upon the audience. Instead, we become listeners, eavesdroppers of sorts, invited into the private thoughts of people who chose, between midnight and 6.00am, to leave a message on a dedicated, anonymous hotline.
Originally commissioned by RISING for its inaugural 2021 program, The Nightline was due to premiere in Melbourne before the season was cancelled on opening night due to a pandemic lockdown. Since then, the work has travelled to Sydney, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and internationally to Québec. Its long-awaited Melbourne return is a welcome one.
The experience begins with The Nightline Concierge, Katia Molino, who meets audiences in the back-of-house area of Malthouse Theatre. Her instructions are clear and simple: no talking and no mobile phones. We are then directed up three flights of stairs and into a room filled with rows of small tables, each equipped with an old-fashioned rotary telephone and lamp.
It is a wonderfully evocative setting designed by Clare Britton, with lighting by Fausto Brusamolino. The vintage phones suggest another era, while the technology itself becomes almost ceremonial. We take our seats, pick up a receiver and operate a switchboard, selecting from a collection of voice messages recorded by Melbourne residents in the small hours.
And what voices they are. The shift-workers heading home, the insomniacs staring at the ceiling, the drunken ramblings, the early riser curious about the birdsong outside their window, the paramedics waiting for the next call, the revellers making their way into the dawn and the lonely, both young and old, reaching out simply because someone, somewhere, might be listening.
There are moments of humour, moments of tenderness and moments that catch you completely by surprise. Some messages are little more than fleeting observations, while others reveal something more personal: a glimpse of a life, a relationship, a worry or a private thought that might otherwise have remained unspoken. These are not polished monologues. That is precisely their power. Every word heard in The Nightline was voluntarily left by a stranger in the night.
As the table lamps flicker or intermittently change colour, sounds emerge throughout the room: the crash of a falling tree, the expressive strains of a solo violin, the whoosh of a late-night goods train, the sound of rain or the menacing rumble of thunder. In the darkness, these sounds become more pronounced, adding another layer to the voices and creating an evocative sense of the city beyond the room.
In an age of constant digital communication, The Nightline makes a surprisingly strong case for the intimacy of a voice and a telephone. Quiet, curious and deeply evocative, it reminds us that while the city sleeps, its people are still talking. All we have to do is listen.
The Nightline
Bagging Room – Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
Performance: Saturday 15 August 2026 (7.00pm)
Season continues to 29 August 2026
Information and Bookings: www.malthousetheatre.com.au
Images: The Nightline – photo by Simon Fazio | The Nightline Concierge Katia Molina – photo by Simon Fazio | The Nightline – photo by Simon Fazio
Review: Rohan Shearn