The ATDW website has had a makeover.

But our commitment to Australian tourism is as strong as ever.

Home
Event

Dead Man's Cell Phone

Ballarat Mechanics Institute

Ballarat National Theatre brings one of contemporary theatre's most intriguing comedies to Ballarat this October, with a talented local cast taking on Sarah Ruhl's funny, strange and wonderfully human Dead Man's Cell Phone. Presented at the historic Ballarat Mechanics Institute and directed by Benj Beatty, the story begins in a café. Jean is sitting quietly when the mobile phone on the next table begins to ring. And ring. Its owner isn't answering. So Jean does. It's one small decision that draws her into the life of a man she has never met, and into the orbit of the complicated, surprising and often very funny people he has left behind. Ruhl is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award-nominated playwright with a gift for finding comedy in unexpected places. Dead Man's Cell Phone is clever and gloriously offbeat, with a warm-hearted story about love, loneliness and the ways people connect. For visitors looking to experience Ballarat after dark or on a Sunday afternoon for a matinee, it's an opportunity to enjoy contemporary theatre performed by local talent in one of the city's beautiful historic buildings.
Jean sits at a café table beside a ringing red phone in Ballarat National Theatre’s Dead Man’s Cell
Interior of the Ballarat Mechanics Institute theatre, with rows of seating facing the stage.
The historic façade of Ballarat Mechanics Institute in central Ballarat, lit warmly at dusk.
When
23 October, 2026
Venue
Ballarat Mechanics Institute
Location and Directions117 Sturt Street Ballarat Central Victoria 3350 Australia
Adult
$30
$30 adult. Considerably cheaper than answering a stranger's phone.
Concession
$25
$25 for concession card holders. Same strange phone. Five dollars less.
Member
$20
Special $20 ticket price for Ballarat National Theatre members.
Child
$15
Child ticket $15.
Group
$18
Groups of 10 or more. Come together. Leave with several different theories about Gordon.
Product Types
  • Concerts or Performances
Facilities
  • Bar
  • Non Smoking
  • Public Toilet
Accessibility
  • Disabled access available, contact operator for details.
Accessibility Information
  • Disabled access available, contact operator for details.
Dates
  • Friday 23 October, 202618:30 - 21:00Confirmed Event
  • Saturday 24 October, 202618:30 - 21:00Confirmed Event
  • Sunday 25 October, 202614:00 - 16:00Confirmed Event
  • Wednesday 28 October, 202619:00 - 21:30Confirmed Event
  • Thursday 29 October, 202614:00 - 16:30Confirmed Event
  • Friday 30 October, 202619:00 - 21:00Confirmed Event
  • Saturday 31 October, 202619:00 - 21:00Confirmed Event
  • Sunday 01 November, 202619:00 - 21:00Confirmed Event