The Factory Theatre

Went to a comedy show the other night. Was a pretty sweet setup. Literally an old factory converted theather. Arrived late so missed out on trying the bar but the environment of the bar seemed pretty trendy and cool. Also had a meat or burger van that smelt awesome, but once again missed sampling this.
The show was pretty cool and the venue size was small and intimate. If you want to be up close and personal with a performance this is the place to see them at. If I had of tried the food and drinks maybe this would have pushed over to 5 stars.

I saw dispatch here and I was very happy with the venue.
It is intimate enough to feel like you are close to the band wherever you are. There is a bar inside and downstairs outside so you have multiple options if the line is long or for those smokers out there. Somehow the bathrooms were never too busy either.
Did I mention that the lead singer was just chilling outside near the entrance at one point so I got to go and chat with him for a bit?

It’s hard to rate the Factory Theatre. We’ve come here a couple of times — both times for a Burlesque final for the heats in NSW. The reason its difficult is because you tend to be less focused on the venue and more focused on the performance…
In any case — this is old school theatre. Red drape curtains, a back stage that leads straight off and into the publicly available toilet area, a slim bar with small snacks. Everything screams old school. I like this venue. Not because it’s so concrete hidden by a veneer of red velvet drapes (like a gloved fist) but because both times we’ve been here its been a pleasant drive, park (no parking on site, but plenty around) and entrance. Not too full.
They were having a band act downstairs at the time and no sound came through to the theatre. That speaks volumes (no pun intended) to good design.

When I was a kid I used to make lounge room forts out of cardboard boxes. I’d have boxes of all different sizes and materials and these endeavours begat sprawling cardboard mega-​cities with secret rooms and trap doors and all sorts of wild stuff going on.
Whoever created The Factory Theatre did the same thing, only, y’know, from real building materials, and as an adult. Consequently (been trying to get use this word in a review for ages. Tick.) it’s now one of my favourite venues in Sydney. I’ve seen Mandy Moore sing with Ben Lee on stage here. Watched Xavier Toby’s stand-​up comedy. Checked out the Sydney Fringe.
I never get tired of being shuttled along to a different room by a bearded usher. Sometimes these rooms are separated by a velvet curtain from another room, sometimes they’re up, sometimes down, often sideways. Sometimes they’re a shipping container in the car park. No, seriously.
Combine that with an outdoor bar and a crap-​ton of fairy lights and, yeah, winner.

Came here only once so far to see a comedian Xavier Toby — Thanks Ben! –and had a such great evening.
There is a bar in the courtyard where you can have a drink or two before the show or after.
You get the feeling that you are somewhere in the middle of warehouses and big containers. Its such a good use of a space for all different events happening here.
I will be back for something more.

Walking in to a gig at the Factory theatre, you get the feeling that you’ve stumbled upon a cool warehouse party — one that you’re welcome at and that you’re sure will be great (I hear there’s gonna be some bands here later), but you’re not too sure who the host is. But it’s all good, everyone seems perfectly cool and comfortable with the fact you’re here, and there’s an epic game of handball going on that you wanna be a part of.
This is a great venue that transforms to suit any event, whether it be a live band, comedian, or theatre gig. It remains intimate despite its surprisingly large capacity and drinks from the bar are pretty cheap — no paying $ 6 for a bottle of water or can of coke here. There’s a sausage sizzle pre-​show and the stage is pretty big. The best thing? The sound is great, especially for such a small venue.
It’s an awesome live venue. The party’s here are pretty cool too.

My one and only visit to The Factory Theatre, so far and I’m pretty impressed.
We arrived exactly on time for our gig and were a little surprised to find the courtyard area brimming with people just — hanging out. «Have we crashed a private party?» I whispered as we headed through the throng with the sort of knowledgeable swagger that demonstrates you’re heading past the bar and you have no clue where you’re going. What looked like a pop-​up BBQ was churning out snags and beer — very relaxed but not all that appealing to be honest. Thankfully it was only a matter of minutes before our show was called — literally, someone shouted at us to come up the stairs and off we headed. The performance space was compact and ideal for the comedian Sam Simmonds. The show finished and we were shouted at again to encourage us to join the performance in the next theatre by a heavily tattooed glamour girl. Another lifetime perhaps.
This is an incredible space — raw, unpolished and with a great vibe of possibility. We got the mother of all parking spots just outside and if the right act is on the bill I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

The Factory is a really great live venue. It might feel out of the way for those not living in the inner west, but once you master the bus routes, it’s actually in a pretty convenient spot. Look out for the 423, 426 or 428 buses coming from the city and you’ll get dropped off right on Victoria Road. There’s also heaps of parking in the nearby streets if you’re doing designated driver duties.
There’s always something interesting happening here — from comedy shows to festival events to live music. I’ve seen quite a few gigs at The Factory and it’s always a great night out. It’s a spacious venue with a bar up the back, which means you don’t have to miss any of the action when it’s your round to get drinks. The place always has a nice vibe; I’ve been to one show where everyone just chilled out on the floor, and then others where people are dancing like mad (but there’s plenty of space for wayward elbows and knees). They get really great artists like James Blake, Grouplove and Band of Horses, so check the website for upcoming acts and don’t be put off by its location.