First, Do No Harm transformed KXT Broadway into an intimate study of ambition, identity and consequence in one of Sydney’s most affecting productions.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Darkness. A sound ... like someone drowning in a vat of porridge or disembowelling a cow - repulsive and fascinating at the same time. Lights, slowly up, to reveal a teenage boy attacking a leg of lamb with a large carving knife. A powerful opening, and not a little unnerving. Without a word being spoken we realise that this young man - Alexei (Josh Mertens), is troubled. Aren't they all?! Perhaps, but Alexei is uniquely troubled. His whole family is unique - a family of damaged overachievers.
Playing Happy Families
Alexei's mum, Melissa (Kate Bookallil) is a driven career woman, a celebrated surgeon, campaigning for president of the AMA; Robert, his father (Richard Hilliar), is a multi gold-medal winning Olympic swimmer whose glory days are well and truly behind him, and Alexei himself, an Olympic hopeful with a terrible secret that threatens all their hopes and aspirations. He's seeking a life altering surgery, and the only one qualified to do it is Ian Marley (Shan-Ree Tan), Melissa's rival for the AMA presidency. While this may all sound like familiar territory, and to some extent it is, it is in its particulars that Grace Malouf's script achieves its resonance, as it addresses themes of body autonomy, identity, whether we 'own' our bodies, what we can do to them, and the impact of our decisions on the wider community.
High Stakes & Much To Lose
This is a challenging play, raw and brutally honest. It is surprising to observe such emotional depth and perception in someone so young, but Malouf's training as a lawyer, and two doctors for parents, has helped provide solid foundations upon which to build. This is not to diminish her talent, passion and courage in writing this play, which was shortlisted for the 2025 Silver Gull Award. It has undergone significant refining during rehearsals, and the new ending is cleaner, tighter and more subtle in its moral weight by implying more and explaining less. I don't want to reveal any of the plot, as there is an element of the thriller to the play, however, be warned, the final scenes are harrowing and shocking, but presented in a way that demonstrates theatre's ability to engage with an audience's imagination and willing suspension of disbelief. By this stage though, we have been so seduced by the authenticity of the performances and the honesty of the dilemma, that we are willing, somewhat reluctantly, as we sense the approaching tragedy, to go to this very dark place.
As Flies To Wanton Boys
Rarely have I felt as engaged by the drama unfolding on stage. From start to finish there is a feeling of unease/dread, due in large part to the performance of newcomer Josh Mertens. It is a performance which finds its echo in all the other cast members. Bookallil, Hilliar, Tan & Barry French are all uniformly excellent, and negotiate epic emotional arcs with vulnerability & passionate commitment that never flags, leaving one feeling wrung out by the shattering conclusion. There is a quality of Greek tragedy to this play, that the destinies of the main characters are preordained, and no matter how much they struggle and fight against it, their ends are inescapable. That is what is so tragic - we want their good, but we know that they are doomed, and all we can do is bear witness to their struggles.
Blood & Sand
What is surprising is that this powerful drama plays out, not on a shadowy Gothic set, but one full of light, and pastel colours - a cream floor, and IKEA inspired furniture. There is an Avalon Beach feel to it. Both parents wear sandy coloured clothes throughout - they blend into their environment, their cocoon. The outside world is official dark suits (Marley & the hospital admin). The telling pop of colour is provided by Alexei's red sweater, marking him out. The aesthetic simplicity of the costume & set design serve to throw the focus back onto the characters and their story. Charlie Allanah & Malouf's directing choices are inspired, considering the 'traverse' staging and the proximity of the audience to the action. Their use of lighting (Theodore Carroll) and sound (Ellie Wilson) is innovative, clever, and brilliantly effective, and they have fashioned a powerful ensemble out of their cast. 4.5 stars
First, Do No Harm is playing at KXT Broadway till July 4th
Review by: Nick Bennett
Photos by: Patrick Phillips