{"id":143867,"date":"2022-12-06T20:24:16","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T10:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?p=143867"},"modified":"2022-12-06T20:24:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-06T10:24:43","slug":"a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/","title":{"rendered":"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) &#8211; theatre review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sophia (Lou Wall) has been desperate to get into the property market for some time.\u00a0So it is that (yet again) she puts the hard word on her father \u2013 Tony (Joe Petruzzi) \u2013 trying to guilt him into going 50\/50 with her on an apartment she has found.\u00a0He is far from impressed. It is small, without a view and out of the way.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-143868 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6787.jpg?resize=560%2C374&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"560\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6787.jpg?w=560&amp;ssl=1 560w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6787.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6787.jpg?resize=272%2C182&amp;ssl=1 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Photos by Jodie Hutchinson<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tony and his wife (Sophia\u2019s mother) Julie (Sarah Sutherland) live in Stonnington and this place is in Laverton.\u00a0The pitch to Tony is going badly when Sophia drops a bombshell. She tells her dad that she is engaged to a man who is on the same page as her, Greg (Khisraw Jones-Shukoor).\u00a0Collectively they have managed to get their hands on $125,000 and all they need now is to convince Tony to pitch in the other half.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-143870 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6598.jpg?resize=560%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"560\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6598.jpg?w=560&amp;ssl=1 560w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6598.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Truth be told, Greg is not engaged to Sophia (they are just friends) and he is gay.\u00a0She only used him as a ruse to get her father to give over the funds.\u00a0What could possibly go wrong?\u00a0Everything.\u00a0Tony hasn\u2019t exactly made good investments in the past.\u00a0Unbeknown to him, he is about to lose his job.\u00a0He hasn\u2019t told his wife how much he has dipped in to help their daughter.\u00a0His wife\u2019s mother is further draining their resources.\u00a0And now Sophia and Greg\u2019s new home has developed concrete cancer.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-143871 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6497.jpg?resize=560%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"560\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6497.jpg?w=560&amp;ssl=1 560w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_6497.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Simple Act of Kindness is set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0It is a slapstick comedy by Ross Mueller about the pitfalls of real estate \u2026 and family \u2026 and combining the two.\u00a0I liked the set up. There were a number of hilarious interchanges between the characters and the dialogue served to heighten the tension. It was fun.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-143872 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_9983.jpg?resize=560%2C784&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"560\" height=\"784\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_9983.jpg?w=560&amp;ssl=1 560w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_rka_9983.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But I felt let down by Act II, which appeared too obtuse for my liking.\u00a0To me it went from funny to quite bizarre and laboured. I tired of the second act, which felt stretched.\u00a0I thought Lou Wall was the pick of the talent. She milked the manipulation and reveled in the role of \u201cparenting\u201d her parents.\u00a0She bounced well off the other characters and was the \u201cglue\u201d that bound them together.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Directed by Peter Houghton, A Simple Act of Kindness has the makings of a consistently good comedy, but falters.\u00a0It is playing at Red Stitch Theatre until 18<sup>th<\/sup> December, 2022.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Alex First<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sophia (Lou Wall) has been desperate to get into the property market for some time.\u00a0So it is that (yet again) she puts the hard word on her father \u2013 Tony (Joe Petruzzi) \u2013 trying to guilt him into going 50\/50 with her on an apartment she has found.\u00a0He is far from impressed. It is small,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":143869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[801],"tags":[8246,21,3231,741],"class_list":["post-143867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theatre","tag-a-simple-act-of-kindness","tag-comedy","tag-red-stitch-theatre","tag-slapstick"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) - theatre review -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) - theatre review -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sophia (Lou Wall) has been desperate to get into the property market for some time.\u00a0So it is that (yet again) she puts the hard word on her father \u2013 Tony (Joe Petruzzi) \u2013 trying to guilt him into going 50\/50 with her on an apartment she has found.\u00a0He is far from impressed. It is small,...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-12-06T10:24:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-12-06T10:24:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"583\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alex First\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alex First\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Alex First\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4\"},\"headline\":\"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) &#8211; theatre review\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-06T10:24:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-12-06T10:24:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":415,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"A Simple Act of Kindness\",\"comedy\",\"Red Stitch Theatre\",\"slapstick\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Theatre\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) - theatre review -\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-06T10:24:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-12-06T10:24:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1\",\"width\":800,\"height\":583},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) &#8211; theatre review\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"Australian arts &amp; entertainment reviews\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4\",\"name\":\"Alex First\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d6c07f6ab1e27d55a9fc81f09b51709069a83a382270fbe4f25a1b8ffec9185f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d6c07f6ab1e27d55a9fc81f09b51709069a83a382270fbe4f25a1b8ffec9185f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d6c07f6ab1e27d55a9fc81f09b51709069a83a382270fbe4f25a1b8ffec9185f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Alex First\"},\"description\":\"Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/firstcommunications.com.au\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/author\\\/alexfirst\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) - theatre review -","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) - theatre review -","og_description":"Sophia (Lou Wall) has been desperate to get into the property market for some time.\u00a0So it is that (yet again) she puts the hard word on her father \u2013 Tony (Joe Petruzzi) \u2013 trying to guilt him into going 50\/50 with her on an apartment she has found.\u00a0He is far from impressed. It is small,...","og_url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/","article_published_time":"2022-12-06T10:24:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-12-06T10:24:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":583,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Alex First","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alex First","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/"},"author":{"name":"Alex First","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4"},"headline":"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) &#8211; theatre review","datePublished":"2022-12-06T10:24:16+00:00","dateModified":"2022-12-06T10:24:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/"},"wordCount":415,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1","keywords":["A Simple Act of Kindness","comedy","Red Stitch Theatre","slapstick"],"articleSection":["Theatre"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/","url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/","name":"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) - theatre review -","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1","datePublished":"2022-12-06T10:24:16+00:00","dateModified":"2022-12-06T10:24:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1","width":800,"height":583},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/a-simple-act-of-kindness-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Simple Act of Kindness (Red Stitch Theatre) &#8211; theatre review"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/","name":"","description":"Australian arts &amp; entertainment reviews","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4","name":"Alex First","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d6c07f6ab1e27d55a9fc81f09b51709069a83a382270fbe4f25a1b8ffec9185f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d6c07f6ab1e27d55a9fc81f09b51709069a83a382270fbe4f25a1b8ffec9185f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d6c07f6ab1e27d55a9fc81f09b51709069a83a382270fbe4f25a1b8ffec9185f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Alex First"},"description":"Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.","sameAs":["http:\/\/firstcommunications.com.au"],"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/author\/alexfirst\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/rsz_1rka_0264.jpg?fit=800%2C583&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":167050,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/dial-m-for-murder-theatre-works-%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/","url_meta":{"origin":143867,"position":0},"title":"Dial M for Murder (Theatre Works) \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605","author":"Alex First","date":"August 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A murderous plan, oh most foul. That is at the heart of Dial M for Murder, written by Frederick Knott in 1952 and popularised by Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s suspenseful movie two years later. TV crime writer Max Halliday (Leon Walshe) visits Margot Wendice (Bridget Bourke) in her London apartment a year\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Theatre&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rsz_murder_63_of_132_1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rsz_murder_63_of_132_1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rsz_murder_63_of_132_1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rsz_murder_63_of_132_1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":170263,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/anna-x-at-red-stitch-actors-theatre-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":143867,"position":1},"title":"Anna X, at Red Stitch Actors\u2019 Theatre &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"May 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Newly crafted multi-millionaire Ariel (Tom Stokes) struck up a conversation with the exotic, mysterious, attractive Anna X (Becca Galvin) at a party in New York in 2016. From there, he couldn\u2019t get enough of her. In short, he was smitten from the get go. In her early to mid twenties,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Theatre&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_anna_x_-_photo_by_simon_fazio_fazio_-_feat_becca_galvin_tom_stokes_52026-05-26_153556%EF%BF%BC_4200x_fazx6047.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_anna_x_-_photo_by_simon_fazio_fazio_-_feat_becca_galvin_tom_stokes_52026-05-26_153556%EF%BF%BC_4200x_fazx6047.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_anna_x_-_photo_by_simon_fazio_fazio_-_feat_becca_galvin_tom_stokes_52026-05-26_153556%EF%BF%BC_4200x_fazx6047.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_anna_x_-_photo_by_simon_fazio_fazio_-_feat_becca_galvin_tom_stokes_52026-05-26_153556%EF%BF%BC_4200x_fazx6047.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":151872,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf-red-stitch-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":143867,"position":2},"title":"Who&#8217;s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Red Stitch) &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"November 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the most lauded plays of the 20th century, Who\u2019s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a high stakes cat and mouse game.\u00a0Husband and wife adopt a take no prisoners\u2019 attitude to the unfolding conflict.\u00a0Before this is over, both will be metaphorically beaten up, as will their unwitting younger guests\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Theatre&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/rsz__dsc2535.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/rsz__dsc2535.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/rsz__dsc2535.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/rsz__dsc2535.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":148962,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/monument-red-stitch-actors-theatre-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":143867,"position":3},"title":"Monument (Red Stitch Actors&#8217; Theatre) &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"August 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"An unexpected power play between an about to be anointed Prime Minister and a make-up artist readying her to take office is at the heart of Monument.\u00a0Edith Aldridge (Sarah Sutherland) has been elected in a landslide to lead the nation.\u00a0As the country\u2019s youngest ever female PM, she is about assume\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Theatre&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz__dsc1414_.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz__dsc1414_.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz__dsc1414_.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz__dsc1414_.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":167432,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/job-red-stitch-actors-theatre-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":143867,"position":4},"title":"Job (Red Stitch Actors&#8217; Theatre) &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"September 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A gripping psychological thriller, Job pits a patient against a psychiatrist in a battle of wits and wills. Jane (Jessica Clarke), who is a content moderator in Big Tech, is on paid sick leave following a mental breakdown. Video recorded of the incident went viral, but now she is desperate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Theatre&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rsz_1job_red_stitch_photo_sarah_walker-8442.jpg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rsz_1job_red_stitch_photo_sarah_walker-8442.jpg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rsz_1job_red_stitch_photo_sarah_walker-8442.jpg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rsz_1job_red_stitch_photo_sarah_walker-8442.jpg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":140082,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/grace-red-stitch-theatre-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":143867,"position":5},"title":"Grace (Red Stitch Theatre) &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"February 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A family secret is the elephant in the room when three generations of women share luxury hotel accommodation in Copenhagen as one of them prepares to accept a prestigious award.\u00a0That is Emma (Kate Cole), a middle-aged author, who is about to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award (the \u201cLittle Nobel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Theatre&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/rsz_2rsz_2red_stitch_-_grace_-_february_2022_-_jillian_murray_and_kate_cole_-_credit_jodie_hutchinson_.jpg?fit=800%2C571&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/rsz_2rsz_2red_stitch_-_grace_-_february_2022_-_jillian_murray_and_kate_cole_-_credit_jodie_hutchinson_.jpg?fit=800%2C571&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/rsz_2rsz_2red_stitch_-_grace_-_february_2022_-_jillian_murray_and_kate_cole_-_credit_jodie_hutchinson_.jpg?fit=800%2C571&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/rsz_2rsz_2red_stitch_-_grace_-_february_2022_-_jillian_murray_and_kate_cole_-_credit_jodie_hutchinson_.jpg?fit=800%2C571&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}