{"id":168891,"date":"2026-01-30T11:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T01:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?p=168891"},"modified":"2026-01-30T12:38:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T02:38:08","slug":"australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian Open, at Theatre Works – theatre review"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the first Grand Slam of the year in full swing, how timely and gobsmackingly entertaining is this riotous rom-com! You simply must see it. Twenty-five-year-old Lucas is the number three tennis player in the world, who has just lost a four-set encounter with Roger Federer at the US Open. Still, he vows to get his own back on the Swiss maestro, with the Aussie Open not far away.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photos by Sarah Clarke<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lucas has also been in an open gay relationship with 31-year-old Felix for six years. The pair is talking with Felix\u2019s parents, Peter and Belinda, about the prospect of marriage. Lucas is hot property in more ways than one. To Peter and Belinda\u2019s horror, he claims to have slept with more than 800 men, as they are propositioning him all the time.<\/p>\n

He and Felix see no reason not to continue their open relationship once they are married. In fact, they still intend to embrace that lifestyle. Although shocked, before long Belinda is raising concerns about her own marriage, which sees her and Peter explore new avenues \u2013 apart. She has her mind set on climbing Mt Everest, while he begins to explore his sexuality, taking an avid interest in the other side.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Although Lucas is on board, Felix is not at all comfortable with his folks\u2019 new arrangement. Felix\u2019s sister Annabelle, a particle physicist based in Switzerland, who posts Lucas\u2019 socials, thinks otherwise. She makes a surprise return for Christmas and then finds that one of her particularly candid posts goes viral, rocking Lucas and Felix\u2019s relationship to its core.<\/p>\n

An energetic production, unfolding at pace, Australian Open contains a surfeit of zingers \u2013 smart one liners and visual gags \u2013 that delight and excite. The material is bold and bawdy, at times downright hilarious. Cleverly written by Angus Cameron, the conceit is superbly realised and here I am referring to every aspect of the show.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That includes the staging, costuming, lighting, sound (incorporating toe tapping pop music snippets) and acting, brought together seamlessly by director Riley Spandaro. The five performers \u2013 Eddie Orton, Sebastian Li, Jane Montgomery Griffiths, Alec Gilbert and Melissa Kahraman \u2013 are uniformly excellent.<\/p>\n

Each has their times to shine. In fact, it would be unfair to single out one above any of the others, as they are all so slick, with masterful comic timing. In short, there are several balls in the air that are flying thick and fast.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As we enter the theatre, Melissa Kahraman, who plays Annabelle, is seated atop an umpire\u2019s chair in sunnies, calling the shots. The stage \u2013 where most of the action takes place \u2013 is reminiscent of a white lined, vibrant blue, hard court tennis court, with bubbly at the ready. Overhead, 14 disco mirror balls. Think Saturday Night Fever.<\/p>\n

The most impactful scene is arguably that when a fully kitted out Belinda is on her Everest sojourn. Magnificent! An awkward, shirtless Lucas and Peter encounter also can\u2019t be unseen. Australian Open is a beauty that resonates from go to whoa. It is so good that I would gladly see it again tomorrow. It is on at Theatre Works until 31st January, 2026.<\/p>\n

Alex First<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the first Grand Slam of the year in full swing, how timely and gobsmackingly entertaining is this riotous rom-com! You simply must see it. Twenty-five-year-old Lucas is the number three tennis player in the world, who has just lost a four-set encounter with Roger Federer at the US Open. Still, he vows to get…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":168893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[801],"tags":[11444,1189,1354],"class_list":["post-168891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theatre","tag-australian-open","tag-rom-com","tag-theatre-works"],"yoast_head":"\nAustralian Open, at Theatre Works - 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\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Australian Open, at Theatre Works - theatre review -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the first Grand Slam of the year in full swing, how timely and gobsmackingly entertaining is this riotous rom-com! You simply must see it. Twenty-five-year-old Lucas is the number three tennis player in the world, who has just lost a four-set encounter with Roger Federer at the US Open. Still, he vows to get...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-30T01:22:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-30T02:38:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"533\" \/>\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=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Alex First\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4\"},\"headline\":\"Australian Open, at Theatre Works – theatre review\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-30T01:22:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-30T02:38:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":542,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Australian Open\",\"rom-com\",\"Theatre Works\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Theatre\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/\",\"name\":\"Australian Open, at Theatre Works - theatre review -\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-30T01:22:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-30T02:38:08+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Australian Open, at Theatre Works – theatre review\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"Australian arts & 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":"Australian Open, at Theatre Works - 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\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Australian Open, at Theatre Works - theatre review -","og_description":"With the first Grand Slam of the year in full swing, how timely and gobsmackingly entertaining is this riotous rom-com! You simply must see it. Twenty-five-year-old Lucas is the number three tennis player in the world, who has just lost a four-set encounter with Roger Federer at the US Open. Still, he vows to get...","og_url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/","article_published_time":"2026-01-30T01:22:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-30T02:38:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":533,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Alex First","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alex First","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/"},"author":{"name":"Alex First","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4"},"headline":"Australian Open, at Theatre Works – theatre review","datePublished":"2026-01-30T01:22:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-30T02:38:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/"},"wordCount":542,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","keywords":["Australian Open","rom-com","Theatre Works"],"articleSection":["Theatre"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/","url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/","name":"Australian Open, at Theatre Works - theatre review -","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-01-30T01:22:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-30T02:38:08+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/485a03a567664eed5233363f88ed35a4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","width":800,"height":533},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/australian-open-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Australian Open, at Theatre Works – theatre review"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/","name":"","description":"Australian arts & 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\/2026\/01\/rsz_australian_open_production_images-15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":167505,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/draw-two-theatre-works-explosives-factory-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":168891,"position":0},"title":"Draw Two (Theatre Works\u2019 Explosives Factory) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"September 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Filled with humour and pathos, Draw Two is a richly human tale. It is a compelling, beautifully crafted and superbly told story about the impact of a life changing event. In her late 20s, Riley thinks she knows which way is up. Put another way, she has built a life\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","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_draw_two_2025production_hannahjennings_2.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\/09\/rsz_draw_two_2025production_hannahjennings_2.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rsz_draw_two_2025production_hannahjennings_2.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rsz_draw_two_2025production_hannahjennings_2.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":157450,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/ghosts-theatre-works-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":168891,"position":1},"title":"Ghosts (Theatre Works) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"June 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Take Henrik Ibsen\u2019s controversial 1881 play \u2013 a scathing commentary on morality \u2013 and move it from its original Norwegian setting to the Victorian bush in the late 19th century.\u00a0That is what the award-winning team of playwright Jodi Gallagher and director\/designer Steven Mitchell Wright have done with searing impact. Having\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","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\/2024\/06\/rsz_ghosts-production-image-3.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\/2024\/06\/rsz_ghosts-production-image-3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/rsz_ghosts-production-image-3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/rsz_ghosts-production-image-3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":142956,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/instruments-of-dance-the-australian-ballet-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":168891,"position":2},"title":"Instruments of Dance (The Australian Ballet) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"September 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The second line of Peter Allen\u2019s iconic anthem I Still Call Australia Home contains the words \u201cFrom New York to Rio and old London Town\u201d.\u00a0It then goes on to say, \u201cI still call Australia home\u201d.\u00a0Only Rio doesn\u2019t feature in The Australia Ballet\u2019s three parter Instruments of Dance. The triple bill\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","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\/09\/rsz_tab_instruments_of_dance_everywhere_we_go_artists_of_tab_photo_jeff_busby_2265.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\/2022\/09\/rsz_tab_instruments_of_dance_everywhere_we_go_artists_of_tab_photo_jeff_busby_2265.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/rsz_tab_instruments_of_dance_everywhere_we_go_artists_of_tab_photo_jeff_busby_2265.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/rsz_tab_instruments_of_dance_everywhere_we_go_artists_of_tab_photo_jeff_busby_2265.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9642,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/heisenberg-mtc-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":168891,"position":3},"title":"Heisenberg (MTC) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"May 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A beautiful woman engages an older man in conversation \u2026 Sounds like the start of a joke, but it's actually the beginning of the MTC's production of Heisenberg. This story involves a couple of lonely people. One has been alone \u2026 seemingly forever; while the other has a deep-seated need\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","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\/2019\/05\/Heisenberg-03.jpg?fit=1000%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Heisenberg-03.jpg?fit=1000%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Heisenberg-03.jpg?fit=1000%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Heisenberg-03.jpg?fit=1000%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":166689,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/mary-poppins-jr-the-young-australian-broadway-chorus-musical-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":168891,"position":4},"title":"Mary Poppins Jr. (The Young Australian Broadway Chorus) – musical theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"July 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The nanny with the lot, Mary Poppins, gets to weave her magic in 70 minutes and still make it count in this cut down version of the beloved musical. It is based on the 1964 Disney film, which starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, and stories by PL Travers.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Music"","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/rsz__dg23971.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\/07\/rsz__dg23971.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/rsz__dg23971.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/rsz__dg23971.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":145277,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/berlin-the-mc-showroom-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":168891,"position":5},"title":"Berlin (The MC Showroom) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"April 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Joanna Murray-Smith\u2019s remarkable insight, attention to detail and writing prowess are front and centre in a captivating production of Berlin at The MC Showroom.\u00a0Australian Tom (Lachlan Hamill) has just landed in the German capital, keen to get to know the real city, not the tourist offering.\u00a0He\u2019s directed to a small\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","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\/04\/image-A.jpeg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-A.jpeg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-A.jpeg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168891","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=168891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}