{"id":738,"date":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","date_gmt":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/2017\/05\/06\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/"},"modified":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","modified_gmt":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","slug":"httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Straight White Men (La Boite) &#8211; theatre review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"font_8\">If you enjoyed the American TV shows like <em>Frasier<\/em> and <em>Seinfeld<\/em>, then <em>Straight White Men<\/em> will suit you down to the ground. It felt like a sitcom, has great characters, terrific dialogue, is brilliantly acted, and under Nescha Jelk\u2019s direction played strictly for laughs \u2013 and I laughed a lot. It has no plot as such but is an examination of a way of life and posed no Earth-shattering moments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font_8\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11762\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg?resize=560%2C340\" alt=\"Straight-White-Men-01\" width=\"560\" height=\"340\" \/>But first a complaint: the music that was being played as we entered the theatre was loud rap. I have nothing against rap. But the volume of the sound was excruciatingly, head-achingly loud. The life of me I couldn\u2019t see what it added to the production except pain. Luckily the music died when the play opened and we met the delightful Merlyn Tong, who introduced herself as Stagehand in Charge and proved to be a great foil for the four guys throughout the action.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font_8\">It is Christmas Eve and our four straight white males \u2013 that\u2019s Ed, the father and his three sons, Matt, Jake and Drew, all partnerless for one reason or another, are gathered for the festivities. Here Young Jean Lee\u2019s keen observation of the human race is evident. Jake, played by Chris Pitman, was playing a computer game and the youngest son Drew, again a terrific interpretation by Lucas Stibbard, was attempting to distract him in what is obviously a traditional family game. It was pure family fun. I had a similar annoying little brother at one time too, so I fully understood the tomfoolery!<\/p>\n<p class=\"font_8\">Then we saw Ed, played with a lot of sympathy by Roger Newcombe, and Matt plated by Hugh Parker. Parker is a fine actor who we see a lot on stage in Brisbane, but he has the knack of getting into the skin of the character and is completely different, even physically it seems, with each role he performs. Ed is nicely fatherly, and insists in maintaining long held traditions &#8211; even to Christmas pyjamas, while Matt, who lives with the old man, seems distracted. The family exchange banter, have childish wrestling matches and enjoy each other in a close family way. Then Matt breaks down while they are eating a Chinese takeaway Christmas eve dinner and cries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font_8\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11761\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-02.jpg?resize=560%2C374\" alt=\"Straight-White-Men-02\" width=\"560\" height=\"374\" \/>That\u2019s it; everyone wants to know why, including the audience and we are taken on a funny and sometimes emotional family journey. It is a very funny ride with great musical sight gags and word games. There are no truly big questions asked \u2013 and no answers given to those that were asked. There was no explanation for Matt\u2019s apparent lack of purpose in life or his depression, despite some hilarious interrogations from his family, so in some ways it left people dissatisfied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font_8\">But I enjoyed it and loved the interaction between the actors who were individually brilliant and magic in their teamwork. I also enjoyed the characters and the dialogue; but then I enjoyed <em>Seinfeld<\/em> and <em>Frasier<\/em> too.<\/p>\n<h6 class=\"font_8\"><strong>Company: La Boite and State Theatre Company of South Australia<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Venue: Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Dates: 27 July &#8211; 13 August 2016<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Bookings: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.laboite.com.au\" target=\"_blank\">www.laboite.com.au<\/a> or (07) 30078600<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p class=\"font_8\"><b>Eric Scott<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b>For more of Eric Scott\u2019s writings on theatre, check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.absolutetheatre.com.au\/\"><b>Absolute Theatre<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you enjoyed the American TV shows like Frasier and Seinfeld, then Straight White Men will suit you down to the ground. It felt like a sitcom, has great characters, terrific dialogue, is brilliantly acted, and under Nescha Jelk\u2019s direction played strictly for laughs \u2013 and I laughed a lot. It has no plot as&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[563,21,2],"class_list":["post-738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-chris-pitman","tag-comedy","tag-post_tag"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Straight White Men (La Boite) - 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\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Straight White Men (La Boite) - theatre review -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you enjoyed the American TV shows like Frasier and Seinfeld, then Straight White Men will suit you down to the ground. It felt like a sitcom, has great characters, terrific dialogue, is brilliantly acted, and under Nescha Jelk\u2019s direction played strictly for laughs \u2013 and I laughed a lot. It has no plot as...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-05-06T07:27:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David Edwards\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"David Edwards\" \/>\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\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"David Edwards\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5b6e71c52b0c61f2ea361d202fc6c8da\"},\"headline\":\"Straight White Men (La Boite) &#8211; theatre review\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-06T07:27:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":547,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/reviews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Chris Pitman\",\"comedy\",\"post_tag\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/\",\"name\":\"Straight White Men (La Boite) - theatre review -\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/reviews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-06T07:27:42+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5b6e71c52b0c61f2ea361d202fc6c8da\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/reviews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/reviews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Straight White Men (La Boite) &#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\\\/5b6e71c52b0c61f2ea361d202fc6c8da\",\"name\":\"David Edwards\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8adc90e6c54ce0a5edb350e18ca07e33ec2bf596dc1219a8bed5d2d7d2e07894?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8adc90e6c54ce0a5edb350e18ca07e33ec2bf596dc1219a8bed5d2d7d2e07894?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8adc90e6c54ce0a5edb350e18ca07e33ec2bf596dc1219a8bed5d2d7d2e07894?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"David Edwards\"},\"description\":\"David Edwards is the former editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theblurb.com.au\\\/wp\\\/author\\\/editor\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Straight White Men (La Boite) - 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\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Straight White Men (La Boite) - theatre review -","og_description":"If you enjoyed the American TV shows like Frasier and Seinfeld, then Straight White Men will suit you down to the ground. It felt like a sitcom, has great characters, terrific dialogue, is brilliantly acted, and under Nescha Jelk\u2019s direction played strictly for laughs \u2013 and I laughed a lot. It has no plot as...","og_url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/","article_published_time":"2017-05-06T07:27:42+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"David Edwards","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"David Edwards","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/"},"author":{"name":"David Edwards","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/5b6e71c52b0c61f2ea361d202fc6c8da"},"headline":"Straight White Men (La Boite) &#8211; theatre review","datePublished":"2017-05-06T07:27:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/"},"wordCount":547,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg","keywords":["Chris Pitman","comedy","post_tag"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/","url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/","name":"Straight White Men (La Boite) - theatre review -","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg","datePublished":"2017-05-06T07:27:42+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/5b6e71c52b0c61f2ea361d202fc6c8da"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Straight-White-Men-01.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsstraight-white-men-la-boite-theatre-review\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Straight White Men (La Boite) &#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\/5b6e71c52b0c61f2ea361d202fc6c8da","name":"David Edwards","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8adc90e6c54ce0a5edb350e18ca07e33ec2bf596dc1219a8bed5d2d7d2e07894?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8adc90e6c54ce0a5edb350e18ca07e33ec2bf596dc1219a8bed5d2d7d2e07894?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8adc90e6c54ce0a5edb350e18ca07e33ec2bf596dc1219a8bed5d2d7d2e07894?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"David Edwards"},"description":"David Edwards is the former editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.theblurb.com.au\/wp\/"],"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/author\/editor\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":136420,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/hamilton-lyric-theatre-musical-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":738,"position":0},"title":"Hamilton (Lyric Theatre) &#8211; musical theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"March 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Get excited. Mighty excited. For all the hype surrounding the arrival of Hamilton, the musical in Sydney is justified.\u00a0It is an incredible, spine tingling history lesson, packaged as entertainment par excellence, much of it delivered as readily digestible hip-hop, together with classic Broadway song writing.\u00a0The entire story unfolds through the\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\/2021\/03\/rsz_marty_alix_jason_arrow_victory_ndukwe_and_shaka_cook__hamilton_australia_credit_daniel_boud.jpg?fit=800%2C566&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/rsz_marty_alix_jason_arrow_victory_ndukwe_and_shaka_cook__hamilton_australia_credit_daniel_boud.jpg?fit=800%2C566&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/rsz_marty_alix_jason_arrow_victory_ndukwe_and_shaka_cook__hamilton_australia_credit_daniel_boud.jpg?fit=800%2C566&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/rsz_marty_alix_jason_arrow_victory_ndukwe_and_shaka_cook__hamilton_australia_credit_daniel_boud.jpg?fit=800%2C566&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":153798,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/overflow-arts-centre-melbourne-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":738,"position":1},"title":"Overflow (Arts Centre Melbourne) &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"February 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Survival is at stake when stunning brunette Rosie (Janet Anderson) finds herself cornered in a bathroom.\u00a0She is a transwoman who has had to endure a great deal and continues to do so.\u00a0Above all, she has learnt to be true to herself.\u00a0Bathrooms are a constant thread running through Overflow. That dates\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\/2024\/02\/rsz_3165_dt22ov_1457a_A%C2%A9_robert_catto.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\/02\/rsz_3165_dt22ov_1457a_A%C2%A9_robert_catto.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/rsz_3165_dt22ov_1457a_A%C2%A9_robert_catto.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/rsz_3165_dt22ov_1457a_A%C2%A9_robert_catto.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":140661,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/hamilton-her-majestys-theatre-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":738,"position":2},"title":"Hamilton (Her Majesty&#8217;s Theatre) &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"March 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Dramatic, emotional, evocative. Electrifying. Triumphant.\u00a0That is Hamilton, as good a musical as has appeared on stage.\u00a0That\u2019s right. Nothing yet seen can or has bettered it.\u00a0The story is woven into the music, often delivered at breakneck speed and we are taken on a journey of discovery.\u00a0Hip hop predominates, but everything from\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\/03\/rsz_jason_arrow_and_australian_hamilton_cast_credit_daniel_boud-2.jpg?fit=800%2C486&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/rsz_jason_arrow_and_australian_hamilton_cast_credit_daniel_boud-2.jpg?fit=800%2C486&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/rsz_jason_arrow_and_australian_hamilton_cast_credit_daniel_boud-2.jpg?fit=800%2C486&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/rsz_jason_arrow_and_australian_hamilton_cast_credit_daniel_boud-2.jpg?fit=800%2C486&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":167284,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/the-anarchy-1138-53-at-theatre-works-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":738,"position":3},"title":"The Anarchy (1138-53) at Theatre Works &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"September 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I can\u2019t think of a play I have seen that I have detested more than the 40 minutes of garbled nonsense I sat through before walking out of The Anarchy (1138-53). The title refers to a civil war in England and Normandy at that time, which resulted in a widespread\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","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\/09\/rsz_the_anarchy_credit_skye_gellmann_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\/2025\/09\/rsz_the_anarchy_credit_skye_gellmann_3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rsz_the_anarchy_credit_skye_gellmann_3.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_the_anarchy_credit_skye_gellmann_3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":152849,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/the-choir-of-man-arts-centre-melbourne-music-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":738,"position":4},"title":"The Choir of Man (Arts Centre Melbourne) &#8211; music theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"January 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"If you want to see a show full of feel good, life affirming entertainment, you should look no further than The Choir of Man.\u00a0Straight from London\u2019s West End, it is sensational.\u00a0Music, revelry and heartfelt exchanges with the audience are the name of the game and the punters get to join\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","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\/2024\/01\/rsz_danyshaharriott_choirofman_melbourne_7771.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\/01\/rsz_danyshaharriott_choirofman_melbourne_7771.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rsz_danyshaharriott_choirofman_melbourne_7771.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rsz_danyshaharriott_choirofman_melbourne_7771.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":164815,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/picnic-at-hanging-rock-sydney-theatre-company-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":738,"position":5},"title":"Picnic at Hanging Rock (Sydney Theatre Company) &#8211; theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"March 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Is the rock a portal to other worlds, the conduit for transformative magic, which allows people to simply disappear? These are questions raised in playwright Tom Wright\u2019s adaptation of Joan Lindsay\u2019s classic 1967 Australian novel, which spawned Peter Weir\u2019s 1975 film. As Lindsay originally intended in her book, the theatre\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\/03\/rsz_picnic-at-hanging-rock_drama-theatre_credit_daniel-boud_039-1.png?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\/03\/rsz_picnic-at-hanging-rock_drama-theatre_credit_daniel-boud_039-1.png?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/rsz_picnic-at-hanging-rock_drama-theatre_credit_daniel-boud_039-1.png?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/rsz_picnic-at-hanging-rock_drama-theatre_credit_daniel-boud_039-1.png?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}