Alex FirstNov 26, 20202 minLove Does Cost a Thing (Melbourne Fringe Festival)The up-tempo vibe never lets up in Hannah Cañon’s Latino comedy cabaret, 'Love Does Cost a Thing', which she wrote herself, based upon th...
Alex FirstMar 14, 20203 minDonating FelixNot being able to conceive when one is desperate to start a family can cause major rifts in a marriage. Infertility affects about one in ...
Alex FirstMar 12, 20203 minCirque du Soleil's KuriosWhat a grand show and a great experience Kurios is. Artistic excellence, ingenuity and reinvention are the keys to the ongoing success of...
Alex FirstMar 8, 20203 minSlutPromiscuity to hide the pain. That – in a nutshell – is the short life and times of Lolita, as evocatively captured by Patricia Cornelius...
Alex FirstMar 6, 20202 minThe HitmenA darkly comedic, sick and twisted story concerning an extreme job interview to find a perfect hit man or woman, you are highly unlikely ...
Alex FirstFeb 28, 20202 minThe CurtainA slow moving, wordy piece about loneliness, fragility and connection, I can’t say The Curtain lit up my life. Photos by Theresa Harrison...
Alex FirstFeb 23, 20204 minBilly Elliot The MusicalBilly Elliot The Musical remains as moving and evocative as when I first saw it in Melbourne more than a decade ago … and what a magnific...
Alex FirstFeb 22, 20202 minItalian American ReconciliationThe creator of and actors in Italian American Reconciliation, which premiered off Broadway in 1988, seem to have forgotten the adage “les...
Alex FirstFeb 20, 20202 minThe Great Australian PlayThe Great Australian Play is a thoroughly bewildering take on Australian history – specifically one of this country’s most alluring legen...
Alex FirstFeb 19, 20202 minShrek The MusicalFun, funny, light hearted, colourful and energetic, Shrek The Musical surprised me with its warmth, relatability and good natured banter....
Alex FirstFeb 18, 20202 minThe Importance of Being EarnestTwo gifted and extremely funny actors create an even bigger farce out of an already brilliant Victorian farce in an hilarious adaptation ...
Alex FirstFeb 14, 20202 minTorch the PlaceCompulsive hoarding (from which an estimated 1.2 million Australians suffer) is a major mental health issue. It is also ripe for comedic ...
Alex FirstFeb 8, 20202 minConfessions of a Mormon BoyTake the story of a God-fearing father, a loving husband and son and blend it with a penchant for same sex encounters, prostitution and d...
Alex FirstFeb 2, 20203 minHome, I'm DarlingThink back to all that was good about the 1950s (consider the fashion, architecture and styling … and if you can’t because you have eithe...
Alex FirstFeb 2, 20202 minThe Feather in the WebWhat to make of this zany, satirical ride? I was pondering that through much of The Feather in the Web, which makes its Victorian debut. ...
Alex FirstFeb 2, 20202 minAmazing Grace: New York, New YorkA hybrid musical with dance and calisthenics, Amazing Grace: New York, New York has many moments of exhilaration and others that don’t wo...
Alex FirstJan 20, 20202 minCATS Energetic, colourful and captivating, this is up there with the very best productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS and I have had the go...
Alex FirstJan 14, 20203 minWar HorseAn epic and intense tale of bravery in the lead up to and during the First World War, War Horse focuses on the trials and tribulations of...
Alex FirstJan 13, 20202 minMullygrubsA cleverly conceived and executed piece that purports to be one thing and turns out to be something else entirely, I am loathe to go into...
Alex FirstJan 11, 20203 minLegends in Concert It’s party time as some of the greatest artists from the ‘50s to today take to the stage ... again. Well, not really ... but as reimagine...