First, Do No Harm
First, Do No Harm is the highly-anticipated bold new work from 2026 Griffin Studio Artist Grace Malouf that slices into the volatile intersections of medicine, politics, and bodily autonomy.
At the height of her campaign for President of the Australian Medical Association, renowned surgeon Melissa Annous faces an unthinkable crisis. Her son Alexei, an Olympic hopeful, reveals to her and his father Robbo that he has a secret that could upend all of their ambitions. As Alexei seeks a doctor willing to perform a life-altering procedure, he finds an unlikely ally in his mother’s professional rival, Ian Marney, a cocky young orthopaedic surgeon with a controversial approach to patient-centred care.
Unflinching, unsettling, but also extremely witty and poignant, First, Do No Harm puts into the spotlight questions of whether there are obvious limits to medical ethics, when it is appropriate to undergo body-altering surgery, and where culpability and agency lie when it comes to rights such as access to competitive sports for the trans and disabled communities. The play was a finalist for the Silver Gull Award, and had a staged reading as part of the KXT Storytellers Festival in 2025.
This is theatre that refuses easy answers, demanding audiences confront what it means to own – and alter – our bodies.
Directed by Charley Allanah and Grace Malouf, with Kate Bookallil, Richard Hilliar, Josh Merten, Shan-Ree Tan and Barry French.
Surprising subject matter. Very confronting and thought provoking. The actors did an excellent job undertaking multiple parts. Highly recommended.