Grace Malouf's First Play, "FIRST, DO NO HARM," Premieres at NIDA

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Grace Malouf's debut play, directed by Charley Allanah, stars Kate Bookallil and Josh Merten.

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This June, NIDA, in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre and producer Talia Meyerowitz-Katz, will premiere the debut of 2026 Griffin Studio Artist Grace Malouf. Directed by Charley Allanah, First, Do No Harm is a bold new work that slices into the volatile intersections of medicine, politics, and bodily autonomy.

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Performances will run 24-4 July at KXT on Broadway: 181 Broadway, Ultimo 2007.

At the height of her campaign for President of the Australian Medical Association, renowned surgeon Melissa Annous (Kate Bookallil) faces an unthinkable crisis. Her son Alexei (Josh Merten), an Olympic hopeful, reveals to her and his father Robbo (Richard Hilliar) 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 (Shan-Ree Tan), 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.

"We assume our bodies are our own, but this play asks where the line actually is between personal freedom and what society will permit," said playwright Grace Malouf on her intention behind the play. "What if our understanding of 'normal' is just a measure of what we've been exposed to? That's the question I want audiences sitting with."

Playwright Grace Malouf developed the script under the mentorship of Brett Sheehy AO. Drawing on her unique background as a lawyer with parents in the medical profession, Malouf conducted exhaustive research with experts, surgeons, psychiatrists, and members of the trans and disabled communities to ensure the work's authenticity.

"I'm a daughter of doctors, and I have a brother with a disability, so I've always been pretty obsessed with what ethical care looks like," said Grace Malouf. "This play explores what happens when ethics are pushed to their limits. I've been exploring this subject matter for years now, and it continues to challenge me. I want audiences to question their instincts, and deepen their understanding of the complexity of human desire and patient centred care".

Director Charley Allanah and producer Talia Meyerowitz-Katz have brought together an extraordinary team to present the work. The cast is a powerful ensemble with Kate Bookallil playing Melissa ( Nell Gwynn , New Theatre, Maggie Stone , Darlinghurst Theatre Company), Richard Hilliar playing Robbo (Ophelia Thinks Harder, Fingerless Theatre, Occasional Combustible Disaster, Daniel Cottier Productions), Josh Merten playing Alexei (Venice in Love, Make a Scene Theatre Company, Foam, Qtopia), and Shan-Ree Tan playing Ian (The Poison of Polygamy, Sydney Theatre Company / La Boite Theatre, Yellow Face, Dinosaurus / KXT). They are joined by the seasoned Barry French who is playing a cameo character representing the Old Guard. These fantastic performers bring nuance and energy to what is, at times, a very challenging script.

"I love work that deals in edge cases: outsiders, the unexpected, and anything that challenges our preconceived notions of what is and isn't 'normal' (that most horrid of qualities)", said director Charley Allanah on what drew her to the text. "I've never before encountered a text that so cleverly and comprehensively uses the combination of familiar and un-familiar to disrupt our preconceptions, throwing us all into the role of identifier - the role of someone who may empathise with the central struggles, but has to squint to see themself there.

"Comedic content helps; a bit of funny in both the process and the show itself saves us from going too dark with the characterisation, as do the moments where flickers of genuine humanity bubble out of these characters, who often seem somewhat bereft of the capacity."

The production will be brought to life by Holden Jane Cohle on production design, Theodore Carroll on lighting design, Ellie Wilson on sound design, Jack Calver as assistant director, and Bianca Dreis as stage manager. This powerhouse team brings a wealth of lived experience and diverse artistic practice to the production, and the result promises to be highly unusual and boundary pushing for indy theatre.

"Across the team we wanted a diversity of ability, gender, background, beliefs, life experiences, and other identities - this serves to act as checks on the potential hubris of any one of us who might think we have the total picture when in fact we are all blinkered by our position", said Charley Allanah on the process of putting together the production team and cast. "With material this complex and close to the bone, the cast and crew had to be people who I knew would all look after each other and the play as a duty of care. So far, they have been the absolute picture of care-full play and play-full care."

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/sydney/article/FIRST-DO-NO-HARM-World-Premiere-to-Open-at-NIDA-with-bAKEHOUSE-Theatre-20260609)._