Malcolm Knox: The First Friend

This historical black comedy that’s “as dark as the inside of a coffin” (Trent Dalton) rolls Putin’s Russia, Trump’s America, Xi’s China and Murdoch’s planet Earth into a satirical Soviet Union.

In The First Friend, Georgian politician Lavrentiy Beria spares no expense preparing Stalin’s resort getaway, to the chagrin of his childhood best friend Vasil Murtov.

Malcolm Knox combines tragicomedy with the banality of evil, exploring a friendship altered by power and violence – and a world where reality can be controlled by those who rule.

Hear Malcolm discuss his “masterclass in Machiavellian manoeuvres” (Kate McClymont) with Charlotte Wood.