HOTHOUSE THEATRE PRESENTS A STREET THEATRE PRODUCTION
Breaking the Castle
by Peter Cook
Visceral, fierce, and uplifting, a young man yearns for connection.
“So now you have the sounds, the visuals, the feeling…this feeling in the stomach, because you know everything is about to go away.”
David can’t get enough, of anything. Alcohol, drugs, women, gambling – whatever it takes to escape the bark of the black dog. Consumed by an overwhelming feeling of never belonging anywhere, David’s life becomes a chaotic struggle as he battles compounding mental health issues.
Breaking the Castle unlocks a sometimes jobbing actor’s descent into the hell of dependence. Days and nights are lived through a thick haze of drugs and alcohol and this bender could be his last, but he doesn’t care – there are worse things than death. Devoured by the back streets of the city David is thrown an unlikely lifeline. Finding himself in the mountains of South-East Asia he is offered a chance at redemption – but he will need to confront his inner demons, traumas and secrets long buried in his psyche.
Visceral, fierce, and uplifting Breaking the Castle brings a gripping performance from creator Peter Cook as a man yearning for connection. Directed by Caroline Stacey with The Street’s award-winning creative team this exquisitely rendered heartbreaking story opens the line between the seen, the unseen and the importance of belonging.
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Image by Shelly Higgs
Duration 90 minutes, no interval Content advice Strong coarse language, simulated drug use, and mature themes. Suitability 15 years +
24-28
MAR
Written and performed by
Peter Cook
Director
Caroline Stacey
Dramaturgy
Shelly Higgs
Design
Imogen Keen
Lighting Design
Gerry Corcoran
Sound Design
Kimmo Vennonen
