Breaking the Castle
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HotHouse Theatre continues to initiate the important conversations we must be having. Breaking the Castle is a timely reminder of our tenuous relationship to addiction, recovery and rehabilitation in Australia.
The play will be performed at HotHouse Theatre during Men’s Health Week (June 14-20, 2021) facilitating a powerful conversation with the community that will conclude in the vigil of the Albury Wodonga Winter Solstice (21 June), an event created by Survivors of Suicide and Friends.
Peter says: “Regional men over 40 are the biggest demographic for suicide in the country. I focus on men’s mental health and the current national conversation around the importance of starting to get men to open up, in order to get in touch with their emotions in regard to suicide prevention. This is what my show touches on”
About the play
Visceral. Fierce. Uplifting.
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, days and nights are lived through a thick haze of drugs and alcohol.
This bender could be his last, but he doesn’t care – there are worse things than death. Then 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.
Breaking The Castle is an exquisitely rendered, gripping tale and performance from creator Peter Cook as a man yearning for connection. A powerful work embracing human complexity Breaking The Castle traverses addiction, recovery and finding a way of being.
Inspired by true events in the life of the playwright, Breaking The Castle asks three questions. - How do we make a place for ourselves in this world? - How does a man deal with overcoming trauma? - How does Australia deal with trauma?
Performance times Tues. 15 June – 8:00 PM Wed. 16 June – 6:30 PM Thurs. 17 June – 8:00 PM Fri. 18 June – 8:00 PM, Followed by Post-performance Q&A Sat. 19 June – 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM