Breaking The Castle Theatre & Performing Arts

Breaking The Castle is a true story of addiction brought movingly to life in a hilarious, uplifting and poignant one-man show.

Writer and performer Pete Cook draws from his own life experiences in this tour-de-force performance of a struggling actor battling debilitating mental health and descending into a world of addiction – illuminating the broader struggles of those who live on the edges, and the inequalities in the addiction and recovery cycle.

In Sydney, jobbing actor David can’t seem to get enough – of anything – alcohol, drugs, women, gambling – whatever it takes to escape his overwhelming fear of not belonging anywhere. As David bounces from audition to audition his days and nights are spent in a haze of drugs, alcohol, and Shakespeare soliloquies. Each bender could be his last, but there are worse things than death. Away from the notorious streets of Sydney’s King Cross, David is thrown a lifeline in the mountains of South-East Asia and is offered a chance at redemption, but he will need to confront his inner demons, trauma and long-buried secrets.

Breaking The Castle is a work of compassion, drawing on Cook’s lived experiences, creating a gripping tale of undeniable authenticity. This visceral, funny and inspiring production cuts across class, gender and race, getting to the heart of human complexity in a story that people across the world can relate to, no matter their background. Breaking The Castle is brought to the stage by creator and performer Pete Cook, producer Liza McLean, lighting designer Matt Cox, sound designer Kimmo Vennonen and associate director Bridget Boyle.

Peter Cook comments, One of the driving forces behind writing the play was that the only difference between the people at the five-star rehab in Thailand and the people I was using with on the streets of Kings Cross was access to rehabilitation. This play humanises the people who have fallen through the cracks. I am really excited to bring this play to Edinburgh as addiction and mental health issues are themes that resonate across the globe.

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