Post Performance Q&A
Wed 1 Mar 2023, 6:30 PM
Join us for a post-show Q&A with Director Leah Purcell and writer and performer Peter Cook after the performance. The post-show Q&A is open to attendees of this performance.
Breaking the Castle
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC
24 Feb - 4 Mar 2023
$35 - $45
A transaction fee of $7.20 applies.
Discounts Available
Schools
1 hour 30 minutes
(no interval, subject to change without notice)
I tried dying and it didn’t work… I might as well try living now.
Struggling actor David can’t get enough, of anything. Alcohol, drugs, women, gambling – whatever it takes to escape the bark of the black dog. Bouncing from audition to audition as he battles his debilitating mental health issues and descends into a world of addiction, he is consumed by an overwhelming feeling of never belonging anywhere. Days and nights are lived through a thick haze of drugs, alcohol and Shakespeare’s soliloquies. 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.
Visceral, fierce, funny and uplifting Breaking the Castle is a gripping tale with a powerful performance from creator Peter Cook as a man yearning for connection.
Directed by stage and screen Director Leah Purcell (The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), and told with a bucket load of laughs, this is an exquisitely rendered story of hope, belonging, and finding a way to be in this world.
An incredibly powerful work that was a privilege to see.
- Stage Whispers
This one-man production may be the most significant theatre production that audiences are ever likely to experience.
- City Hub Sydney
A tour de force performance.
- Arts Review
Cook’s play answers the question - why theatre?
- Canberra City News
Cast and Creatives
Peter Cook
Written and performed by
Leah Purcell
Director
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Important Information
Warning
This production contains coarse language, drug references and mature themes.
Theatrical haze and mild incense in use during the show.
Age Recommendation
15 years and older.
Accessibility at QPAC
For wheelchair users, Companion Card holders or those requiring assistance, dedicated seating options are available, and bookings can be made through our Call Centre by calling 136 246. You can also find information on access and accessibility .
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Presented by QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions