Written and performed
by Peter Cook
The Street Theatre to
14 March
Reviewed by Len Power
4 March 2020
There have been a lot of plays and films about addiction but
it’s rare to be able to really understand the personal hell of people caught up
in this situation and the difficulty of trying to break free.
Peter Cook’s play about addiction and recovery, ‘Breaking
the Castle’, succeeds because of the quality of the writing, the extraordinary
performance of Peter Cook himself and the strong production by the director,
Caroline Stacey, and the technical team at the Street Theatre.
The writer and performer, Peter Cook, graduated from the Victorian
College of the Arts in 2001. He has
worked extensively in theatre and film and has also worked as an arts educator
across the country for major theatre companies, writing, devising and directing
numerous plays with students.
In ‘Breaking the Castle’, Peter Cook plays Dave, a young man
rushing headlong towards oblivion in a haze of drugs and alcohol. An opportunity to change presents itself in a
rehabilitation clinic in Thailand but redemption comes at a price. Dave must confront his personal demons head
on and learn that, even in recovery, the past will always be there waiting to
claim him again.
Peter Cook clearly understands the type of man he is
portraying and his knowledge of addiction and the process of recovery give the
play an ultra-realistic edge that is very involving. His is a marathon performance that never
falters. Speaking at high speed and
swapping quickly between characters involved in his life, his clarity of
diction and depiction of changing emotional levels are excellent. The most extraordinary aspect of his
performance is the change from an out of control addict at the start of the
play to a man who has finally found a fragile type of peace within himself
through recovery.
Caroline Stacey’s direction of this play and her overall
concept for the production is masterful.
She has ensured that the pace and depth of performance, physically and
verbally, is believable at all times.
The angular setting by Imogen Keen is aesthetically pleasing as well as
practical. The complex lighting by Gerry
Corcoran and sound by Kimmo Vennonen adds immeasurably to the atmosphere,
especially in the sequences showing the actor deep in the throes of addiction.
This is a play that gives a very real insight into the
problems of addiction through an involving journey with an ultimately likeable
and recognizable character. It’s also an
exciting theatrical experience.
Photos by Shelly
Higgs
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays
and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.
‘Theatre of Power’, a
regular podcast on Canberra’s performing arts scene with Len Power, can be
heard on Spotify, ITunes and other selected platforms or at https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/theatre-of-power.
