Following five-star seasons in Edinburgh and Off-West End in London, Peter Cook’s award winning, compelling and uplifting one-man play, Breaking The Castle returns to Australia this July.
Breaking the Castle follows the story of David, a struggling actor whose life is a chaotic blend of substance abuse, Shakespearean soliloquies, failed auditions, and debilitating mental health. David takes himself to the brink, until an unlikely lifeline offers hope in the mountains of South-East Asia.
This is not your average tale of addiction. It’s a razor-sharp, darkly comic ride through one man’s chaos, full of warmth, laughter, and surprising hope. Think Trainspotting meets Fleabag – raw, real, and unexpectedly hilarious, with a huge heart that will have you leaving the theatre feeling inspired and uplifted.
Breaking the Castle is a brutally honest and unexpectedly funny journey through addiction, loss, and recovery. What makes this production truly remarkable is it’s based on Cook’s own life. At the height of his mental health crisis and addiction to methamphetamine, Cook was homeless, hopeless, and spiralling fast, his addiction ultimately leading him to a psychiatric ward.
Years later the VCA trained actor has received standing ovations and critical acclaim in London and across Australia, having turned his survival into a one man theatrical tour de force. This is not just a play for those affected by addiction, it’s a play for everyone, cleverly and comically traversing human complexity and how we make a place for ourselves in the world.
Breaking the Castle reminds us that there is light, even in the darkest places – and that sometimes the most shattered lives can be pieced together into something extraordinary.
“I got lucky in my recovery, my best mate paid for my rehab in Thailand, and I felt I owed it to those people who have fallen through the cracks and can’t get to rehab to tell this story,” says Cook. “I’ve been through the mental health system in Australia, de-tox units and psychiatric wards in hospitals.”
“I know it’s hard to get the right help, whether it be for addiction or mental illness, and so there is absolutely a voice for the voiceless in my show. Australia is in the middle of a mental health crisis and mental ill health and addiction go hand in hand.”
Breaking The Castle
Frankston Arts Centre, Davey Street, Frankston
Performance: 11 & 12 July 2025
Bookings: www.artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au
Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Performances: 15 – 19 July 2025
Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
Studio – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Performances: 23 – 26 July 2025
Bookings: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
For more information, visit: www.btcproductions.com.au for details.
Image: Peter Cook in Breaking The Castle (supplied)