
102. Peter Cook should have been ICE-d out ... Now he is BREAKING THE CASTLE.
About this episode
This is an incredible story. In fact, it is a story of despair, desperation and ultimate triumph. It is a story of how one man utilized a life destroying existence, changed its meaning and turned it into 'golden possibility'. Peter Cook by his own admission scarcely believes he is alive to play out his life story in the groundbreaking theatre phenomena called BREAKING THE CASTLE. It is the enactment of Peter's life on stage played by one man ... Peter Cook.
In truth, ICE addiction that defined Peter's life just 8 years ago should have won the battle. It had its chance and had it not been for the love of a best mate, who privately paid for Peter's rehab in Thailand, Peter's life would have been a sad waste.
Instead, Peter faced his demons, climbed his way out of a bottomless pit and now gives hope to those who also need a reason to re-engineer their life.
Peter's 90-minute one-man show moves from a struggling home life to alcohol filled evenings at just 14 years of age, through addiction to a Thailand Rehabilitation Centre with Peter playing 17 different characters and voices. It is a masterful performance first receiving strong recognition in London and now attracting full audiences around Australia. Word is that a movie is also in the offering.
In this interview, Peter tells all. It is sometimes dark, occasionally hopeful but in the end, it is glorious.
As Peter says, "To see the light it is almost necessary to have lived in the depths of chaos".
You will find this episode riveting. More importantly, for those live in the East Coast of Australia seeing BREAKING THE CASTLE is compulsory, and if you do, don't forget to see Peter after the show and let him know you first heard him on A JOURNEY WITH BERNIE.
Breaking the Castleis now touring. It will be performed at Frankston Arts Centre (11-12 July 2025), Theatre Works St Kilda (15-19 July) and Sydney Opera House (23-26 July).
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