Inventive and thought-provoking, Broke gives a glimpse into the lives of those living with debt. Using extracts from interviews and case studies too, it examines how easy it is for debt to spiral out of control yet how we also need it for our economy to run smoothly.
Using Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a theme and with a set resembling a child’s bedroom, the cast of three enact scenes, project explanations and use short pieces of physical theatre to highlight their points and observations.
The fast forwarding and rewinding of speeches is particularly effective and the flashes of opinion from people they have interviewed adds to the complexity of the subject.
Debt touches everyone and is relative to each situation, for some there is no way out and for others there is hope.
With this piece, the company ponders the way forward and the last part of the motif (golden tickets fluttering though the air) is a memorable image.