MCH | BLANK

Official website for Mark C. Hewitt & Blank Productions

Diving into the Wreck
Tongues & Grooves in the Community
2016


Initial concept and text development by Maggie Sawkins
Directed by Mark C. Hewitt
Video sequences by Matt Parsons

A socially engaged project developed with the recovery community in Portsmouth in which former addicts tell their own stories in their own words. A harrowing but good-humoured encounter with all the craziness, nastiness, predictable routines and dark humour of serious addiction.

Developed through a series of workshops led by Maggie Sawkins and Mark C. Hewitt, the production combines video interviews, recorded voices, live performance and live music.
Diving into the Wreck was first performed as part of Hampshire Festival of the Mind at The Square Tower, Portsmouth, on Sunday 15 May, 2016. Live performances are by Kieran Judge, Daniel Scrivener, Jane Muir and Patrick Seery, with additional contributions on film and audio from from Steven M, Leigh Westmore, Elisha Westmore and Faith Rayner.

"A superb show, heart-breaking and warm-hearted at the same time." From the online review by William Sutton.
Read the full review here »

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Image from one of the video sequences by Matt Parsons featuring Daniel Scrivener and Kieran Judge

Performances 2016-18
13 November 2018: All Saints Centre, Lewes (Lewes Live Literature)
13 March 2017: Erlestoke Prison, Wiltshire (Penned Up festival)
30 June 2016: Richmond House, Brighton (recovery conference)
23 June 2016: Iris Partnership, Hawthorns House, West Bromwich (recovery conference)

17 June 2016
: The Square Tower, Portsmouth Festivities
15 May 2016: The Square Tower, Portsmouth
(Hampshire Festival of the Mind)

Audience Feedback
"Almost unbearably moving one moment, hilarious the next. A deeply honest story of human courage one day at a time."
"I found the piece incredibly moving and very funny, most probably due to the excruciating honesty of those involved. It encouraged you as an audient to bare witness to your own stuff and so you could watch 'Diving into the Wreck' and hear these, at times, appalling confessions without judgment but with compassion … I also enjoyed the mix-up of film, live theatre and music. And the pay-off of hearing about their recovery. I'm a sucker for happy endings!”

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Above: DitW crew with Billy Bragg and Maggie Sawkins after performance at Erlestoke Prison (where Bragg also performed)
Below: production photos from the first performance in Portsmouth at Hampshire Festival of the Mind
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