Raven Dauda. Photo by Stoo Metz.
In Raven Dauda’s spellbinding one-person play Addicted, playing until March 24th, 2024 at the Neptune Scotiabank Studio Theatre, Penelope arrives at Saving Grace rehab facility with a secret: she, like all the members of her family, has been cursed by her ancestor Nichua, and she is the sole survivor.
Nichua, exists both as part of a sort of parable, a story that would be passed down through the generations around a campfire, and as a very real voice and fierce presence that Penelope hears in her head, urging her to drink and to make unhealthy choices. Nichua is insatiable, furious, and vengeful. How can Penelope, alone in the world, be the one to break the cycle?
Addicted, which Dauda has both written and directed, is staged in the round, reminiscent of a group therapy sharing circle, but in the centre it is Dauda alone who creates not just an entire rehab facility full of different characters, but also an entire rich backstory for her protagonist Penelope. Within Saving Grace we meet Counsellor Collins- a Black male therapist trying to resist the urge to become a workaholic, but whose reality is that there just isn’t enough of him to help all the people who need him, Vance- a rough dude from Scarborough who doesn’t mince words- Southern Rose, who struggles just as much with her cravings for sugar as she does her cravings for booze, and one is much more accessible than the other, Vjekoslav, an old Croatian man full of regret who wants to help others, and Jessie, a young Irish man with a heart of gold. Dauda masterfully transitions from one to the next in rapid succession as they interrupt one another, flirt with one another, confront one another, and ultimately help to heal one another.
At home we meet Penelope’s loving Jamaican Grand Mama Auggie, the woman who raised her, and who is watching, helpless, as the family curse threatens to consume Penelope whole as well. We also meet Penelope’s young mother, a cocaine addict with big dreams, also haunted by Nichua. We see little Penelope as an exuberant child who loves her mummy unconditionally. And through both Penelope and Grand Mama Auggie we are told the origin story of this family curse, a story that is rooted in the pairing of profound greed with profound loss. It explores how grief and injustice can, if left unprocessed, morph into a kind of righteous darkness and destruction, themes that couldn’t be more timely in the world today.
We throw around words like “powerhouse” and “masterclass,” and Dauda is absolutely the definition of both these things in Addicted, but it isn’t just about watching someone demonstrate the absolute virtuosity of their skills, Dauda is also incredibly present in the room with the audience, and you can feel the relationship that she is building with the people in the room with her. She is weaving the story all around us, and we are being woven into the story as well. We become part of Penelope’s journey to confront her literal demons, and to choose a healthier road for herself.
While Dauda’s incredible accents can be scene-stealing on their own, there is also so much to admire about her physical work: the way that she moves as the older characters, and then the way she uses movement to suggest the passage of time, and, of course, in the realization of Nichua herself. There is also so much humour and lightness in this play, again, woven in, alongside the heavier and darker aspects. Sometimes there are moments that are both funny and disturbing, both dark and lighthearted, both funny and not on different planes. Laughter is a coping mechanism, and it can be used as an alienation effect, to keep us from having to look too closely at difficult or painful things. Penelope is excellent at distracting herself from what is hurtful and raw. She is an expert at running away. I found as someone who has never struggled with what are often considered ‘typical vices” I still saw so much of myself in Penelope, and it was a little heartbreaking.
At the heart of Addicted there is a real gentleness. A gentleness grows between Penelope and Jessie, a gentleness exists between Dauda and the audience, and slowly, beautifully, a gentleness starts to develop between Penelope and herself. In a world that seems so often to be full of unkindness, it is inspiring to be reminded of how much power there can be in being gentle.
Addicted plays at Neptune Theatre’s Scotiabank Studio Stage (1589 Argyle Street, Halifax) until March 24th, 2024. Tickets are $23.00-$40.00 (based on seating) and are available ONLINE HERE, by calling the Box Office at 902.429.7070 or in person at the Box Office at 1589 Argyle Street. Performances are at 7:30pm Tuesday to Saturday and at 2:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Please be aware the Addicted deals with issues of abuse. Characters display symptoms of trauma, substance abuse and addiction.
This show is approximately 1 hour & 45 minutes long (including an intermission).
Babes in arms & children under 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
Neptune Theatre is fully accessible for wheelchair users. For more Accessibility Information Click Here.
