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Peak Stuff is a new play by an incredible new talent, Billie Collins, who is a northwest-based playwright.

 

It’s a play about consumer culture. About our relationship with ‘stuff’ – the stuff we buy, the stuff we want, the stuff we hold onto even though we shouldn’t. It’s about feeling overwhelmed by all the world’s problems – and how we find a way back to ourselves.

 

Three characters are performed by one actor…

 

Alice is a teenager who is worried about the climate crisis and feels compelled to do something about it… But doesn’t know where to start. And how is she meant to focus on her GCSEs when she knows the world is ending? This is a story a lot of teen audiences can relate to; it’s about breaking rules and fighting back. 

 

Ben is a guy in his 30’s working in marketing. On the surface, Ben has it all – he’s well-dressed, popular and good at his job. But beneath the charm and box-fresh Nikes, he might just be struggling. He’s cynical about the ads he has to pitch, but at the same time can’t stop shopping. And haven’t we all made an impulsive purchase that we regret?!

 

Our third character is Charlie, a university grad in search of human connection online. Recently, Charlie has begun to feel like they’re disappearing, and pretty soon their virtual world becomes their reality, and everything gets a bit… well, weird!

 

The play shifts between these three characters; their stories interweave and overlap until eventually, they come to a head. Despite visiting some dark places, by the end we’re left feeling a little bit lighter and with a glimmer of hope. Peak Stuff is a no-judgement play about the messed-up times we live in, injected with humour and playfulness. 

 

The whole show is underscored by live drumming. The drummer is a mysterious character, who sets the pace for each character and represents the relentless pace of consumer culture, and our constant need to keep up. The stage is wrapped in an incredible and non-stop video design, which uses cutting-edge AI technology (a first for live theatre).

 

The team behind this show are award-winning innovators, while also including some of the freshest new talent in northern theatre. ThickSkin Theatre are well known for pushing the boundaries of theatre and this show does exactly that. Part-theatre, part-gig, part-videogame, part-installation…. Peak Stuff is a show unlike anything you’ll have seen before.