It is a story of existential addiction drama, followed by a rocky journey into treatment and recovery.

At the weekend we went to see People Places and Things which is s a production written by playwright Duncan Macmillan and is currently on at Trafalgar Theatre in London until 10^th August.

Emma is the main character and is undergoing rehab for drink and drug addiction. Brilliantly played by Denise Gough, a recovering addict herself with 17 years of sobriety behind her.

In an interview with The Standard, Gough says she can talk publicly about her own trauma, addiction and abuse because her recovery means she’s speaking from ‘the wisdom, not the wound.”

She says she thinks society in general has “a deeper understanding and I think a deeper acceptance of addiction in all its forms. So, it’s not just a play about alcohol and drugs, it’s about a lack of connection, especially connection to oneself.”

Gough’s position of lived experience is valuable to her role as Emma who struggles to exist in the world and doesn’t know her own identity. This is perfectly depicted from the audience’s perspective as it is hard to work out when, and if, she is telling the truth. -  A feeling those caring about a loved one living with addiction will know well.

Following a whole lot of madness, it takes for Emma to break down and finally ask for help before things begin to change. This is a familiar feeling for those of us in recovery. It is like something snaps - or something heals - and we want to get better. We begin to listen.

There is a heartbreaking and brutally honest conversation in the second act where Emma makes amends to her parents. In this scene everyone speaks their feelings openly for seemingly the first time.

Her parents say, “We’ve heard it all before,” when she apologises for her past actions and behaviour towards them during active addiction.

This is something we hear regularly in our Family and Carer Groups; we know that families just want their loved one to stay sober; the word sorry which has been said many times can be a very empty word. Daily amends is key, day by day staying sober is proof that we’re sorry, and doing the right thing and thinking of others is a continuous amend.  

We also loved that Emma’s story ended true to life showing that recovery is an ongoing journey, it doesn’t finish after treatment, we continue throughout our lives.

People, Places and Things very much depicts that recovery is possible. If you are struggling with addiction, then please know that we can help. The Living Room offers free, time-unlimited group therapy for those living with addiction at our centres in Stevenage, St Albans and Watford. And for parents, loved ones and carers, we also offer help for families and people looking after someone living with addiction.

Call us on 0300 365 0304 for more information and to book an assessment with our highly qualified counsellors who all have lived experience of addiction and recovery. You can also find out more about what we do and self-refer online.