Dead Broke

Lost Dreams Collective presents Dead Broke by Will King. Directed by Calvin Petersen. This surreal, thrilling, dark comedy and horror hybrid asks us what we do when we are at a point of identity crisis. How do we take accountability for our life? And what’s the cost of living for nothing?

THE PLOT: Oliver, a university student, is in trouble. After switching majors and losing all financial support, he begins squatting in an abandoned home to reduce costs and save his relationship with his girlfriend, Charlotte. To convince their friends that his new living situation is viable, they arrange a birthday party for Oliver’s best friend, Johnny, at his new, run down place. Joined by Laura, a plucky law school student, and Irina, a runner crashing with Johnny, everything appears to be falling into place. But when the house is revealed to have a sinister past, and someone goes missing, Oliver’s life, and reality, spiral desperately out of control.

“A must-see event for any fan of the horror genre.” “King’s script brims with dark comedy and is exhilaratingly taut — the [one act] play is filled with more twists and turns than you can count — without ever compromising character development.” “Top Pick!” Joshua Chong. (Toronto Star)

“A naturalistic Gen Z drama meets a low-budget horror property in Will King’s fresh and inventive new play.” “From the start, King and director Calvin Petersen do such a good job setting up Oliver’s situation – and the actors are so fully present in their roles – that you’re drawn in and care about what happens to everyone. The show is so effective that when a character looks out into the audience and mentions something on the wall, you’ll believe it’s there.” “This is terrific theatre.” “NNNN” – Glenn Sumi. (Now Magazine)

“Dead Broke is a tightly structured, fun horror story with some great plot turns and excellent practical effects.” “King’s dedication to genre theatre is always a breath of fresh air and this is his most accessible work yet.” – Kelly Bedard. (My Entertainment World)

Advisory Warning: Mature language, loud noise, gunshots, drug use, violence, and sexual content.

This script was originally developed as part of the 2020 Beats + Intentions Playwright’s Unit (Expect Theatre, in partnership with the Playwrights Guild of Canada.) The play was further developed for a hit run at The 2022 Toronto Fringe, and expanded again to its current form.

This is a Canadian Actors’ Equity Association production under the Artists’ Collective Policy.