The Belly of The Carp follows brilliant but erratic songwriter Rodney as he tries to get through a major concert – his first since the death of his sobriety sponsor. Spectres from his troubled past emerge to play tug-of-war with his well-being, torpedo his relationships (especially with his long-time manager and closest friend, Samantha), and plunge him into a battle for his soul inside a giant fish. This hybrid concert/play/poetry-reading includes visual fantasias by award-winning shadow puppeteers Mind of a Snail.

Accompanied by his band, Rodney performs original songs and poetry and interacts with characters, real and imaginary, who suck him out of the present, throw him into sometimes traumatic memories, and occasionally drag him into the Underworld and other fantastical locations. Visual fantasias by award-winning shadow puppeteers Mind of a Snail bring these scenes to life and evoke the mind-bending nature of PTSD flashbacks.

Running parallel to current-Rodney’s concert is the story of past-Rodney’s journey to get there. We see his boyhood self encounter traumas and triumphs, learning to use his art and imagination to survive and help others do the same. In The Belly of The Carp, the strange worlds and battered characters populate DeCroo’s mind. It explores childhood abuse, PTSD, addiction, and violence to find a transformative beauty in human struggle.

Rodney DeCroo’s work serves as front-line reporting on poverty, addiction, and trauma from someone who knows the terrain and its people. He is a working-class artist who brings a perspective rarely represented on Canadian stages. The show explores themes of childhood abuse, PTSD, addiction, and violence to find a transformative beauty in self-exploration and learn to expose, identify, and live with one’s past traumas.

Director TJ Dawe and DeCroo had a very successful collaboration with the one-person show Didn’t Hurt (written/performed by Rodney, dramaturged/directed by TJ), which toured North America to great acclaim. In The Belly of The Carp is in many ways a deepening exploration of the themes of Didn’t Hurt, but with live music, vivid shadow designs, and a sense of the fantastic.

WARNING: Please be advised that this show contains explicit language and scenes of sexual violence and drug use. It may be inappropriate for people under 16 – parental guidance is recommended. A moderated talkback will follow every performance. Audience members will be free to leave and re-enter the theatre, and a trauma-informed Active Listener will be present at all performances.  The performance includes the use of a hazer.