The Wizard of Booze: A creative approach to addiction recovery

Pantomimes are a staple of Christmastime, with theatres across the country putting on various family shows across the festive period.

But one production is doing something a little bit different.

The Wizard of Booze is a show put on by Creative Change Collective (CCC), a pantomime starring graduates of a 12-16 week support programme for recovering substance addicts and people who have been through the justice system.

This show will take place in a sold-out Oran Mor tonight, described as a mix of skits, monologues, and spoken word inspired by the graduates own experiences with substance misuse.

Rehearsals have been taking place for months, during which the performers have remained anonymous, so nobody knows whether a piece is based on a certain person’s experience or not.

Mark MacNicol, director of the project, spoke to the Standard about the importance of the work done by himself and CCC.

MacNicol has been working on this project for years, and described the course as “dramatherapy for people who aren’t interest in drama or therapy.”

Part-funded by the Scottish Government, this creative take on support has helped countless recovering addicts, many of whom might never have had an interest in acting and theatre.

The director explained that the graduates are not only helped through the support received within the group, but also that the live event at the end of the course is often an opportunity for participants to reconcile with estranged family and friends.

With a background in TV, film, and theatre writing, directing, and producing, MacNicol was first invited to help CCC in 2016, when he helped prison inmates create a stage play to show that arts and creativity can help support and rehabilitate people in the justice system.

He admitted that “it’s not a silver bullet,” and that this course may not reach every recovering addict, but over the years has found that feedback is very positive in terms of how successful this course is as part of the recovery journey.

With very little – if anything – similar to this taking place in Glasgow, he added: “The uniqueness of the environment is something that participants respond very well to.”

He noted that some participants go through their first programme then come back again, and maybe again after that, with some going on to paid roles within the organisation.

This project is very close to the heart of the director, he explained that both of his parents struggled with alcohol addiction, and that his brother died due to a drug overdose.

He called his lived experience a “big motivator” for the amount of work he puts into the programme.

He said: “I don’t think there will ever be anything I do professionally that will be more important – in terms of the impact that it has on people, and ultimately combatting the alcohol/drug death rate in Scotland which is obviously a source of embarrassment and shame for us as a nation.

“Unfortunately, people are dying, and that’s going to continue to happen.

“But if we can impact that number, even by one, then all of the effort is worthwhile.”

These live events run all over Scotland, with the Glasgow branch starting a new programme next month.

Anyone who wishes to get involved with this project should email info@ccc.scot.

Connor Steel