Scotland has the highest rate of drug related death in Europe. One of the highest known rates in the world. In communities across the country, families, loved ones, friends, act as support for people with lived experience of substance dependency. A new intimate tabletop performance, from award-winning theatre company Tortoise in a Nutshell, presents the stories of critically underheard voices, accounts that paint us as a nation struggling to recognise a deadly culture of shame, ignorance and misunderstanding surrounding substance dependence and drug-related death. Intricate miniature worlds unfold in front of the audience’s eyes, creating detailed, confronting microcosms of contemporary Scotland, placed halfway between dream and cold reality. The piece is a collision of first-hand accounts, hopes and reflections on the weight carried by an entire community of care givers, healthcare professionals, policy makers and people living with addiction. 32mm figurines, shoe box style installations, turntables, micro-projection and immersive soundscapes combine to form a rich, multi-textural performance for audiences across theatres and community spaces. ‘Craft, heart and quiet fury’ **** - The Stage, ‘An unmissable new piece in miniature…unique, handbuilt and profoundly experimental’ **** - The Guardian.

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