East Auckland actor Darran Lees is among the cast of an innovative play tackling the serious subject of addiction.
Lees, who lives in Beachlands, has a key stage role in the production of REHAB, which is on at The PumpHouse Theatre on the North Shore from October 22-25.
The play is described as an improvised dark comedy based on lived experience, set inside a residential rehab centre.
It throws audiences right into the chaos, quick wit and raw honesty of early recovery.
Since 2021 it’s been praised for breaking down stigma around addiction with honesty and laughter. Some audience members have even said it inspired them to seek help.
Lees is passionate that comedy has always been more than laughs – it’s a survival tool.
He’s open about the ups and downs he’s had, and about how humour and improv can crack open conversations that many prefer to avoid, whether it’s around mental health, addiction, or just life’s harder moments.
Lees has been part of New Zealand’s comedy scene since 2015, co-hosts the Third and Footlong radio show and podcast, and chairs the NZ Comedy Guild.
He says he wanted to be part of REHAB as from an artistic perspective it’s an “amazing show with a cast loaded with incredibly talented people”.
“I’ve been very personally close to addiction with family and friends, and this show gives a platform in which to showcase the many angles of addiction, the recovery process and breadth of who it can affect.
“When you see the characters in this environment, you know that outside of rehab and this journey, they’re a bunch of people who socially would never have met and gone through this journey together without the help and existence of a rehab centre.
“So to see this group of multi-generational, multi-societal people working together and alongside each other to get themselves better, and to be able to go back into society and reclaim the life that addiction took from them, is very powerful.”
He hopes people who see the play take away the very human element of addiction and that it doesn’t just affect one gender or a certain part of society, “but in fact it can be anyone anytime anywhere”.
“I also hope it reflects that there’s help available, and people shouldn’t feel stigmatised if they need to ask for help, and recovery is a very real thing and achievable.”
Based on lived experience, REHAB is a pressure cooker of chaos, quick wit, and raw humanity.
It offers audiences a slice of life experience in the high-stakes world of a residential rehabilitation centre.
The show follows an eclectic mix of characters, from a professional basketball coach to a lawyer, a commercial real estate agent to a primary school teacher, as they navigate group therapy, strict rules, and the challenging, funny, and vulnerable realities of early recovery.
Since debuting in 2021, REHAB has become one of Auckland’s most transformative shows, praised for breaking addiction stigma through laughter, unfiltered honesty, and dynamic performances.
More than just entertainment, it’s a phenomenon that’s already inspired audience members to seek help and rethink what addiction and early recovery really looks like.
Every performance offers a post-show talk to provide clear pathways of support if needed.
“Addiction doesn’t discriminate – it can affect anyone,” creator and producer Elizabeth Cracroft, a criminal defence lawyer who’s been sober for 16 years, says.
“This show is about connection, not judgement. We’re taking the shame of addiction out of isolation and replacing it with honesty, compassion – and a lot of laughs.
“We hope to help de-stigmatise addiction and normalise recovery.”
Cracroft’s work in the courtroom has given her a unique perspective on the scale of the issue.
“Anecdotally, a large amount of my clients are battling some form of substance abuse and/or mental health challenges,” she says.
“I often meet clients when they’re most motivated to change, especially those remanded in custody, but the lack of timely access to public rehab within the community means they may be sentenced before having the opportunity to engage in intensive, community-based, alcohol and drug treatment.”
- The play is on at The PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna from October 22-25.
- Tickets: Pay what you like from $12. Bookings: pumphouse.co.nz.
