Declan Bennet – photo Colin J Smith

Coventry born Declan Bennet (EastEnders’ Charlie Cotton) brings his one person show to the LTB Showrooms this summer before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2023.

This raw autobiographical play explores toxic masculinity, homophobia and mental health. Based on his own private journals, Declan reflects on surviving the streets of Coventry in a NAF jacket, confronting his Catholic school days at Cardinal Newman and discovering Sister Act 2 for the first time at the local cinema.

Declan is an actor, songwriter and now an emerging playwright. He gained prominence as a member of the 1999 band Point Break before going on to perform in the West End, Broadway, and national and international tours. He has also had a plethora of television and film roles including Charlie Cotton in EastEnders and Jonathan in recent ITV detective drama The Long Call.

Declan’s previous work in theatre includes Boy George’s Taboo (2002, West End), Rent (2006 – 2007, United States tour, 2007 – 2008, Broadway), Once (2013, West End), Jesus Christ Superstar (2016, Open Air Theatre Regents Park) and has just returned back from Broadway where he played Duke in Moulin Rouge! (2022, Broadway).

Declan says, “Bringing my one man show Boy Out The City to Coventry is huge for me. It wasn’t the easiest of places for a young gay lad to grow up in in the 90’s but it taught me strength and resilience in spades. I wouldn’t have wrote the show were it not for my experiences there as a kid so I’m really proud to be able to share my story with the city I grew up in and with a community of people who have given me such solid support throughout my career.”

The LTB Showrooms (LTB) were originally launched in 2021 as part of Coventry’s City of Culture bid, occupying rooms over the Litten Tree in Coventry. They were forced to close when the pub shut down in February 2023, however the Showrooms have recently reopened thanks to the help of Coventry City Council, who are allowing LTB to use the space until November.

Alan Denyer, who founded LTB, says, “We’re thrilled to welcome Cov kid Declan back to his roots and showcase Boy Out The City at the LTB showrooms before it heads up to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Our mission is to provide a dynamic space for local artists to share their work with the Coventry community and his brand new theatre piece will be a brilliant addition to the work we already support. It’s going to be a fantastic night for everyone involved and we’re excited to help him in this next stage of his career.”

Boy Out The City premiered as a work in progress at the 2021 Westival Music and Arts Festival followed by a short London run at the Turbine Theatre, Battersea.

The play follows Declan from childhood to adulthood and after moving out of London to wait out the final months of the pandemic, Declan finds himself alone in the Oxfordshire countryside. In his isolation, he is forced to face the demons of his past on a messy journey through the turbulent world of toxic masculinity, homophobia, and men’s mental health. From the lonely aisles of Hobbycraft to the bright lights of New York city, this is the story of a man in desperate search of identity when confronted with sudden unexpected solitude.

Boy Out The City will be performed by Declan for one night only at the LTB Showrooms on 6th July 2023. Tickets are £15 and can be purchased here.