#53: "KORE", a play by Danielle de Vries 🇿🇦 and Tommy Boyce 🇬🇧

About this episode

Naftal Benisty interviews Danielle de Vries and Tommy Boyce about their play 'KORE', which explores themes of prescription drug dependence and benzo withdrawal.

July 25th, 2025 In this episode: I speak with Danielle de Vries and Tommy Boyce, who created the play “KORE.” The play is about Sam who freefalls into prescription drug dependence, being prescribed Zopiclone and Lorazepam (also known as Ativan). The play is a tragicomedy loosely based on Persephone in the Underworld. We talk about how the play came about and how it is for Danielle, not having experienced benzo harm firsthand, to play a character in the trenches of benzo withdrawal. I ask Tommy how it was directing the play and much more… Kore plays on August 19th and 20th 2025 at the Cockpit Theatre in London, UK. Find more about Danielle @ https://danielledevries.com/ TICKETS: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/kore Want to support the play? Check out the KORE Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/koretheplay/

People in this episode

Host: Naftal Benisty

Guests: Danielle de Vries, Tommy Boyce

Topics covered

• prescription drug dependence
• benzo withdrawal
• theater
• mental health
• tragedy and comedy

Keywords

• KORE
• Danielle de Vries
• Tommy Boyce
• benzo withdrawal
• theater
• mental health
• Zopiclone
• Lorazepam
• tragedy
• comedy

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: KORE

Places: South Africa, United Kingdom, Cockpit Theatre

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