How to Fail at Relationships: A Musical Comedy

Experience the Power of Storytelling: A Transformative Exploration of Addiction and Recovery

Can 40 Minutes Change Your Life?

Our 40-minute play is a dynamic fusion of humor, honesty, and heartfelt storytelling that educates and entertains while exploring the impacts of addiction on relationships and community. Designed to spark dialogue and inspire change, it offers a fresh perspective on the challenges we all face and presents creative, practical solutions in a way that’s both engaging and transformative.

Let us know if you would like to add our play to your organization, event, or corporate environment. It’s an invitation to foster connection, ignite meaningful conversation, and bring a touch of light-hearted inspiration to your team or audience.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCE

Excited to be performing How to Fail at Relationships at VIU this month with the incredible Heather Gordon Murphy. This play is raw and honest — a blend of our personal journeys through addiction and recovery, woven together with pieces from my book Root, Rise, Roar.

It means so much to share this work, especially with students and community members who might see themselves in it. If you're in Nanaimo, come join us.

April 23, 2025
7–9 PM
Malaspina Theatre at VIU, Nanaimo, BC
Tickets by donation

  • ‘How to Fail at Relationships’, written by Dawn King and performed with Heather Gordon Murphy is an honest, unprecedented, inspirational show. Both actors openly share their personal journey to recovery from addiction in a manner that leaves the audience filled with hope. Using story, song and humour, their performances invite everyone to explore, examine and challenge preconceived ideas around addiction and its effect on everyone’s relationships. As a Facilitator for SMART Recovery for Family and Friends I came away from this evening’s show filled with awe at the courage and brutal candour of both Dawn and Heather. They personify the success that people can have with living their recovery and inspire others to find their own way through that journey.

    Kerry Hammell
    SMART recovery for Family and Friends Facilitator and Addictions Counselor

  • "The two-woman play How to Fail at Relationships provided a powerful and thought-provoking look at addiction, relationships, and recovery. Written and performed by two women with lived experience, the performance offered an honest, intimate, and at times humorous exploration of Alcohol Use Disorder. The production underscored a crucial message: AUD can impact anyone, even those who appear to have everything together or are simply following familiar patterns learned from family. It also reminded us that open conversations led by those with lived experience are vital in shifting public understanding and inspiring hope. By sharing their journeys, the performers highlighted both the realities of addiction and the possibilities of recovery. They also demonstrated the role the performing arts and storytelling can play in challenging misconceptions and reducing stigma. Following the performance, an audience Q&A sparked meaningful dialogue, with attendees expressing gratitude, seeking information on services, and engaging in discussions on different perspectives of alcohol use and recovery.

    Canadian Alcohol Use Disorder Society