Crack Progress & Charlie's Progress

Crack's Progress: Loosely based on Hogarth's A Rake's Progress this is a modern fable of dark morality and crime and corruption. Crack, with his faithful dog Spike, fight and bite and deal in drugs. Using contemporary slang and rap rhythms the tale is told of the descent into the grim underbelly of society with the use and abuse of women as well as substances, but finally Crack is caught. He is convicted in a trial scene, depicted in the strong fourth frame. He comes out of prison further corrupted and continues but is finally driven crazy by his drug habit and he kills. He is sent to Bedlam (with more than a nod to Hogarth) and, in the final frame, a mad Crack appears to die. But the final Full stop is not the end. Charlie's Progress: This second tale is inspired by Hogarth's A Harlot's progress. Charlie, Crack's sister, is more rooted in the family background as the opening scene shows the 'faux' nouveau riche mansion of her father. Her trip to London reveals the dark low life of London with drugs and violence as the norm. The corruption at the top of society is lampooned, but the victim is Charlie and also her younger sister Tara. Both girls are viciously exploited by their aunt – seen as like a black widow spider. Charlie recovers, painfully, from her addiction and seeks help from her brother Crack, in the final open-ended scenes.