1989. In the “Era of Light,” Romania lived in the dark.

Inspired by true events, Târgoviște Strays is a powerful one-man show navigating a young poet's survival under a brutal dictatorship, uncovered through letters to his mother. After his parents' failed escape attempt from the regime, Boy is branded an ‘enemy of the state’, sent to military re-education training in Târgoviște alongside criminals.

Blending poetry, movement and video, Târgoviște Strays is a visceral exploration of migrant identity, family and the cost of resistance under a dictatorship.

Following a sold-out debut at VIEW Festival 2024, Cock-Up Theatre presents Târgoviște Strays in a limited run at The Hope Theatre, bringing back its haunting portrait of military abuse and censorship in 1980s Romania.