Wildworks has announced the return of its acclaimed comedy-drama The Kneebone Cadillac following its sell-out run in 2024.
Written by Carl Grose and directed by Kyla Goodey, the site-specific production will run at United Downs Raceway in Cornwall from 10 July to 29 July 2026, with a press night on 10 July.
Set at one of the UK’s last remaining working stock car racing tracks, the show centres on the hard-up Kneebone family, Slick, Dwight and Maddy, after a devastating fall-out over their late father’s prized possession.
Scrapyard owner Jed shocks the family by leaving his treasured 1958 Cadillac Eldorado to his only daughter, Maddy, rather than his sons.
Instead of selling the broken-down car, which may or may not have once belonged to Elvis Presley, Maddy is determined to restore it and take on all-comers in the United Downs Boneshaker stock car race.
As long-simmering family feuds resurface, Maddy’s bid for success in a male-dominated world pushes the community towards chaos.
The production features wickedly funny Cornish dialogue and a gritty post-industrial setting, revealing a side of Cornwall far removed from postcard clichés.
For Cornwall-born playwright Carl Grose, staging the play at United Downs Raceway has special significance.
“I’ve always been obsessed with the area, that slightly stranger Cornwall, and have such vivid memories of the raceway because my dad used to take me out there. I loved that world – noisy and smelly, with all that grease and burning petrol. With The Kneebone Cadillac being staged there, it’s going full circle for me from when I was an excited little kid.”
Director Kyla Goodey described the production as a high-octane celebration of female determination.
“A fast furious show packed with accelerated dialogue, quick witted humour and plenty of twists and turns. Representing a community of female stock car racers whose determination plays out on this very raceway. One woman among many men, smashing it up on the tarmac. This piece is far more than the thrills of danger, this piece speaks to all the women who struggle to hold onto their dreams…”
For Wildworks, The Kneebone Cadillac reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to bold site-specific theatre rooted in Cornwall with a national and international outlook.
Continuing its practice of creating work in the open landscape rather than traditional venues, the company embraces Cornwall’s collaborative, outward-looking creative spirit.
Wildworks has also announced radical pricing for the production, with tickets available from as little as £1 to improve accessibility.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
