Chris Pitman’s solo show Shore Break - a powerful monologue about a lone surfer staring out at the ocean and reflecting on his life - was, perhaps unsurprisingly, written during the COVID lockdowns.

After 30 years of acting, Chris had often scribbled down ideas and fragments but had never completed a full piece. That changed during lockdown. 

“I wrote it during COVID when obviously there wasn't a lot going on,” he said. “I had this idea about a guy living in the desert, trying to re-enter the world - and how difficult that might be if all those bridges had been broken.

What started as a deeply personal writing project unexpectedly evolved into something much bigger. A small company in Adelaide picked up Shore Break, leading to several local seasons before it premiered at the Festival Centre in Adelaide as part of the State Theatre Company’s umbrella season.

Now, Shore Break comes to the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre for one night only - August 5 at 8pm.

“I was just writing a story I’d been living with for a while, something I could see clearly in my head,” Chris said. 

Chris Pitman looking out at the ocean in Shore Break. Photos supplied.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But somehow it struck a chord - people saw their own lives, or their friends’ and family’s lives, reflected in it. It became more universal than I’d imagined.”

At its heart, the show explores themes of toxic masculinity and emotional isolation - particularly in Australian men. Chris draws from his own observations, especially of men who retreat from connection because they lack the emotional tools to sustain it.

“My theory is that some men go out on their own because they don’t have the tools for connection,” he explained. 

“Generations of Australian men - not all, but many - have grown up with emotional illiteracy. Without a language for feelings and emotions, it’s hard to sustain relationships. And I think that’s why many find themselves on the outer.”

For Chris, the inspiration for Shore Break is rooted in both personal experience and decades of quiet observation.

 “I guess being a surfer myself and then growing up in South Australia, surfing was always like a mission - driving four or five or three or even eight hours sometimes to get to a break. And often these places were isolated,” he said.

Shore Break will play one night at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre - August 5 at 8pm. Photos supplied.

“Ever since my twenties and even earlier, I’ve come across these men living in far-flung campgrounds. I’ve always wondered how they got there and why they were there - whether they could ever live in the world again. 

“They didn’t seem to be reading books or doing much - just stuck with their eyes fixed on the ocean, clearly dealing with a whole bunch of damage in their lives. Over the years, I kept wondering about them. Eventually I found the space to go, this is a story I want to tell.”

All the while, the show's central character waits alone for the perfect wave - a metaphor that acts as a foil to his inner struggles. 

“Well, the ocean can’t help but make you softer, can it?” Chris said. “It calms you, takes the hard edges off. It’s almost a natural meditation. When you’re out there waiting for a wave, your focus is on the water - but you're also in a softer place. That’s how this guy begins to see himself more clearly. To forgive himself.”

While Shore Break is poetic in nature, it’s also grounded in everyday Australian language. Chris deliberately blended lyrical writing with Aussie vernacular to make the show feel accessible - not just to seasoned theatre-goers, but also to those who might not typically set foot in a theatre.

For Shoalhaven audiences, especially those who live by the sea, Shore Break promises a poignant and relatable night of theatre.

Catch it at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre on Monday, August 5 at 8pm, you can buy tickets here: https://www.shoalhavenentertainment.com.au/Home.