Wildworks Revs Up for the Return of ‘The Kneebone Cadillac’ at United Downs Raceway

Wildworks, the UK’s leading landscape theatre company, today announces the return of comedy-drama The Kneebone Cadillac, following its sell out success in 2024. Written by Carl Grose, and directed by Kyla Goodey, the site-specific show runs at United Downs Raceway – a last of its kind, working Stock car racing track – in Cornwall from 10 July 2026 – 29 July 2026, with press night on 10 July 2026.

The hard-up Kneebone family, Slick, Dwight and Maddy have a mighty fall-out when their scrapyard-owning dad Jed shocks everyone by leaving his cherished 1958 Cadillac Eldorado to his only daughter. Rather than cash in the prized but broken-down auto – which may or may not have once belonged to Elvis Presley – feisty Maddy is determined to get it back on the road and take on all-comers in the United Downs Boneshaker stock car race.

Ancient family feuds do not die quickly and soon Maddy’s dream of success in a male – dominated world sets the community on a collision course for chaos.

The Kneebone Cadillac’s wickedly funny Cornish dialogue, the troublemaking cast of characters and gritty post-industrial locale illuminate a side of Cornwall many miles from the picture-postcard cliché of the county. For Cornwall-born playwright Carl Grose, setting the drama at the raceway that fired his imagination when he first visited as a boy of ten with his dad, is a dream come true.

Writer of The Kneebone Cadillac, Carl Grose commented:

“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 added:

“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 represents the company’s commitment to presenting site-specific theatre rooted in Cornwall with a national and international outlook. Continuing to build on Cornwall’s long history of working outdoors, turning the lack of theatre infrastructure into a positive, by working in the landscape rather than traditional venues. Their practice is shaped by the defining features of Cornwall; a place in which artists naturally collaborate across artforms and with communities; a peninsula somewhere on the edge that looks outwards to the world.

Wildworks knows not everyone can afford the cost of theatre tickets and are proud to announce that for The Kneebone Cadillac, they’re doing things differently – launching radical pricing – with tickets available from as little as £1.

Main Image: Credit to Steve Tanner

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