The Hothouse follows the complicated lives of a group of 20-somethings - three cops and a lawyer - who share a run down, but very cool, inner-city flat in Wellington, New Zealand.
Daniel (Cop), Ruth (Cop) Neru (Cop) and Isobel (Lawyer) constantly struggle as ‘upholders of the law’. Their personal dilemmas create far more intrigue than any aspect of their day jobs, as they continually confront issues of loyalty, morality, friendship, sexual honesty and, of course, love. The Hothouse… confrontational, contemporary drama mixed with moments of black humour. Three cops, one lawyer and a drug dealer. How hot will it get? Then, into the Hothouse, comes Levi. Unpredictable and tough, Levi is a rogue and a charmer; in fact, unbeknown to the others, a charming criminal; a drug dealer, who despite constant protestations that he wants to be a good man, has probably spent too long on the wrong side of the law. Levi’s arrival sparks a rapid chain of events that threatens to disrupt the already delicate balance of the house. DANIEL FITZGERALD (Ryan O’Kane) – Cop. Ambitious, conflicted, sensitive and… Isobel’s boyfriend. Daniel thinks he’s the perfect hero - good, honest and brave. The others think he just needs to lighten up and accept his flaws. Always keen to follow in Dad’s footsteps and join the Police, it’s now Daniel’sturn to catch the bad guys. RUTH FITZGERALD (Hannah Gould) – Cop. Courageous, thrill-seeker, loyal and… Daniel’s elder sister. Being a cop was never Ruth’s dream - just a good career option. Well, that’s what she says but maybe Ruth is more like Daniel than she admits. Maybe she too wants to save the world as well. But in the meantime, she keeps making choices that jeopardise her relationships and her job. ISOBEL JONES(Tania Nolan) – Lawyer, realist, self-interested, romantic and… Daniel’s girlfriend. Isobel believes the weak need her help, especially if it might advance her career. Dan, Ruth and Neru want her to stop being a control-freak, for just one second, but Isobel’s not sure that’s possible. She wants the good things in life, has a plan for getting them and won’t let anything stand in her way. NERU SINI (Ioelu Fili) – Cop. Honourable, conflicted, a big kid… Friend & flatmate. Neru is happy with his life. He has a good job, good friends and a loving family. He hasn’t had to deal with any major issues in his life, so he’s totally unprepared for unfamiliar emotions like guilt and jealousy. At some point, he will have to grow up. LEVI WISE (Kip Chapman) – Clever, unpredictable, tough… The cat among the pigeons. Irresistibly charming, Levi is out for himself. A long term criminal, he is prepared to do anything to get what he wants. He slides through life and works the system and now he’s back in town to work his mates. If Levi ever ‘goes down’ there’s a good chance he’ll bring the others down with him.
