Performance

Chas is a trusted member of an East London gang led by Harry Flowers, specializing in intimidation through violence and collecting pay-offs. He has earned a fearsome reputation for enjoying the brutality of his job. His sexual liaisons are casual and rough, revealing a hard-edged persona that masks deeper loyalties.

Flowers makes it clear he has no intention of protecting Chas and instead wants him eliminated. He forbids Chas from getting involved in the betting shop takeover of Joey Maddocks, citing Chas' complicated personal history with Maddocks as a liability. Chas reacts with anger, feeling sidelined and betrayed.

Maddocks retaliates by wrecking Chas's apartment and attacking him, escalating the feud between the two men. In the confrontation that follows, Chas shoots Maddocks, killing him. He packs a suitcase and runs from the scene, already aware that Flowers will turn on him.

With Flowers making it clear that he will not offer protection, Chas decides to head for the countryside to hide. The decision marks a turning point as he seeks a safe distance from Flowers' reach. He weighs his options, knowing he may never return to his old life.

Chas overhears a musician talking about going on tour and leaving his rented room in Notting Hill Gate. He travels to Notting Hill Gate and pretends the musician is a friend who recommended him, presenting himself as fellow performer Johnny Dean to Pherber. He becomes part of Turner, Pherber, Lucy, and the mysterious Lorraine environment.

Chas tells Pherber that he is Johnny Dean, a fellow performer, while Turner looks on with wary curiosity. At first, Chas is contemptuous of Turner, who attempts to return the rent in advance. Over time, Turner and Pherber begin to influence him, drawing him into their dynamic.

To accelerate a deeper understanding, Turner and Pherber begin to probe Chas's motivations and past, hoping to decode his behavior. They expose him to new influences, nudging him toward vulnerability. The dynamic inside the flat becomes uneasy, with truth and deception mingling.

To speed up the psychological process, Pherber feeds him a psychedelic mushroom, pushing him toward a breakdown or breakthrough. Chas initially accuses them of poisoning him, then experiences a disorienting shift. The drug-fueled state loosens his defenses and primes him for a new self-image.

Under the hallucinogenic influence, Chas experiments with clothing and identity, including wearing feminine clothes. The experience broadens his self-image and reveals a more vulnerable side. The transformation hints at a lasting shift away from his former violent persona.

As he sheds part of his hard shell, Chas opens up and begins a caring relationship with Lucy. Their bond challenges his violent past and offers him tenderness and human connection. The relationship adds emotional complexity to his arc within the household.

Before leaving, Chas phones Tony, a trusted friend who can help him get out of the country. The call signals a practical step toward severing ties with Flowers and the criminal underworld. Tony becomes the conduit to an international escape plan.

Flowers and his henchmen use Tony to track Chas to Turner's flat, exploiting the connection to locate him. They permit him to go upstairs to collect his things, tightening the net around his temporary sanctuary. The pursuit escalates the tension toward a lethal encounter.

Chas informs Turner and Pherber that he is leaving for good, triggering a volatile reaction. He then shoots and kills Turner, removing a key ally and a primary threat in his evolving plan. The act confirms the collapse of the house's fragile arrangement.

After the killing, Chas is escorted into Flowers' car, carried away from Turner's flat. He still wears feminine clothes and a wig, but his face is identical to Turner’s, masking his identity. The drive away marks the final turn of his transformation and the escape from the immediate world he inhabited.