Dreaming
and Drowning
“I had that dream again. Drowning and gasping but I’m trying not to think about it.”
WINNER: Mustapha Matura Award 2022
WINNER:
RSC 37 Plays Competition
Malachi’s been looking forward to a fresh start at uni for months. He’s settling in, he’s got a stack of books to read and he’s met someone new – Kojo, a musician with a megawatt smile, who’s basically perfect.
But something doesn’t feel right. He keeps having the same nightmare – sinking, crushed by the weight of the ocean – and it’s getting worse… A beast grows in the water, hungry, relentless, hunting him but always just out of sight. As the boundaries between nightmare and reality fracture, Malachi must fight harder than ever to stay afloat.
Dreaming and Drowning is an intimate and visceral deep-dive into the boundless mind of a young Black queer man wrestling with anxiety. This electrifying world premiere of the Mustapha Matura Award-winning play is written and directed by Kwame Owusu, performed by Tienne Simon (Grime Kids, BBC) and produced by WoLab (For a Palestinian).
Written/Directed by Kwame Owusu
Performed by Tienne Simon
Set/Costume Design by Tomás Palmer
Movement Direction by Ingrid Mackinnon
Sound Design by Holly Khan
Lighting Design by Joshua Gadsby
Produced by Sarah Allen
Technical Stage Managerment by Aïsha Kent
Production Management by Lisa Hood
Casting and Creative Direction by Alistair Wilkinson
Art Work by Joel Meshak (A Thousand Islands)