DREAMING AND DROWNING
Dreaming and Drowning by Kwame Owusu.
In his acclaimed novel No Name in the Street, James Baldwin writes “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced”. This is the very essence of Kwame Owusu’s one-man play, Dreaming and Drowning. We are immersed in the mind of 19-year old Malachi (Tienne Simon), a young black queer man on his journey to self-acceptance in the face of anxiety, freshers week and an unknown, unseen but very real threat.
We are immediately thrown into Malachi’s nightmare world. Within the four walls of a claustrophobic university room, we watch as Malachi has his air replaced with gushing and violent waters that leave him breathless. The first words we hear are “I’m drownin”, and we listen as Malachi narrates the recurring nightmare he has been having for four continuous weeks.
We also watch on tenterhooks as Malachi awkwardly navigates the isolating experience of being a black person in a predominantly white institution. A relatable experience for many, the frustration and exhaustion that takes over Malachi’s mind is almost heartbreaking to watch. He thankfully finds the Black Queer Society, where he meets Kojo with whom he is certain he has fallen in love with at first sight.
The combination of Owusu’s narration and Simon’s physicality in the scenes depicting Malachi’s reality meet here to submerge us in university life. Such is Simon’s talent that his body contorts itself into every character so convincingly, the stage feels as though it is teeming with people. In the lighter scenes he is endearing and innocent and as an audience member you can let out the breath you’ve been holding while watching him tackle trust-fund babies and future podcasters with nothing new or interesting to say.
As Malachi seems to be easing into his life at university, he is reminded that his nightmare world still resides in his subconscious. The set is made up of greyish carpeted walls and floors, that are transformed by Joshua Gadsby’s lighting design to double as Malachi’s underwater prison. Malachi’s nightmares begin to evolve and we learn that there is an entity in his oceanic dreams that seems to pose a threat to his real life as well. Holly Khan’s horror movie-esque sound design lures us into a false sense of security before the ominous sound of Malachi’s beast approaching starts to infiltrate the scenes set in reality.
Initially it would have been safe to assume that Malachi is running from the physical embodiment of his anxiety, but Owusu bends the rules of life and fantasy as Malachi will battle a beast much like the ones in the sci-fi books he loves so much. The binaries that distinguish nightmare from reality start to blur before our eyes, and the play culminates with Malachi finally being the hero we have watched him grow into.
As Malachi, Tienne Simon is electric and dynamic on the stage, giving an impressive display of physical strength and ease directed by Ingrid Mackinnon. As an audience member, you are rooting for Malachi to overcome his anxiety, to defeat the beast of his nightmares in order to find himself and his well deserved happiness. Whilst he does come out victorious, the play ends quite abruptly, leaving you wanting to see more of the adventures he will embark on.
In summary, Dreaming and Drowning is a story of bravery in the face of the fear of both the known and unknown. Tienne Simon is simply incredible, and Owusu pens a monologue that is both magical and relatable.
By Melody Adebisi.
★★★★☆
Dreaming and Drowning is showing at the Bush Theatre until 05 January.
