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Mustapha Matura Award - 2022
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.
Kwame Owusu's play Dreaming and Drowning is an intimate and visceral deep-dive into the boundless mind of a young Black queer man wrestling with anxiety.
It won the Mustapha Matura Award, was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award, and was one of the winning plays in the RSC's 37 Plays competition. It was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in November 2023, directed by the playwright, performed by Tienne Simon, and produced by WoLab.
“Phenomenal... an arresting and songlike monologue... Owusu [is one] of the best, freshest and most agile talents of the year.”—Time Out
“Wonderfully life-enhancing... punchy and richly imaginative... delivers a double hit of theatrical dopamine... witty, contemporary and at times compellingly poetic... a fleet, gripping piece of storytelling... a little gem... a must-see for anybody interested in fine new writing.”—WhatsOnStage
“A visceral but lyrical look at anxiety and acceptance.”—Guardian
“A joyful play that will leave you hopeful... funny, well-paced, and engaging.”—LondonTheatre1
“Pithy, poetic, and viscerally evocative.”—Reviews Hub
“One part truthful queer coming-of-age story, one part psychological horror, this engaging monologue takes an appealingly offbeat approach to themes of racism, anxiety and self-discovery... tautly paced and tightly written... laced with warm humor.”—The Stage
“A gem... an intense experience... terrific.”—Arts Desk
“An exceptionally fine play... a startling portrait of human frailty that radiates authenticity and compassion.”—Everything Theatre
“Beautifully crafted... powerfully reinstates the urgency of storytelling in the formation of identity. Poetry, campus life and comedy blend into an emotionally moving concoction, exploring a black, queer student’s experience with great skill.”—Theatre Weekly
“Engrossing... a relatable drama with copious laughs along the way... Owusu has a gift for effortlessly blending colloquial and accessible dialogue with the more poetic... This is a multi-layered piece with a great deal condensed into just an hour.”—The Upcoming
Kwame Owusu is a playwright and theatre director based in London.
He is the author of plays including Dreaming and Drowning (Bush Theatre, London, 2023; Winner of the Mustapha Matura Award 2022) and Horizon (Bush Young Company at the Bush Theatre, 2022).