No longer booking
  • Venue Bush Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 5 January 2024
  • Running time 60 minutes (no interval)
  • Age guidelines 14+

★★★★★ “Phenomenal” – TimeOut

The world premiere production of Dreaming and Drowning is coming to the Bush Theatre this winter.

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 stars Tienne Simon (Grime Kids, BBC), and is written and directed by the Mustapha Matura Award-winning playwright Kwame Owusu.

Dreaming and Drowning is playing at the Bush Theatre from 29 November 2023 to 5 January 2024.

“I had that dream again. Drowning and gasping but I’m trying not to think about it.”

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.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Dreaming And Drowning?

Performed by Tienne Simon

Who are the creative team of Dreaming And Drowning?

Written and Directed by Kwame Owusu; Set and Costume Designer – Tomás Palmer; Lighting Designer – Joshua Gadby; Sound Designer – Holly Khan; Movement Director – Ingrid Mackinnon; Stage Manager – Aïsha Kent; Production Manager – Lisa Hood; Dialect Coach – Mary Howland.

Important Notes

Access performances:

Chilled performance – 7 Dec at 8 pm; Captioned performance – 13 Dec at 8 pm; Audio-described performance and touch tour – 20 Dec at 8 pm

Venue Information

Bush Theatre , 7 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8LJ

Nearest Tube or Train: Shepherd’s Bush (Central Line); Shepherd’s Bush Market (Hammersmith & City Line)

Nearest Buses: 31, 49, 207, 237, 260, 607, C1, 148, 72, 94, 95, 220, 272, 283, 295, N207, 207, 427, 607

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Dreaming And Drowning

★★★★★ "Phenomenal new play" - TimeOut

★★★★ "Kwame Owusu’s language dances on the tongue of athletic performer Tienne Simon" - The Observer

★★★★ "Wonderfully life-enhancing and energising" - What's On Stage

Frequently Asked Questions

Dreaming And Drowning is playing at the Bush Theatre in London
The running time of Dreaming And Drowning is 60 minutes (no interval)
The age recommendations for Dreaming And Drowning are: 14+
Yes, Dreaming And Drowning has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Saturday
No, sorry, Dreaming And Drowning has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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