What is Desperate Times?
Desperate Times is a one-woman comedic play that follows Lucky, a supply teacher with a secret love for shoplifting and a talent for telling elaborate lies. After stealing the infamous Uniqlo side bag and possibly faking a pregnancy to avoid jail time, her life begins to spiral out of control. Told through Lucky’s unreliable narration and very vivid imagination, the show blends sharp humour with emotional gut-punches. Think Chewing Gum meets Atlanta, but through the lens of a young woman navigating loneliness, identity, and an unrelenting need to be seen.
Following multiple sold out London performances and a UK tour, we’re taking the leap from stage to screen with the launch of our first-ever web series, Desperate Times, written by Amal Abdi.
Performed by Nadjma Abshir and directed by Fatima Ali Omar and Adna Ahmed, has carved its place as one of the most original and hilarious new works to hit UK stages. Now, the cult-favourite show is being adapted into a bold, genre-blending web series.
The pilot episode begins filming this summer, but we need your support to make it happen. This is your chance to be part of something big, from the very beginning.
The vision:
Side eYe Productions is an award-winning theatre company founded and run by young Muslim women. After years of connecting underrepresented audiences to live performance, we’re stepping into digital storytelling to expand our reach, platform new talent, and tell stories that challenge the status quo.
Gaining ever more momentum, we thought Desperate Times is the perfect story to start our new adventure in the digital world. Blurring lines between reality and performance, Desperate Times explores what it means to perform a version of yourself and the emotional toll of keeping up the act. Is about what happens when nobody’s watching, or when you think they are.
We’re crowdfunding for just the pilot, with the ambition to attract industry attention and complete a full Season 1. With the right support and visibility, this pilot could lead to a series that redefines what Muslim representation on screen can look like.
Your help:
From previous showcases and workshops across Bristol, Sheffield, Birmingham, and London, we’ve seen how Desperate Times resonates with audiences, especially those who have always felt out of the conversation. This pilot is a chance to show the industry there is an appetite for our stories. So, we’ve got the script. We’ve got the team. What we need now is:
- Production crew (camera, lighting and sound)
- Cast and rehearsal costs
- Locations, equipment, and transport
- Post-production (editing, sound design, colour grading)
- Accessibility costs (subtitles, captions)
- Marketing and distribution to get the episode seen
We’re looking for £4000 to make our pilot episode. Every contribution, no matter the size, gets us closer.
Be part of our story:
Whether you’re here for the drama, the mess, the cultural references, or the cause, help us bring Desperate Times to your screen.
Big thank you to Kayd Somali Arts and Culture who supported us with our theatrical run and continue to champion Somali storytellers.