Conundrum

Aim

Our goal is to produce a groundbreaking piece of theatre that audiences will continue to talk about even after the production run has ended.

ABOUT US

Crying in the Wilderness Productions (CITWP), is an independent theatre company dedicated to enriching the theatrical landscape of the UK through collaborations with award winning artists. To date, we have produced ten full-length productions and numerous creative learning programmes in the UK, Abu Dhabi, Italy, Germany, and the USA. We also create exciting opportunities for underrepresented communities  to obtain greater access to the arts, ands not just as performers but as aspiring creatives, managers and leaders.

One of the ways that Crying in the Wilderness Productions is contributing to the enrichment of the theatrical landscape, is through the innovation  of our unique theatrical style called, Theatre of the Soul, which was endorsed through funding by Arts Council England.  

From a philosophical point of view, Theatre of the Soul, is a multi-disciplinary theatrical style  which integrates, drama, music, dance and film into  our narratives so that we can deepen our audience's sensory engagement and experience of our productions. 

©Sarah Hickson

HISTORY OF OUR PROJECT

Our production, Conundrum, was originally scheduled for production at the Young Vic Theatre in May 2020. However, the show was eventually cancelled due to the escalation  of the Covid19 pandemic. 

Despite  being in the midst of a pandemic, but not a total lock-down, we seized the opportunity to produce  an abridged 30-minute live stream version of Conundrum, for Newham Council’s, Surveillance Festival, in August 2020; and in October of the same year, we were invited by the European Capital of Culture, to produce a thirty-minute film version of Conundrum for their international festival.

Headlined as the UK’s, ‘sole labelling representative’, Conundrum, was screened for two consecutive weeks in December 2020 and was viewed by audiences in the UK, Australia, South Africa, America, Belgium, Croatia, Switzerland, Japan and France.

Having watched  our  abridged  30 minute film version of Conundrum, the Artistic Director of the Young Vic contacted us to reschedule the play for a full-length live theatre production in their  2022 season.

Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director of the Young Vic, said: “I am delighted that Crying in the Wilderness Productions are finally getting to bring their debut piece to our stage, having been delayed by the pandemic. The show’s introspective and philosophical nature asks urgent questions that we as a country are grappling with – arguably more than ever before”.

                    https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/conundrum-2022

THE IDEA 

Conundrum is an intimate tale about self-discovery, liberation and bliss. Prompted by the entries of an old diary, our protagonist, Fidel, (played by OffWestEnd Best Actor nominee, Anthony Ofoegbu), conducts a personal life-review to identify his greatest challenges. Possessing an unusually high IQ and initially critiquing society, Fidel becomes alarmed by the prospect that he too is responsible for undermining his own wellbeing. Perplexed by this conundrum, Fidel embarks on a reflective journey seeking answers to life’s most relatable questions: Who am I and why am I here?  

Written and directed by Crying in The Wilderness Productions Artistic Director, Paul Anthony Morris, and starring Anthony Ofoegbu (recently seen in Barber Shop Chronicles), Conundrum utilises Ofoegbu’s verbal and physical dexterity to full effect in this tightly woven 70-minute drama.

Paul says: “The prospect of being able to finally share our creative ideas to a live audience, especially after the past 18 months, is very exciting”. 

Anthony Ofoegbu, the leading actor in Conundrum says: “Playing Fidel, will be a tremendous undertaking. Not only will it nourish me as an actor, but I also hope it will nourish the audience(s) coming to share the experience of Fidel's story”.

OUR VISION 

The principal aim of our project is to make a stunning piece of theatre that audiences will continue to reflect on, even after the entire production run has concluded. Our second goal is to demonstrate how creativity can also inspire a tremendous sense of personal and collective wellbeing for members of the neurodiverse community.

                          Testimonials from the European Capital of Culture

“This play is beautiful”.

“You created something that’s transcendent and rare”.

“An absolute joy, powerful and moving”.

 “It’s brilliant. Anthony is an outstanding actor”.

 “An amazing piece of theatre”.

   “I’ve not seen anything like it before, it was excellent”.

   “OMG. It was brilliant”.

  “Stunning writing”.

   “It reduced me to tears”.

  “Wonderful choreography”.

  “This play needs to go global”.

THE ARTISTIC TEAM 

For our production at the Young Vic, we have brought together an incredible team of award-winning artists.

Director & Writer: Paul Anthony Morris is the Artistic Director of Crying in the Wilderness Productions and the visionary behind the company’s unique theatrical style, Theatre of the Soul. Paul is the recipient of numerous awards: Adopt A Playwright Award, Peggy Ramsay Award and an Edinburgh Fringe First. His plays: 35 Cents and Identity, were published by Oberon.

                                                Stage review: 35 Cents 

   "These scenes are utterly compelling they lend the piece something of a filmic                                quality and a sense of depth which is rare onstage".

• Lead Actor: Anthony Ofoegbu, who plays the character Fidel, was nominated for Best Actor Award, for the play, My Children, My Africa, for the OffWestEnd Awards in 2015. Over the past 20 years, Anthony has worked with some of the most iconic theatre makers and practitioners such as: Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka, Jude Kelly (CBE), Paulette Randall (MBE), Stephen Berkoff and the RSC’s Angus Jackson, Iqbal Khan, Blanche McIntyre and Bijan Sheibani. He has also appeared in the feature film, Moonfleet and starred in Bad Day.

                                  Independent review: My children my Africa

       "Anthony Ofoegbu is shatteringly good as Mr M, showing you the kind of inspirational pedagogue who harbours a great deal of inner loneliness".

•  Actress: Rachel Summers trained at A.L.R.A and The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, receiving an Acting Diploma and Masters-Degree in Screen Acting. Rachel’s film credits include, Calloused Hands, with actor Andre Royo and actress Daisy Haggard in the teen horror, The Coven. Rachel has also appeared in many TV commercials and numerous live theatre productions.

                                 Guardian review:  The Upstart Crow

        "Rachel Summers moves fluently between comedy and tragedy in a Twelfth                                              Night/Othello mashup subplot".

• Actor: Filip Krenus is a classically trained actor with a wealth of experience performing in the UK and in Europe. Over the past three years, Filip has been touring in numerous Shakespearean plays: Romeo & Juliet, Richard III and Macbeth, in Croatia, Germany, Bermuda and Poland.

                                    My Theatre review: The right ballerina

       "Filip Krenus as Mr X, representative of an organisation protesting the ballet            company’s performances due to Penny’s party membership, is of panto villain              proportions and easy to hate in the face of his cold, relentless bullying".

Set Designer: Sean Cavanagh is a world-class, award-winning set designer, whose creative influence has captivated audiences at more than 400 productions all over the world.

         Live theatre review: Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat

"A great attraction of these tours is the costumes and sets, and this show looks very good indeed, with designer Sean Cavanagh giving us a teasing glimpse of his version of the glory that was Egypt". 

Lighting Designer: Jack Weir is a five-time Off West-End nominee for Best Lighting Design and was also nominated for a WhatsOnStage Lighting Designer award. Jack won the ETC award in 2014 and the LIT Award for his design on, Judy, in 2017. Jack also works across a broad range of theatre, opera and musical productions.

                                          Evening Standard review: Judy

          "Jack Weir's lighting is exceptional: moody, insistent and faintly dream-like.                               The way he uses light to shape scenes is exemplary". 

Choreographer: Shane Shambhu, an award-winning choreographer, trained in the classical dance tradition, Bharatanatyam, with Pushkala Gopal and Unnikrishnan in London. Shane is also a creative visionary who seamlessly integrates a variety of artistic practices in theatre such as, opera, music, mime, circus and film.

                                    Edinburgh Fringe review: Power Games

   "Power Games blends character-driven physical theatre with contemporary and      South Asian dance in a powerful, interactive exploration of the forces that                                                                 shape our destiny". 

Sound Designer & Composer: A visionary composer, Florian Bel has worked in the capacity of composer, MD and band leader with jazz ensembles, symphony orchestras, choirs, theatre companies and dance ensembles, in live and studio sessions. Credits include: The Union Chapel, The Barbican Centre, the Royal Elizabeth Hall and various festivals in the UK and France.

HOW WE WILL USE YOUR DONATIONS 

As stated earlier, due to the cancellation of our production in 2020, and in tandem with our legal obligations to compensate our team of creatives, artists and managers due to loss of earnings, we now have a shortfall in our budget of £5,500 for the relaunching of our production at the Young Vic.  

In light of the current concerns over a potential lockdown from January to April 2022, through your donations we will be able to  mitigate against it's impact by filming, for the first time the entire production and making it accessible to the public, via the Young Vic's livestream platform, on  the dates scheduled for the actual live performances. 

Upscaling the technology of our set, lighting and sound design will make it possible for us  to;  a) enhance the sensory capacity of the sound design so that visually impaired and neurodiverse members of the community can continue to attend our performances with the wider general public, and, b) reduce the carbon footprint by embracing a greener lighting design by using  eco-friendly LED lights, which use approximately five times less energy than halogen lights for our three-week production run. 

The objectives highlighted in our proposal are really achievable and so we are asking for your help to support us in our endeavor. Thank you.

This project successfully funded on 29th December 2021