The Unknown

Synopsis

In this experimental work, Crowe presents a series of vivid, disconnected scenes based on her own recorded dreams. The play follows an unnamed protagonist through a series of increasingly unsettling scenarios. From forgetting a baby under a bed to participating in colonial violence in Africa, and finally to engaging in urban warfare in Birmingham, the narrative moves through disparate settings and situations with dream-like fluidity.

Themes of colonialism, violence, and identity are woven throughout, often presented in stark, uncomfortable ways that challenge the audience to confront their own complicity in systemic injustices. The play’s structure, a series of disjointed scenes that loop and repeat, reflects the cyclical nature of trauma and the difficulty of truly “waking up” to reality.

The Unknown offers a provocative exploration of the subconscious mind, asking whether we can ever truly escape our deepest fears and prejudices. The play’s final lines, “Don’t wake up! Go back. Go back. Get back!” leave us questioning: Is it better to confront our uncomfortable truths or to retreat into the comfort of ignorance?