An audio drama by Yasmin Joseph in collaboration with HMP Downview Theatre Company
“We will always be too loud for a world that never intended on listening to us. But we’ll speak all the same.”
The malevolent beast Darkness has taken the voices of all women on earth, but a group of magical women in the clouds create their own proposal for resisting Darkness's power. Will they succeed or will Darkness silence them for good?
A Proposal for Resisting Darkness was created with a group of women at HMP Downview and playwright Yasmin Joseph during a series of workshops. The play was the outcome of Clean Break’s participation in Inspiring Futures, a research project involving leading arts in criminal justice organisations and the University of Cambridge and led by the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance. A Proposal for Resisting Darkness was originally directed by Anna Herrmann and first performed by HMP Downview Theatre Company inside the prison in 2022.
To extend the reach of this abstract yet relatable play, A Proposal for Resisting Darkness has been adapted into an audio drama, originally broadcast across the prison estate of England and Wales on National Prison Radio and now available online on Clean Break’s Knowledge Hub.
Self-care guide
A Proposal for Resisting Darkness is overall, an uplifting play, however there are some themes which some people might not want to engage with, so we have created a self-care guide, including content notices, self-care tips and other useful information. Download the self-care guide here.
Credits
Playwright - Yasmin Joseph in collaboration with HMP Downview Theatre Company
Director - Anna Herrmann
Cast – Lisa-Marie Ashworth, Shona Babayemi, TerriAnn Cousins, Polly Frame, and Jade Small
Producer (Clean Break) - Maya Ellis
Producer (Prison Radio Association) - Perri Hurley
Assistant Producer (Prison Radio Association) - Richie Makepeace
Executive Producer (Prison Radio Association) - Andrew Wilkie
With thanks to The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, Clinks, University of Cambridge, and Arts Council England for their support.
This is a Clean Break production in association with Prison Radio Association.
