Three directors who are breaking through and making exciting work in Yorkshire theatre

It’s an article that’s been in mind for some time, but the Lionesses roaring their way to victory provides the perfect excuse to share from the world of culture another example of the importance of role models.

For the past few years I’ve spotted a trend in West Yorkshire theatre, a quite small, specific trend involving three emerging directors who began to make ripples in the arts world waters.

Those ripples really do feel on the verge of becoming a big wave and it’s worth marking the moment. Kash Arshad, Sameena Hussain and Dermot Daly are three directors whose careers I’ve followed with particular interest in recent years for a number of reasons, but mainly because all three appear to be breakers of moulds, creators of paths; directors who are doing things differently.

When I ask them to gather together for a conversation for this article, it transpires that they have spotted the same thing among themselves.

“One of the reasons we are all growing the way we are at the same time is because we’re a community, we are all about the collective.

“There was a period last year where all three of us had shows coming out at the same time and we were all shouting about each other’s work. We champion each other and care about each other’s work and I feel like I know Dermot and Kash really well, even though I could probably count the hours that we’ve actually spent in each other’s company on one hand,” says Hussain.

Why is this attitude significant? Despite it being called out - a lot - over the years, it is only recently that the theatre industry has started to honestly and openly tackle the monoculture that has dominated for decades.

It was as recently as 2016 that Andrew Lloyd Webber described British theatre as ‘hideously white’ and the truth is if you want to succeed in the industry, particularly as a director, being a white, Oxbridge educated man is really the best place to start.

Hussain, Arshad and Daly already break that mould, being neither white nor Oxbridge graduates.

But, the industry is unforgiving and there have been many that came before this trio that weren’t able to stay the course. Arshad and Daly began as actors and both took the path into directing after growing weary at the roles they were offered.

“I didn’t want to be on Crimewatch,” says Daly. “I didn’t want to play a young black man who was a rapist, or dangerous, or whatever because I don’t want to engage in the perpetuating of those stereotypes. We have all gone through certain things in the industry and I think we reached an age, five, six years ago, where we thought ‘actually, I don’t want to do that any more’. What happened next is that we just kept going and kept remembering the stuff we didn’t want to do.

“I think what’s happened is that instead of asking people to really ‘see’ us, we’re seeing each other and that in turn is making other people in the industry see us.” Arshad adds: “We do it even without the titles or the shows, or even when we’re between jobs, we still shout about each other and about our work.”

After years of doing the work, being each other’s cheerleaders and staying true to themselves, all three directors reached, over the past couple of years, a tipping point.

Hussain is now associate director at Leeds Playhouse, Arshad is associate director at Stephen Joseph Theatre and Daly is associate artistic director at Bradford’s Freedom Studios. In recent years Daly has directed My Voice Was Heard for Red Ladder Theatre Company, Arshad has been at the helm of Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile for Freedom Studios and Hussain recently brought I Wanna Be Yours to the stage - all very recent highlights in increasingly impressive careers. The victories have been hard won. “As much as we are a community, the truth is it has been lonely.

Navigating these (theatre) spaces has been lonely and you spend a lot of time wondering if you’re good enough, if you deserve a space here,” says Hussain.

“I’ve said no to more work than I’ve said yes to, which means it takes twice as long to build a body of work, but I have to say ‘I know you think that I’m an expert in forced marriage because of who you see me as’ but I’m not, so I don’t make work like that. I listened to the voice that said ‘this makes me uncomfortable and so I’m saying no’.”

As well as the fact that all three of these directors on the cusp of big breakthrough moments happen to be people of colour, there is the added, somewhat unusual fact that they are all Yorkshire based and committed to the region. “You’re told that you have to go to London if you want to work in the industry, but I’ve lived up and down the M62 and have made it work up here,” says Arshad. “West Yorkshire is just my favourite place and I think it’s important to stay here and make work here. If you never stay, then people will always say you have to leave to make it in the industry.”

He adds: “When Mona Hammond died a few weeks back, I read something about pioneers and it’s that pioneers are people who walk through the dark with a lamp on their back.

“When they stop, you need to pick up the lamp and carry it for the people behind you.”