Dermot Daly on Nathan Queeley-Dennis's Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz at Leeds Playhouse
With a few successes behind them, we wanted to spotlight Kash Arshad, Sameena Hussain and Dermot Daly. As I wrote at the time, in August 2022, the ‘ripples they were making feel on the verge of becoming a big wave’.
At the risk of this turning into a back patting exercise, all three have continued to impress and entirely justified the tone of that celebratory article, even in the space of just two years. One of those directors, Dermot Daly, will see his work come to Leeds later this month on a wave of praise. Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, which Daly directed, arrives at Leeds Playhouse with all kinds of awards and five star reviews behind it.
It's been so edifying to see the success of Kash and Sameena who were also featured in that article, they've also gone on to do amazing things. "Those two years, personally, have been quite frenetic. I've learnt a lot, grown a lot, done some amazing things with amazing people,” says Daly. “When that piece went out we were in the throes of My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored at the Fringe in Edinburgh, ahead of a national tour. Since then I’ve directed radio plays for the BBC, including Kafka’s Dick, which saw Mark Heap take home the Best Actor Awards at the BBC Audio Drama Awards earlier this year. I’ve written and co-directed an award-winning short film, directed the 2022 Bruntwood Prize ceremony.”


The list really does go on. Daly has also worked as the interim artistic director of Bradford’s Freedom Studios and directed a presentation at this year’s London Fashion Week. Then there’s Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz. Shortlisted for the richest prize in theatre, the Bruntwood, the one-man play from Nathan Queeley-Dennis, which is already on a second national tour and for which Daly was recently nominated as Best Director at the Black British Theatre Awards.
“On my first read I knew that it (Bullring) was a special piece of work from an exciting and fresh theatrical voice. And then I met Nathan. He's just joy in human form, a true wit and a grafter with a real sense of what he wants to say,” says Daly. “I lobbied hard to be a part of bringing the show to the stage and obviously it worked out. I knew we were onto something special when I met our superstar producer Ellie Keel. As the co-founder of the Women’s Prize and the Stage Producer of the Year, it’s fair to say she knows what she’s doing.”
The team had a hit on their hands. An endearing play about a young man preparing for a date and grappling with what black masculinity means - with the help of Beyonce - it is an impressive debut.
“It goes without saying that I love this play - really love it - and seeing that other people do so as well is massively edifying. Seeing Nathan fly every night on stage, never sitting still, always finding something new is an indescribable joy. The massively positive response only adds to this. I tend to think that if we can reach just one person in every show we've done a job, to do that and more on every performance is magic.”


That said, Daly admits he is surprised by just how lauded the play has become already in its short life. “In truth, I am, yeah. I don't think you can second guess what is going to fly but I'm really glad that this one has. Critical acclaim is a difficult thing to gauge - maybe we've captured the moment at the right time, or maybe - and this is my guess - it's almost impossible to not come away from this show with something that makes your heart sing and your mind think; something for everyone. I'm just grateful that it is loved and continues to be. Theatre is important, stories are important and giving a chance for representation and commonality to exist between story and audience is the dream.”
Despite the plaudits for his work since we threw the spotlight on Daly and his fellow directors two years ago, the director isn’t into grabbing the spotlight. “Nominations and recognition like that is a reflection on the whole team,” he says. “Theatre is a team sport and I guess - to use footballing parlance - the director is merely the manager, and I would argue that every director wants to be a Bielsa or a Klopp - respected for what they do for the team over and above themselves. That's my job, creating spaces for people to be excellent - that’s the biggest prize. Art is not a competition, when one of us wins, we all do, especially those of us who feel like we're on the outside for whatever reason.”
Alongside Bullring, Daly is also at the helm of Luna Loves Library Day, the Musical, a touring show for children, he’s working on a documentary for BBC World Service and is an associate director on a Bradford 2025 immersive theatre project. In short, it feels like we might be returning to another article with Daly soon.
Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, Leeds Playhouse, October 23-25. leedsplayhouse.org.uk