Artist Spotlight: Actor/Director/Writer/Filmmaker, DERMOT DALY

Dermot Daly was born in England. 

As an actor and performer, he has performed for radio, television, film and theatre. He has won awards for his radio work (BBC Norman Beaton Fellowship) and worked on an Olivier nominated theatre season. 

As a creative, he is a twice BBTA nominated director (2022 and 2024), directing, most notably in the last few years, the Bruntwood Award Winning Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz and children’s musical Luna Loves Library Day; produced and directed for radio/audio, notably co-directing Kafka’s Dick with Naked Productions/BBC Radio 3 which saw Mark Heap win Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 BBC Audio Drama Awards; has written, directed and/or produced short narrative films, promo spots and music videos; directed and acted as dramaturg on theatre plays and  lectures and directs at drama schools and universities. 

As a filmmaker he has won official selection status from over 100 international film festivals and been nominated or won several awards. A lot of his film work is produced through ‘chocolate bear’ which is an ongoing collaboration with his filmmaking partner Ivan Mack. 

He is an Associate Artist of Arts at the Arms, a performing arts organisation based in Yorkshire aiming to support local creatives share their practice, and has been the (Associate) Artistic Director of Freedom Studios as well as an associate faculty member of the New York Institute of Dance and Education. 

He is co-chair of One Tenth Human and a proud trustee of Wrongsemble, Mikron Theatre Company, RTYDS, Unlimited Theatre and The Amplify Project. 

Tell us about that one moment when you knew you wanted to work in the arts? 

I’m not sure that there was a specific moment but I think a love of story, allied with a burgeoning sense of self and a more acute awareness of the world as it is and/or could be began to dawn on me at some point in my teens. I had the good fortune to work with some awesome people as a teenager, many of those isolated experiences, whilst awesome at the time didn’t really make coherent sense until a lot later but those experiences and people are very much ‘to blame’. 

You’re a multi-hyphenate artist, and we’re seeing that more often these days. What has been the most rewarding part of building your career with this approach? And, on the flip side, what has been the most challenging? 

Kwame Kwei-Armah uses the term ‘slash’ artist to indicate the slash between ‘disciplines’, eg actor/director/writer…, I like the idea of slash moreso than hyphenate as I sense that what it is that you do becomes symbiotic – one thing impacts on (and needs) another, sometimes in unforseen and unintended ways. I would suggest that my career, what it is that I do, can only exist within this structure. I think the most rewarding part is the ability, every-so-often to stop and reflect on the journey… the ‘yes’ that led to that job, which led to meeting that person, which led to that thought, which led to that harebrained idea, which led to another ‘yes’; and so the cycle continues. The most challenging part, I sense, is the external perception that all is well and so that job that you might have been perfect for isn’t offered, or that that favour that could have made someone else’s life tangibly better wasn’t asked for or, that you’re not interested – I am! The idea of placing wedges in the doors that I’ve passed through and/or ladders to the windows I can see through feels massively important. 

What was the last play you saw that made an impact on you? 

I’m still – three years on – thinking about the brilliant Sap by Rafaella Marcus. I saw it at Paines Plough’s Roundabout at 2022’s Edinburgh Fringe and it’s everything that I think theatre should be – bold, expansive, unexpected, engaged, questioning. Jessica Lazar’s direction of Rebecca Banatvala and Jessica Clark’s outstanding performances was filled with nuance and wonder – it was impossible not to get sucked in. 

Given the challenges we’re facing as an industry, what keeps you hopeful? 

That we’re still here. That there’s a generation on their way who have the goods. That there is a generation who can see a path that wasn’t visibly open to my generation. That many of my generation are getting their flowers now and not after they’ve stopped working. That I’m able to help and mentor where and when I can. 

As a multi-talented individual, which of your talents do you enjoy exploring the most? 

I’m not sure I can privilege one over the other. Whatever I am doing at any moment in time tends to be the thing that I enjoy. 

You’re a Birmingham boy! What are your immediate hopes and goals for theatre outside of London? 

You have done your research! Whilst I will always be an Aston Villa fan, Yorkshire feels more like home. I honestly and fervently believe that outside of London there are stories and lives that need to be examined and celebrated but it shouldn’t be an either/or. If we are to tell our stories, whatever they may be, we need to be open to seeing those stories where they are and creating opportunities that are perceived as valid outside of the metropolitan capitals of the country. A step in that direction would be to consistently challenge the notion of the ‘regions’, a term often used pejoratively; challenging a snobbery that translates to the general perception of what is valid and worthy. Quite simply, allowing for there to be more work made outside of London that isn’t about London is a good start.  

Who were your creative inspirations growing up? 

Norman Beaton, Rudolph Walker, Lenny Henry, Nina Simone, Paul McGrath, Michael Stipe… so many. I think what unites all of these people is that they were ploughing a path that hadn’t been ploughed or that was overgrown with weeds. A pioneer is some with a lamp on their back – these folk were all pioneers. 

How do you let off steam? 

Sleep. Although not as often as I’d like. Being out in nature – a long summer walk is one of the best things in the world. That, and cooking. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into theatre? 

Don’t. Let theatre get to where you are. Theatre and performance is not something that you want to do, it’s something that you can’t not do. If that chimes then you’re in the right place. 

What’s coming up next for Dermot Daly? 

Lots on the horizon but most presently I’m Associate Director on Public Interest with the brilliant Common/Wealth Theatre Company which plays as part of Bradford 2025 in May; I’m directing Lost Girl by new writer Amy Lever in October – Amy is someone who I met during my tenure at Freedom Studios; a brilliant new writer with a gorgeous new piece. I’m also actively exploring avenues to work on The Next One Hundred Years with American playwright Caridad Svich – we’ve done some R&D already but are looking for partners who are interested in a form bending, genre hopping, future facing, performance piece which is thrilling and exciting – if there’s anyone interested, please do get in touch. Away from the making of work, I’ve edited a book – and this is a bit of an exclusive – called Being Black and British: Before During and After Drama School which will be published by Routledge in the autumn. It has contributions from across the profession, the training world(s) and academia – very proud of the contribution and change that it can (and hopefully will) inspire for Black British and other marginalised groups. Alongside this I’m still thrilled to continue working with the brilliant drama faculties and students at Leeds Conservatoire and Leeds Beckett University. Outside of all of that I’m open to offers!