Danny Diva
"To be or not to be. That is NOT the question. I decided long ago to be. For me it is what to be. Make me a suggestion. Good or bad…which is best for me?"
Settle down my dears and listen. This play, you see, is a sort of an Ugly Duckling thing.
A coal miner's son comes to London from Newcastle and finds his inner swan. As a Drag Queen.
He's a deaf drag queen who loves to sing
He joins a drag troupe. He is the star. Danny is tough. That's his name. Danny Diva. It's the early nineties, and Danny Diva dies. It's before the pills. Danny Diva dies of AIDS.
Jean, his Mummy. Lovely lady. She is devastated and sets off, with her small pink fifties suitcase, to inferno, in search of the truth about her boy. And then it all gets a bit weird, she has to fight a lion and a spotted leopard and a she wolf.
She meets Virgil, the poet, on roller skates. Inferno is not like she expects. Inferno is the roller disco, in Central Park, New York City, all rather good fun really. Then they meet Malacado, the devil with the pitchfork who has a fondness for high heels and blood red handbags. Off they go through the seven circles of hell, and several super big musical numbers, in search of Danny…Do they find the truth about their boy?… The outcome, my dears, is for you to find out…
"His song was without pitch whatsoever. It made no sense of the tune, but had the greatest sense of humanity. It was loud and full of meaning and passion. I remember that performance so clearly. If anyone tells me 'I can't sing', I tell them that story." - Robyn Archer.
Produced by Fittings and written by award winning playwright Russell Barr, Danny Diva is a new play with songs inspired by the life of legendary BlooLips performer Diva Dan with music by Tayo Akinbode.
If you've been to see Danny Diva we would love it if you would take some time to download and complete our audience feedback form by clicking on the following link: Feedback Form
Fill in as much as you want to and send it back to us at Fittings Multimedia Arts, at the Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX. You can also email it back to us at adrian@fittings.org.uk. Thank you x
Listings:
Thursday Sept. 18th - Saturday Sept. 20th 7:30pm (2:30 & 7:30pm Sat 20th)
Royal Exchange Theatre, St Anne's Square, Manchester, M2 7DH.
£9.50 (£6.50)
0161 833 9833
Thursday Sept. 25th & Friday Sept. 26th 8:00pm
the Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BX.
£8.00 (£6.00)
0151 702 5324
Monday Sept. 29th - Saturday Oct. 4th 9.00pm
Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London, W1D 3NE.
Mon/Tue £10. Wed-Sat £15 (£12.50)
020 7478 0100