Meet Dan
Who are you?
I’m Dan. I’m a queer trans male, a playwright and a musician, a hopeless romantic and a lover of poetry, iced coffee and happy endings. I’m simultaneously over- and under-dressed, a bookshop cat in a big blue coat. I’m a uni student living in Aberdeen with three former strangers, 42 books and several houseplants named after ancient greek heroes. I’m doing my best. My favourite colour is Lavender.
How did you get here?
I started with amateur dramatics - pantomimes, youth theatres and the like, which got me hooked, and after a few years of consuming just about every piece of theatre I could find, I started to write my own shows. My first play was a TERRIBLE one act, which I can hardly bear looking at now, but was an important thing for me at the time. It was the first time I’d written my own representation. It’s rare that I see anyone much like me in any form of media, but watching my friends stumble through that first reading of my own work, all of us barely pushing 14, our identities ever-changing as we tried to figure it all out, new words in our mouths, it was like looking in a mirror for the first time in my life. Four years later, I’m still in search of that mirror.
In the last year, I got to work with the Scottish Book Trust through their Storyboard program, as part of which I received mentoring from a professional playwright. This helped my writing immensely, as well as my overall confidence as someone who makes theatre, and particularly queer-focused theatre. I applied for Sanctuary with that new-found confidence, and here I am - still learning to be proud, but very much looking forward to whatever the future holds.
What does the concept of sanctuary mean to you?
A domestic moment. Just a second of pure, unfiltered humanity. Brushing hands with someone you love while walking through a park. The tension in the air before the curtain goes up, the lights low and the vibes electric. Finally deciding where to put the sticker. Re-finishing your favourite book and just lying there, remembering the characters and the journey you’ve been on. Golden dust floating in the morning air, swirling in unison with the steam from a cup of tea.
What does your sanctuary look like?
Dairy-free ice cream and a night watching musicals with friends, sitting quietly with your head on Someone’s shoulder, the moment just before drunk but long past tipsy, when everything is floating and suddenly you’re incredibly, magically light. The lapping of the sea against pebbles, glittering in soft dusk. An unmade bed, and a bagel in the toaster.