January 2024
Happy Sant Dwynwen’s Day!
Radio DJ Grant Mazzy was once king of the airwaves, but his big mouth and even bigger ego have reduced him to a washed-up star. Forced to leave the national stations behind, he finds himself at Beacon Radio, Pontypool’s little-known station in the South Wales valleys.
On a snowy St Dwynwen’s Day, Mazzy and his team settle in for another breakfast show of news, weather, traffic and call-ins. But things take a disturbing turn when muddled reports come in of an outbreak of riots and babbling crowds in the town.
Panic spreads. Terror closes in. Can Mazzy remain on air to make sense of it all, or will Pontypool fall silent?
Based on the original radio play by Tony Burgess which inspired the 2008 cult horror film, Pontypool is a new stage adaptation of the story that turned the zombie genre on its head.
Adapted for the stage by Hefin Robinson and directed by Dan Phillips, with immersive sound design by Ben Samuels.
A Wales Millennium Centre Production.
Click below to go to the website for tickets and more information.
June 2023
Dan was thrilled to bring Anne Washburn’s incredible to the UK for the first time with the third year students of Northampton University. To be able to share this play about what it takes to get a play through tech and in front of an audience feels very fitting in an age where theatre is struggling.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tech. Around you, a company of 12 is engaged in the very peculiar—and peculiarly impossible—task of making a new play. You’ll have a seat next to the sound designer as she mixes cues. You’ll eavesdrop on backstage gossip as it happens over headset. You’ll watch the director struggle to contain the uncontainable. Anne Washburn took notes during her tech rehearsals over the years. 10 Out of 12 is a wry and absorbing look at how work forms us and deforms us.
Click below to see the photo gallery.
July 2022
Dan’s multi-award nominated production of Dave Hendon’s Banana Crabtree Simon is having it’s final run at the The Space at Symposium Hall at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year. CJ De Mooi returns as Alan, in this beautiful but tragic exploration of early onset dementia.
After many years of directing plays for Edinburgh Fringe, this is Dan’s first time back since 2015, returning once again with CJ after their success with Harvey Fierstein’s International Stud.
Click below to book tickets.
June 2022
Dan’s multi-award nominated production of Dave Hendon’s Banana Crabtree Simon is returning for a run at the Other Room Theatre in Cardiff for limited run. CJ De Mooi returns as Alan, in this beautiful but tragic exploration of early onset dementia. This will be the welsh premiere of the play which is particularly special as CJ has lived locally for 16 years and Dan is from Swansea.
Click below to book tickets.
April 2022
Directed by Dan, Richard Harris' Stepping Out will embark on a new tour later this year.
The award-winning comedic play (adapted into a movie in 1991 with Liza Minnelli and Julie Walters) has been reworked by Harris to be set in the present day. It follows a group of tap dancers who are under the tutelage of a former professional. The show will visit Portsmouth, Dartford, Cardiff, Truro, Peterborough, Barnstaple, High Wycombe, Cheltenham and Eastbourne, with further dates to be announced.
For more information click below:
Dec 2021
Dan’s production of It’s a Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play opens this week at the University of Northampton which marks the third year actors’ first public production. This adaptation by Christine Foster sees a group of actors in 1948 on Christmas Eve take on the role of foley artists as ‘Charlie the sound guy’ is stuck in hospital.
Rehearsal photos can be found below.
Sept 2021
Dan is directing this exciting new play from award winning writer Bram Davidovich at the Hope Theatre in Islington. After a week’s research and development there is will be a limited run of public showings. This is a great opportunity to see a play in development and offer crucial feedback.
Production photos and reviews can be found below.
May 2021
Dan is off to Finland in July to direct Romulan Taiteellinen Teatteri’s summer production of King Lear. Performed in an abandoned fire station, a middle aged Lear abandons his post to go on a wild adventure to make up for his loss of youth. Translated into Finnish this production will run from the 17th July.
April 2021
Dan returns to Mountview Academy to direct Bob Carlton’s groundbreaking musical, Return to the Forbidden Planet.
Inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest and packed with rock ‘n’ roll classics this Olivier Award winning musical spectacular is performed by Mountview’s Actor Musicians. Prepare for blast off!
Sept 2020
Dan’s multi-award nominated production of Dave Hendon’s Banana Crabtree Simon is returning for a run at the Guildford Fringe for an incredibly limited time from the 12th - 14th November. CJ De Mooi returns as Alan, in this beautiful but tragic exploration of early onset dementia.
The venue will be following strict COVID guidelines so please check the link below for all the details.
May 2020
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and jolly old Saint Nick is off spreading love and goodwill to all men. But what about the one he leaves behind, year after year, pining by the tree, with nothing but merlot and mistletoe to keep her company.
As part of Mountview Academy’s festival - Catalyst in the Cloud - Dan is presenting his play ‘Escape Claus’ and will be available to watch on the link below:
April 2020
During this time of the unknown and lockdown Dan has been creating musical theatre themed pub quizzes which have been uploaded on YouTube. There will be a new one every Monday that the lockdown is in place and hopefully they will be an entertaining escape for an hour each week.
Link below.
April 2020
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, it was decided that The Edinburgh Fringe Festival will be cancelled for 2020 leaving no choice but to cancel Dan’s production of Dave Henden’s Banana Crabtree Simon. It will be back at some point in the future and hopefully there will be more news soon.
Mar 2020
Dan’s multi-award nominated production of Dave Hendon’s Banana Crabtree Simon is returning for a run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. Details and tickets will be available soon. .
Feb 2020
Dan has just finished directing Anne Washburn’s Mr Burns for Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, working with the actor-musicans on their final public production. Production images can be seen below.