We sat down with Nathan Queeley-Dennis whose play, Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, returns to the Royal Exchange from Oct 28-30. Winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2022, this debut play is a love letter to Birmingham, exploring Black masculinity through Beyonce lyrics, techno raves and the deeply intimate relationship between a man and his barber. Directed by Dermot Daly.
Your play explores Black masculinity in a unique way. How did you come to see places like the barbershop and techno raves as such a central space for this exploration?
I think the unexpected places we go to are usually the most eye-opening spaces if that makes Sense. Being a kid and going to a busy barbershop on a Saturday you’d learn so much, from what the people in those spaces said and did some good and some bad. Then a rave is a place with no inhibitions, a lot of the spaces the play exists in are places where you’re very exposed and as it’s a constant dialogue with the audience they get to see and experience that.
The play weaves together themes of love, identity, music and Beyoncé lyrics. Can you talk about why music resonated with the themes you wanted to explore?
I think music, specifically music is sort of the soundtrack to life and I think the cultural impact black music has had on the world is never truly considered, with this play I used techno, mainly because at the time I stumbled into learning about the history of it. All these people started these genres with love in their hearts and a clear sense of identity before it got stripped from them. I think that’s a similar theme to what the character goes through in Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz.
Winning the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is an incredible achievement. How has this recognition shaped your journey as a playwright?
Winning the Bruntwood Prize shaped my journey massively as I was probably the only person in the world referring to myself as a writer. It’s been life-changing and has opened so many doors for me, I’d encourage writers of all ages to apply.
How did you come up with this character’s confident yet vulnerable voice?
It came quite easily. I think the writing process started with this overly confident character then as time went on and I looked back I realised the character himself was actually really vulnerable. Maybe that’s a snapshot into my brain when I first started writing this and when I finished writing it.
Birmingham plays a significant role in the story. What was important to you about
representing your hometown, and how does it shape the character’s journey?
I just think I could’ve set this play anywhere to make it more palatable for other audiences. However, I also think there’s a specificity that comes with place and setting this in Birmingham makes sense, even if you don’t know or have never been to Birmingham it just clicks.
Also, it was important as I grew up watching shows set in different cities and spaces, and Birmingham and a lot of the Midlands are never set there. So why not just switch it around.