We sat down for an exclusive interview with Sam Danson – a Manchester-born actor, writer and journalist whose work explores masculinity, shame, and bisexual identity with warmth and humour. His new play, Daddy’s First Gay Date (directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair) is a queer rom-com set in the North of England about a man who’s on the cusp of fatherhood and on his first-ever date with a man.
Daddy’s First Gay Date is at the Seven Dials Playhouse from 28th October to 16th November 2025. For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk/shows/daddys-first-gay-date
Daddy’s First Gay Date follows BI-TOPIA. What made you want to tell this next chapter of queer self-discovery?
There are so many stories that could be told about queer self-discovery, everybody’s journey is different. This project was my first step into stories beyond my autobiographical experience; therefore I wanted to look at two very different, yet often under-represented experiences.
How much of the small-town setting reflects your own experience of growing up in the North?
A lot of the play is inspired by the vast difference in growing up in a small town/village, vs my adult life of living in Manchester. The lead character in this story clearly has been affected by growing up with no people around him that are queer, which is sadly the experience many people have, so then to be queer feels very unusual and uncomfortable.
When I moved to Manchester, it was totally different, and through the years of getting to know more people, I became far more comfortable with my identity.
The play’s both funny and raw. How do you find the balance between comedy and vulnerability?
It’s important to always know who the comedy is aimed at, who the ‘butt’ of the joke is, as long as that’s in the right place, the balance is often easy enough to strike. I always want to make sure the comedy is adding to the deeper themes, as opposed to undermining them. Real life contains funny moments in even the darkest of times, so comedy can always be there when exploring serious themes, it just takes thinking about to make sure it’s truly serving the story.
Why choose a rom-com format to explore masculinity, shame, and sexuality?
I knew I wanted to explore the highs and lows of queer dating, then as the project developed, it became clear that it should take inspiration from rom-coms, it’s such an enjoyable genre, and applying places and people rarely seen within that genre felt important. After sharing a work-in-progress to a public audience in Chester, we decided it should be a 2-act play. This allowed us to take the characters on a bigger over-arching journey, allowing us to explore each character more, and tell a complete story.
Tim’s character adds a layer about race and queerness. How did you approach that dynamic?
It felt important to me to approach that character sensitively, as it is very far from my own personal experiences. I spent a lot of time talking to the director, and also to the actor (Dior Clarke) who I cast before fully writing the character. I wanted to make sure the character authentically explored that aspect of dating/lived experience.
You’re performing your own writing again. What feels different this time around?
This was the first time I’d written fictional work to this scale, for other actors to perform. It was a new challenge, but something I’ve very much enjoyed. This show is highly energetic and chaotic, and so it was great having other actors on stage to interact with.