Daniel's Husband

From the very first scene the London premiere of Daniel’s Husband hits home and refuses to let go for an instant. Following his success with The Code at Southwark Playhouse, playwright Michael McKeever delivers a powerful and heart-breaking story that delivers another memorable night at the theatre. The cast are exemplary, each delivering a performance that is vivid, nuanced, and fiercely human.

Luke Fetherston and Joel Harper-Jackson’s portrayals of Mitchell and Daniel, a couple bound by trust, and a shared dream of a long life together, are searingly real and deeply moving.
When their carefully curated lives unravel under an unforeseen crisis, the emotional weight carried by these actors made me lean forward in my seat, breath caught, hearth aching. The tension, the grief, the uncertainty: you sense every heartbeat, every hesitation, every doubt.

David Badella as Barry brings a vital presence; compassionate, humorous, but always human. Raiko Gohara as Trip brings such youthful zest and a surprising support when tragedy hits. Liza Sadovy as Lydia, Daniel’s mother delivers a performance of such depth as she struggles with her emotions. These actors interactions provide their own perspective to the drama, underscoring how love and pain never exist in a vacuum.

But beyond the brilliance of the cast, what makes this production truly essential is the message at its core. Daniel’s Husband asks boldly where our strongest convictions should lie: in our hearts or in our minds. It shows how love, commitment, and morality collide. It challenges us to confront prejudice, assumption, and fear. And dares us to ask whether laws or the human capacity for care and loyalty should decide the fate of relationships. In doing this the play becomes not just theatre but a plea for empathy and human rights.

In a world where queer rights continue to be contested, this production feels vital and deeply humane. It never shies away from pain or complexity. Instead, it insists on the right to love and be loved.

Daniel’s Husband is one of the most powerful, necessary, and moving pieces of theatre that you are likely to see. Fight to get a ticket.


Photo credit: Craig Fuller