Interview with Danny Kirrane
Danny Kirrane plays Squeaky Dave.
Published: 2 April 2019
There’s something quite dark about seaside towns. There’s something dark about the fact that we’re at the end of a train line. There are lots people in the story who are on the edge - are they going to go or stay?
Tell us about your character.
I play Squeaky Dave the coach driver. He’s from Bognor, been there all his life. He’s like a nemesis to Toby’s character, Peter Green. He’s always winding him up. Anything he can do to wind Peter up, he’ll do it.
He’s quite a happy character. He enjoys his job and the camaraderie he has with the passengers. He’s a bit of a womanizer as well. He’s a joy to play. He’s hilarious really. Him and Peter have a love-hate relationship. He enjoys winding Green up and Green does get wound up by it - but I think Green enjoys it a little bit too. As a coach driver I think there’s a lot of boredom, so Dave’s not a bad person to have around. There’s never a dull moment with Squeaky Dave.
What can viewers expect from the show?
There’s a constant juxtaposition between the more lighthearted stuff and the darker stuff, but it’s never played for either. There’s a funny scene in which we take a group of pensioners to Dunkirk to pick up their booze and fags, but we pass by a dead body on the beach. In the show the juxtaposition is not sharp - it’s actually quite gentle. It’s fantastic.
How was working with Toby Jones?
Toby is really laid back and down to earth. He’s unbelievable at the job. For a young actor like me to come back to him, that’s so brilliant. The way he is bleeds into the rest of the cast. There’s a generosity of spirit. And we can ask him directly if there’s anything in the script that we’re not aware of.
What was it like to film in Bognor?
There’s something quite dark about seaside towns. There’s something dark about the fact that we’re at the end of a train line. There are lots people in the story who are on the edge - are they going to go or stay? Are they going to do this or that? Are they going to get together or stay apart?
You have the lightness of the pier and the slot machines, but there’s also a dark undercurrent - it's a mixture. It’s a very human show, because there’s both light and dark. It’s human without being preachy, that’s the joy of it. It’s not trying to be something its not, it offers itself up as a story and it’s up to the viewer to make their own decisions about the characters and the decisions they make. The characters are so deep. Obviously having an actor working with a playwright has really worked.
Credits
Peter Green / Barry Green - Toby Jones
Fran - Claire Rushbrook
Joy - Marcia Warren
Squeaky Dave - Danny Kirrane
Kayla - Erin Kellyman
Rita - Luwam Teklizgi
Brad - Jo Eaton-Kent
Lech - Dino Kelly
Cameron - Harry Gaythwaite
Micheal - Tim Preece
Maureen - Carol MacReady
Colin - Stephen Bent
Parish - Krrish Patel
Manju - Bharti Patel
Kieran - Wils Whittington
Ade - Luke Sullivan
Executive Producers Jane Featherstone, Naomi de Pear
Created by Tim Crouch
Written by Tim Crouch and Toby Jones
Produced by Holly Pullinger
Directed by Tim Kirkby
