David Bedella is one of the most recognisable performers in British theatre. Three Olivier Awards, major roles across musicals, plays and screen work, and a loyal audience that follows him across genres. He has led productions such as Jerry Springer The Opera, In the Heights, Juliet and The Rocky Horror Show. For all his achievements, he speaks in a grounded, warm way that centres people and collaboration. He often returns to one idea. Everything begins with connection.

His new project, Daniel’s Husband, brings him into a story filled with intimacy, humour and emotional impact. The play by Michael McKeever receives its UK premiere at Marylebone Theatre from 4 December 2025 to 10 January 2026, directed by Alan Souza for Plastered Productions. The cast includes Luke Fetherston, Raiko Gohara, Joel Harper Jackson and Liza Sadovy, with design by Justin Williams, lighting by Jamie Platt and sound by Sarah Weltman. This marks the London launch of Plastered Productions.

The story follows a couple who believe they have built a secure life together until an unexpected situation forces them to examine everything they assumed would remain stable. It touches on love, safety and the unspoken decisions that shape long term relationships. For David, the script reached him immediately.

What made you interested in Daniel’s Husband and the role of Barry?

David remembers the moment the script arrived.
“My agent gave me the play. She said there’s been a call for it and they have interest in you. Do you want to take some time to read it?” Normally he takes a couple of days to read a script, but this time was different. “I picked up the play and within one afternoon I had gone from start to finish,” he says. His partner even pointed it out. “You never devour a play like that.”

The story struck him on a deep level. He describes it as haunting and funny, but with a seriousness that stayed with him. “It took me to a place where I started thinking I’ve never even entertained the possibility that this could happen in my relationship. And if it does, am I prepared?”

The play looks at love, relationships and identity. What part feels most real to you?

He says the relationship side feels closest.
“One of the reasons that I do the work that I do is because I am so interested in relationship all the time,” he explains. The theatre world, to him, is full of camaraderie and openness, and the play reflects this truth. “Relationship is the most important thing that we have in the theatre.”

How was it working with director Alan Souza on this production?

A fond smile comes when Alan’s name appears.
“He’s very fun. He keeps me on my toes,” David says. “He sees every tiny little detail, which at first can be unnerving, and eventually you realise this is my friend right here.”

They connected fast. “We felt like old friends right from the beginning,” he says. They share cultural references that only someone from the same era would catch. “He uses references that no one else understands except me.”

How would you describe the mood of the play for someone who has not seen it yet?

He answers plainly.
“It’s funny, touching, upsetting and alarming,” he says. He believes people should know this before they arrive. “Some people don’t want something that’s going to really challenge them and make them think.” The story crosses the full emotional spectrum.

“There’s a moment where love becomes more important than conviction.”

Is there a moment in the show that moves you the most each night?

David describes a moment of emotional shift.
“There’s a moment where one of the lead characters realises that his love is more important than his convictions,” he says. This touches something personal for him. “If it offends or bothers my partner, I’m going to shift it. My role is there.”
This understanding sits at the heart of the story.

Did the play make you think differently about love and commitment?

He nods and repeats himself.
“Yes. Yes, it did.”
Working on the play has raised the importance of partnership and marriage in his mind. “That’s gone up a few notches since I began work on the play.”

What would you want younger audiences to understand when they watch the play?

He reflects on his own early twenties.
“I remember being in my twenties and thinking I just knew everything,” he says. He hopes younger audiences loosen their assumptions. “These older and fundamental beliefs are there for a reason. I would encourage them to let go and listen.”

Anything else you would like people to know before they come?

He wants audiences to know they will laugh.
“Within the gay community there’s a way of speaking and behaving that is uniquely our own,” he says. “It’s sharp and very loving. All of those things exist strongly in this play.”

What keeps you inspired across theatre, film and television?

David returns to connection again and again.
“When I start a new project, the thing I’m most excited about is that I’m going to be in a room with twenty new people,” he says.

He also describes the union between performer and audience.
“Suddenly you and two thousand people are connected in a very special way. It doesn’t happen anywhere else.”

His family forms another part of this circle. “My sisters say, Dave, can you send some pictures? Are we allowed to read the play before you do it?” These moments keep him grounded and inspired.

You have won three Olivier Awards. How did those moments change the way you see your work?

He answers with humility.
“I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have won three,” he says. Awards were never his goal. What they gave him was reassurance. “It’s validation from your peers.”
Actors often wonder if they are doing things well. “When you get to that third one, you think I might be doing this all right.”

What makes you say yes to a new story?

He often says yes because of the people behind the project.
He recalls meeting director Luke Shepherd for In the Heights.
“I loved the show but had no drive to be in it,” he says.
Then Luke sat down with him for coffee.
“I was thinking, this kid is so smart. I really want to work with him.”
That meeting changed everything.

Which role taught you the most?

He speaks again about In the Heights.
“My early career was all as a dancer. I did all the big splashy shows,” he says. London offered him roles that relied on presence and scale, until this show asked for something different.
“I remember thinking, they’re not going to like this because it’s not what I do.”
But the audience and critics embraced it, showing him a new direction in his work.

“I picked up the play and within one afternoon I had gone from start to finish.”

How do you bring vulnerability to strong characters?

He looks for what sits beneath the strength.
“When somebody is behaving in a way that is big and strong, it’s often because there’s an insecurity they’re trying to cover,” he says.
Once he understands the hidden layer, the vulnerability appears naturally in small choices. “It allows the character to be human.”

What do you value most in collaboration?

He speaks with clarity.
“Safe space,” he says.
Actors need room to explore. “You have to know you can be a fool, you can embarrass yourself, you can make mistakes and you’re not going to be ridiculed.”
When the room is safe, people go further.
“If you’re going to fail, fail big.”

David hopes audiences come ready to feel the full range of the story. Daniel’s Husband brings humour, tenderness, conflict and emotional truth. It asks people to think about love, choice and responsibility long before a crisis arrives. The script stayed with him long after the first read, and he hopes it does the same for everyone who enters the theatre.

Tickets and Dates

Daniel’s Husband runs at Marylebone Theatre from 4 December 2025 to 10 January 2026, with the national press night on 9 December.
Tickets are available through the Marylebone Theatre box office.

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