Doncaster nightlife in the 90s takes centre stage in a new play at Cast

Children of the Night is the debut stage play by Doncaster-born writer Danielle Phillips. It is a dynamic coming-of-age story that follows Donny lass Lindsay as she pays tribute to the iconic

Doncaster nightclub Karisma, reliving memories of her notorious '90s escapades and her relationship with her ex-miner single dad. With uncertain times ahead, she faces a challenging question: When it feels like your best days are already behind you, how do you keep dancing?

The play has been commissioned by Cast as part of the theatre’s 10-year birthday celebrations, which features a full year of events running from January until December 2023.

Danielle is a neurodiverse theatre maker from Doncaster. Since graduating from the London Academy of Music and Drama in 2016, she has specialised in developing new writing and devised work for the stage, creating work with organisations including: The RSC, Royal Court, Traverse Festival, Camden People's Theatre, Hull Truck & Theatre 503. Her stage and screen credits include: Ben Elton’s The Upstart Crow (The Apollo Theatre 2022 & The Gielgud Theatre 2020); Masters of the Air, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks (Apple TV, 2021); and Spielberg’s Ready Player One (Warner Bros, 2018).

Danielle said: “This is a play, and a party. Donny nightlife is electric, unashamed, and infectious.  And there was no time quite like the heydays of the 90s.

“When I would tell people I was from Donny it was always met with ‘oh I've been on a Donny on a night out’, I quickly realised how iconic the town’s nightlife is on a national level.

“I am so proud to make a show in, about, and developed with my hometown. I interviewed over sixty people about their experience of the town. The script is, at its heart, a love letter to Donny, all things 90s and hopefully a fresh and truthful representation of the communities here.”

Children of the Night is supported by a 90s nightlife exhibition at Danum Gallery, Library and Museum created by Doncaster artists and has been developed from the memories of local people, in partnership with Cast, Right Up Our Street and Heritage Doncaster.

Children of the Night will be at Cast’s Second Space between 21-25 February at 7:45pm, with a 2:15pm Saturday matinee.

The Children of the Night: The Exhibition opens on Friday, February 3 at Danum Gallery, Library and Museum (DN1 3BZ). The exhibition explores experiences of Doncaster nightlife through recent history and features first-hand memories, testimony and memorabilia collected from local people.

Tickets are available here: https://castindoncaster.com/whats-on/children-of-the-night/