An Interview with Writer and Performer, Daniel Bye

Award-winning writer and performer Daniel Bye is returning to the stage with Imaginary Friends, his first new solo show in seven years. A darkly comic exploration of grief, truth, and the blur between reality and performance, the play follows a struggling TV comedian haunted – quite literally – by visions of infamous media personalities. Ahead of dates in Scarborough, Doncaster and Leeds, Daniel discusses the personal roots of the story, the challenge of tackling complex themes with humour, and how imaginary figures can say the things we might never dare to…

What inspired Imaginary Friends? Where did the idea of a grieving comedian and his imaginary media pals come from?
At first I was thinking about the voices of conscience in peoples’ heads – that nagging voice that tells you something is or is not the right thing to do. And then I thought, how do we know to trust this voice? It’s just as likely the voice of fear or avarice or pain as it is the voice of something honest and good and true. And then I thought, who’d be the worst people we could listen to. Piers Morgan was top of the list.

How do grief and media satire come together in the show? Was it tricky to balance something so personal with something so political?
The central character’s grief wasn’t present in early drafts of the script, but something wasn’t working. He needed a bigger push to take the plunge into making choices as bad as the ones he makes in the story. And at the time I was writing it, my best friend was dying. Callous as it sounds, as soon as the thought occurred to me of incorporating that experience into the show, I knew it would work. Everyone has some experience of grief and the ways it affects our choices. It humanises this character who could otherwise just seem pretty monstrous.

It’s been seven years since your last solo show. How has your approach changed since then – and what’s it like being back on stage alone?
It’s a bit like coming home. I love the purity of the relationship between me and the audience with nothing between us. Since making that last show I’ve written a lot for other people, directed quite a bit, and toured one show in which I appeared with someone else. Every one of those experiences has given me something that’s informed how I now approach the solo work. But in another sense, it’s like getting back together with an old friend – everything’s changed, but also nothing’s changed.

You call this “a comedy about comedy”. What’s it like poking fun at satire itself – and do you really rewrite bits for each show?
I rewrite bits on a roughly weekly basis, sometimes more, sometimes less. It really just depends on whether the topical bits still feel topical. I don’t update them just for the sake of it, but just in the hope that they’ll land as something current. Those bits of the show are more-or-less directly satirical comedy, of the sort that other elements of the show raise questions about. I love satirical comedy but I’m ultimately unsure whether it really makes any difference at all.

How did Imaginary Friends evolve from its early version at Alphabetti Theatre? Did anything change significantly as you took it on tour?
The big changes have been in the world. The UK and the US have new governments so the political context has changed dramatically. That’s necessitated some fairly substantial rewrites. The basic shape of the show remains the same, but a handful of sections have been totally reworked. Alongside the topical material there have also been a lot of trims and tightens. I think the show is now leaner and meaner and funnier too.

The show asks if it’s ok to go too far when you’re ‘on the right side’. Where do you stand on that? And do you want audiences to feel uncomfortable?
There are definitely sections where some audiences might feel uncomfortable. Mostly this is because in those moments it’s not clear where I stand on this question – is this ok? Is this going too far? Is it ok to laugh at this? I don’t have a settled opinion on all of these questions and if I did I probably wouldn’t have needed to make the show. In the end the show probably does gently lean in one direction rather than the other. But it ends on a question I’m still asking myself!

You’re touring widely – including stops in Yorkshire. How have different audiences reacted? Any standout moments so far?
My favourite gig on the show so far might well have been Sheffield. I did the show having badly scalded my hand with boiling water that morning and as the show went on blisters were popping up on my hand. But the audience were so responsive and so up for it that I was able to forget about the pain in my hand for the duration of the show, and have a really good night.

Your solo shows all mix humour with big ideas. How does Imaginary Friends fit into that pattern – or break away from it?
It definitely fits! And like all those earlier shows, it’s not funny throughout – the humour has more meaning because of its opposite.

You’ve also made ensemble shows like How to Occupy an Oil Rig. What’s the biggest difference between working solo and with a team?
I always work with a team, but they’re not always on stage with me! The difference between performing with others and alone is in the nature of the relationship with the audience. If I’m on stage alone, it’s a monogamous relationship; if there are others on stage with me then the relationship is open. That’s fine if everyone’s consenting, but you have to get the balance right or someone will get jealous.

What’s next for you after this tour? Any new themes or formats you’re itching to explore?
My next new work is an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz for the Dukes in Lancaster. It’s on this summer! And it’s got a weird amount in common with Imaginary Friends – someone in an emotional crisis enters a fantasy world and goes on a crazy journey in which they learn an important lesson about themselves. The Wizard of Oz has a more unambiguously happy ending than Imaginary Friends but they still illuminate one another in startling ways.

‘Imaginary Friends’ visits Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough 13th May; Cast Doncaster 15th May & Old Woollen Leeds
12th June
For full tour dates visit danielbye.co.uk
images: Benjamin Smith