Daon Broni tells us about his new role in Holy Sh!t

Holy Sh!t opened in The Kiln theatre last week. Formerly known as the Tricycle, it reopened after two years. 

Holy Sh!t tells the story of two 40-something couples who want to get their four-year-old children into a Church of England School which has limited spaces.

Simone (played by Dorothea Myer-Bennett) and Sam (played by Daniel Lapaine) are a Jewish couple from London. White British Juliet (Claire Goose) who was friends with Simone in Oxford, is married to Nick (Daon Broni), of Nigerian descent.

Tensions rise between the two couples as Simone and Sam, who are both atheist and non-Christian start attending the same church to get their child a place in the school. 

Daon Broni has done a lot of theatre and television over the years. I remember him for his role as home economics teacher Damien in the television series Teachers (2004). I asked  Broni what attracted him to this particular play.

“Firstly, the script is so well written by Alexis Zegerman” he explains, “I immediately understood the plight of the characters both as two couples and also as parents who want the best for their children”.

Broni was particularly struck by the character he played, Nick, and “the choices he makes as a black man in the UK”. “It’s the first play I have been involved in that I feel has touched on race in such an important and accurate way,” says Nick.

I asked him if he identifies with the 40-something character he is playing. 

Even though Broni is not a parent himself he tells me, “as a black British man living in the UK, race plays a very important part in daily life – whether you recognise it or not. “The idea of minimising yourself” continues Broni “or recalibrating to maintain the status quo and to keep the peace is a situation that I think many BAME people can identify with”.

So what was the biggest challenge you found in playing this role?

“I think getting to grips with the language of the play which is deceptively conversational and relaxed, but actually requires us as actors to be on the front foot all time, driving through with the characters thoughts and keeping a sprightly pace,” he explains.

Finding a place for their child in school is a very real anxiety for a lot of parents in the UK today. What sort of person is going to love this show?

“The short answer is everyone – because I think the themes of the play are universal – religion, race, parenthood, personal identity,” concludes Broni.

Holy Sh!t runs until 6th of October 2018,  at the Kiln Theatre London.