Peter Darney

Peter is an exciting, up-and-coming Welsh writer and director. Has recently worked as second unit director on high-end BBC miniseries LOST BOYS AND FAIRIES for Duck Soup Films, and shadowed James Kent on a Directors UK and Screenskills run placement. He recently directed and executive produced LGBTQ+ feel good Welsh language short film TETH for Iris Prize Festival’s opening night, commissioned by S4C and produced by Beastly Media, which was later selected for BFI Flare.

His play 5 GUYS CHILLIN’ was named one of “Ten Plays That Shaped Queer Theatre History” in the Evening Standard. It won Best LGBT Play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as previously winning a Brighton Fringe Award for LGBTQ Theatre and 2 Dublin International Gay Theatre festival awards, and won the Boyz Scene Award for Best London Play. It had a combined run of 6 months at the Kings Head Theatre in London and transferred Off Broadway to SoHo Playhouse. It has since been published by Oberon Books, and licensed in Australia and Canada and translated into Czech, Hebrew, and French.

He is currently developing a film adaptation of 5 GUYS CHILLIN’ which is under option to Riot Time Pictures, and he has previously been awarded funding from the BFI and Ffilm Cymru to write the treatment. Peter also had a project optioned by Fulwell 73, and was commissioned by Fulwell 73 and Empty Room Productions to co-write a feature film DRAGGED TO CHURCH with Eve Myles. He was recently commissioned by If It Is Limited to write an original feature script THE ONLY GAY PORNSTAR IN UPPER CWMTWRCH. He currently has a TV drama project SHE MOVES in development with Osprey Television.

Peter’s original short film G FLAT, produced with Full of Enfys for Ffilm Cymru, BBC Wales and BFI Network and starring Richard Wilson, premiered at the Iris Prize Opening Night, and went on to be selected for the BFI Flare Festival and Amsterdam’s Roze Filmdagen Festival 2023. It won Best Short Film at Dinard Film Festival and aired on BBC Wales BBC iPlayer. It was nominated for the Iris Prize 2024 Best British and will air on Film4 and the latterly be available on Channel 4 Player. His short film CYSURO (Em-Lou Productions) which he wrote and directed was which was shortlisted for ‘Best Welsh Short’ at Wales International Film Festival. His micro documentary which he wrote and directed, INTIMACY LOCKED DOWN (Em-Lou Productions), has been selected for permanent preservation in the BFI National archive.

Peter directed Sasha Ellen’s SIGNAL FAILURE for a 6-week run at Soho Playhouse-Off Broadway, KINDNESS for BBC Radio 4 (The Independent’s Pick of the Week) and FRANK SENT ME which ran at Soho Theatre, The Underbelly and Theatre 503. He also directed KOMPROMAT by David Thame for the Vault Festival 2019.

Peter holds an MA in Theatre Directing from St Mary’s University College, and previously trained as an actor at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and was recipient of the prestigious BBC Carleton Hobbs Award. Peter was a member of BFI Network X BAFTA Crew for where he was selected for their mentorship programme and he is now a member of BAFTA Connect as well as an Associate Artist of the King’s Head Theatre.