DANIEL NADDAFY
THEATRE MAKER
ABOUT
Daniel is a theatre maker and performer based in London. He graduated from Birmingham School of Acting in 2006 and predominantly makes work for young audiences both nationally and internationally.
Daniel is currently making a new baby performance for the Philharmonie Luxembourg titled In The Heart Of The Nest, working with the Pelleas Ensemble. The production opens in March 2026.
Since 2023 he has been lead artists for Playground, an NPO funded participatory arts project based in Kent. Alongside three other lead artists he creates and delivers workshops for babies and young children in Libraries, Children’s Centres and Schools. The project includes work with refugees, children with special education needs as well as families. In addition to this Daniel is lead on the companies digital content Playground On Screen and also co-created Out Of The Box, a sensory book, for the company.
In 2021 Daniel created First Light, a sound and light installation for babies, co-commissioned by the Barbican. First Light ran at the Pit over Christmas in both 2021 and 2023. It has toured to Brighton Festival, bOng! Festival, Hullabaloo and continues to tour extensively across the UK.
In 2022 he directed and adapted The Flower for the Oxford Playhouse. His solo performance for babies, Glisten, has toured over twenty venues in the UK, including The Place, The Lowry, Chichester Festival Theatre and Little Angel Theatre.
From Autumn 2025 Daniel became a Trustee of Alibi in Exeter and since 2021 he has been an active member of Polka Theatres Artistic Working Group. He has mentored artists for Sydenham Arts Start: Creative Futures programme and often runs workshops for creatives.
Between 2018-2019 Daniel he was Artist in Residence at the Oxford Playhouse. From 2013-2015 Daniel worked as UK coordinator for Japanese theatre company Ship of the Ryukyu, coordinating four productions at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The Okinawan based company produces traditional dance and music shows and is an official project of the Okinawan Prefecture.
As an actor and devisor Daniel has performed all over the UK and also spent a great deal of time working in Japan and South Korea as well as in Hong Kong and Singapore. Work includes four productions with the Unicorn Theatre as well as performances for the Birmingham Rep, Polka Theatre, The Bush, Stand And Stare, Nottingham Playhouse, Warwick Arts Centre and Theatre Rites. He has also developed new work with National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre of Korea, Stratford Circus and Kali Theatre. As well as recorded three audio books for Audible.
"Glisten is a diamond in the rough as far as early years experiences go!"
Curious Mum review
"The Flower, expertly brought to life by Director Daniel Naddafy"
Daily Info, Oxford
"Outsanding individual performance comes from Daniel Naddafy whose personality fills a big space and directly envelopes the audience."
Birmingham Post