I met David for the first time at his audition for Marlowe. After reading his CV and watching his performance reel, I knew out of hand that he would be a man that I wanted to work with. My problem was not if I was going to offer him a role but which role to offer him. It was his versatility and range demonstrated that I had never encountered in my 30 years of theatre.

Still unsure of which principle role to cast David, I attended a production that he was performing in to see him work in from of a live audience. Again, I was astonished at the craftsmanship of this man. Once seeing him and his work, watching him control his scenes and the audience galvanized my thought that he was my Marlowe. This choice I would never once regret and manifested itself over and over again in both rehearsals as well as performance.

Many people say that they put 110% into their work and when time comes this proves to fall short of the mark. With David, this percentage is an understatement. His professional attitude and leadership within the cast was never in question. Prompt, prepared, enthusiastic, inventive, disciplined are all part of the makeup of David as both an actor and as a person. The Marlowe character is on for most of the play with dialogue that would tax and challenge any classically trained actor. From the first read David was more than just familiar with the text, but almost memorized. His thirst for understanding was unquenchable and his research impeccable and thorough. As his director, I could not have wanted more from an actor, as a playwright, I could not have wanted more from a fellow artist. He gave life to my Marlowe.

I can say only this, rarely do I hand out praise and never do I offer up idle and empty compliments. With the weight of so many years of theatre behind me, and working with so many skilled and talented actors, David Swain is placed amongst the best of them. A true artist of the theatre.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I hope that David and I will have an opportunity to work together again. This last comment should say everything.

I would welcome anyone to contact me if I can be of any other assistance or support for David.

Stay With Me ‘Til Dawn by Graham Farrow & Knuckleball by William Whitehurst

Second Skin Theatre
Rosemary Branch Theatre

Review by Howard Loxton (2010)

These two plays, linked by themes that explore attitudes to sexuality, violence and secret lives, pack a substantial punch. Drawing room comedy they are not and, in the close proximity of this always interesting tiny theatre, director Andy McQuade and his splendid casts make them almost too real. Come the interval, you’ll probably need that drink and be glad to get downstairs to the warm and welcoming pub, but if you like real theatre and not just saccharine entertainment this is a double bill that gives full value

In Stay With Me ‘Til Dawn a young lad who’s not too bright seeks refuge from a stepfather who beats him and a drunkard mother in the house of a man who he’s seen in the park feeding ducks and heard people say ‘likes boys.’ I read Matthew Haigh’s performance of Nick as being a child, much younger than the actor, pre-adolescent, but he could be in his teens, retarded and still sexually innocent. Radford, the householder comes home with a bloody nose. He’s been set upon by men who think him a paedophile and to make things worse two local boys have gone missing. Finding Nick there is a shock, it could put him in real danger, but he handles the boy gently, coaxing him to leave but while the child is still in the house his knife-wielding stepfather breaks in.

The violent confrontation between Peter Glover’s seemingly gentle Radford and the sinewy Lewis of David Swain has our sympathy shifting surprisingly back and forth between them. Is Radford a man mourning a wife and children run down by a rogue motorist? Is Lewis a repressed homosexual? Which man is the monster?

The situation escalates in horror adding extra layers of meaning and concludes with an ambiguous image that suggests a continuing cycle of violence and serial killing. Gruelling but gripping.

Until 7th February 2010

Howard Loxton for British Theate Guide on Wednesday 27 January 2010

The wind howled through the dark cavernous set of the Rosemary Branch theatre as Nick, a young boy played by Matthew Haigh sneaks into a house. A creeping dread like the beginning of a ghost story assaults the audience before Redford played by the superb Peter Glover returns home to find the boy in this house. The set is defined with minimal ease, a sofa and chair, a table, a curtain hangs but no window exists behind it on the enclosing black walls.

Nick has fled his home and taken refuge in a place he never would if he had lost his innocence, in the house of John Redford, a man who is known for ‘liking boys’ and naively thinks he might like and help him. Before long Redford has his house broken into again, but this time by the boy’s father Lewis, played by David Swain who enraged, brings with him a knife. The two men physically and mentally wrestle with one another over who is the ‘bad man’ and who the hero, violently building to a conclusion that will stay with the audience long after the show stops. The strength of the Peter Glover conjuring the complex Redford so that the audience is genuinely disturbed is the play’s main strength. David Swain as Lewis handles the changing balance of power well and Matthew Haigh brings humanity to Nick as a child, despite being older than the part. Aside from one incongruous brief monologue to audience about death the play is compelling, disturbing and powerful.

Peter Carrington for remotegoat on Friday 25 January 2010

A disturbing and intense play – played out with skill and superb timing from all three cast members. A confused young boy , his irate father and an older man who “likes boys” meet in a tiny cramped flat with no escape. Is the boy hiding from his Dad? Is the man really someone to be worried about? Is the angry Dad as straight as he makes out? All of these questions are thrown up into the air and answered with guts and gore. Loads of blood and very effective fight sequences took us all by surprise and the stunned silence before appreciative applause summed up the atmosphere – both tense and frightening. Full marks to Peter Glover as the Man, David Swain as the Dad as Mathew Haigh as Nick the Son.

Philip Herbert for Remotegoat, Wednesday 21st Jan 2010

In conjunction with Second Skin’s double bill at the Rosemary Branch opening on the 19th January 2010 for three weeks, we are looking for anonymous submission of “What your own personal secret is?” This will be posted on the Second Skin Secrets Wall and put on postcards around the theatre during the three week run.

In Stay With Me Till Dawn, we find that the stories we tell ourselves and those that we love can never be considered the truth, and that all our pretensions and masks are but illusions that we hold up to the world”.

Don’t forget you stay anonymous.

http://bit.ly/7Uyant

Tickets for both shows can be bought through this Ticketweb link.

Showreel 2009

Featuring clips from Anniversary (2009), CopyCat (2005), Gift (2006), Jack and Jessies (2008) and The things I do to me and you (2009).

Content © Copyright Phillip Derham, David Swain, Chris Palmer, Eric Lamhene and Rebecca Burdon.
Showreel © Copyright David Swain 2009.

28 & 29 November at 3.30pm

From 5 December to 10 January:
Saturday Matinee at 3.30pm
Sunday and Monday at 7.30pm

No show on Sat 26 Dec (Boxing Day)

Imicus are signed to Transcend Records and the video will be shown on Scuzz and Kerrang TV.

Rob is a new play by award winning writer Trent Burton. The show will be at the Camden People’s Theatre from the 10th–15th August 2009 and the show starts at 7:45pm.

The moment David auditioned for Caliban – he instantly brought the character to life. As a director I felt extremely fortunate and to a degree ‘spoilt’ for working with David as his determination and creativeness are rare assets to find in many actors.

David also positively gave his assistance for technical support during the production when it was most needed. I always appreciated his work on and off stage as it did nothing but help carry the production to its final goal.

davidswain.co.uk is the personal website of actor David Swain. The site is built using WordPress 5.0.4 and hosted on Dreamhost.

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