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Daisy Miles is an actor, writer, and producer from Stockport. She recently won a Bruntwood prize for Original New Voice for her play R Lady’s. Daisy is about to star in Vivienne Franzmannn’s highly acclaimed and two hander play, Pests.
The play explores the effects of addiction and childhood trauma but there are also flashes of wit and it is beautifully written. Pests opens at the Kings Arms in November and we caught up with Daisy to find out more.
Daisy Miles
Daisy writes and performs, does one support the other, as there are so many creatives that wear many different hats. She said: “I’m a huge believer in practicing creativity holistically. You can’t understand sh*t about the world if you just write.”
She elaborates: “I think Werner Herzog suggested that aspiring filmmakers should instead go out and pick locks, rather than learn about filmmaking. This is my lock-picking.”
So what does acting mean to Daisy?
“I’m learning about a play that I didn’t write. I’m learning about a new world, I’m working with a new team, I’m forcing myself into a place I wasn’t before.” So what is her advice to creatives who feel like a one trick pony? “I always encourage creatives to pursue other creative endeavours that aren’t their “main thing”. The more livened you are, the better a creative.”
Some people say they were born to perform, others end up here and some are inspired by someone they met, such as a teacher. So how did Daisy get here?
“I always encourage creatives to pursue other creative endeavours that aren’t their “main thing”. The more livened you are, the better a creative.”
She said: “Late, and then not so late.” She adds:” I did musical theatre in clubs and school as a kid, as many of us do. I lost it from my teen years.”
Years later she “got an offer from Oxford to do English” and she thought “maybe I’d be an academic and do all that nonsense.” She added: “things went a bit wrong – I missed Uni and went straight into journalism – things went worse – lost my job and went straight into a Uni – things went wrong again and I dropped straight out of that Uni.”
She then had an epiphany moment and “thought maybe it’s a sign from god I should be doing something bigger.” She said:” I go to Uni (again) for playwriting, write my first play, win a Bruntwood prize. So I have all the time in the world for failure and starting again. That’s what got me here.”
When it comes to female writers that Daisy admires, there is no easy answer. She adds:
“This is a really difficult question I still struggle with. She added: “as a black-comedy writer, my heroes are Martin McDonagh, Enda Walsh, Jez Butterworth, Jeremy O. Harris, etc. She sighs: “There is not an indispensable amount of women in this genre currently. I can’t yet come up with a theory for why that is. And don’t say Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She doesn’t count. She’s landed gentry. Especially not women celebrated in this genre.”
“I have all the time in the world for failure and starting again. That’s what got me here.”
She is inquisitive though and said: “I’m still new here and maybe one day I’ll figure out why this is. I’ve asked amongst my peers, actually, for suggestions of either female or non-masc-presenting writers who fill this quota and I’m yet to find a writer that scratches that for me.” Then comes an ask, she said: “Any suggestions are very, very, very welcomed. I’m sure it’s a matter of ignorance.”
When it comes to what attracted her to Vivienne Franzmann’s beautiful play Pests, there is no doubt in Daisy’s mind. She said: “Pink. The character that I play is so similar to myself. Everything about her is a defence mechanism. Her quick wit, her meanness, her high standards, her defensiveness. It’s all me.”
She added: “I often get accused of being very confident. The truth is that the louder I am, the louder the room is, the more comfortable I feel. I need someone to fill the silences. I can’t sit with myself very well.” She elaborated further: “People think that all that charm, all that loudness, means you’re happy – that you’re comfortable with yourself. It couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m convincing you of something. And you’re buying it.”
When it comes to Pink, one of two siblings in the play she really feels for this character and that connects her to the play.
Exploring the character of Pink in Pests
She adds: “Pink is pure tragedy. She never stood a chance. She’s a young woman from Manchester who’s been in care since she was 12. She’s been abused in many ways from that age onwards. The only time she was ever happy was a holiday to Formby when she was 11. And she’s still there. Or maybe she’s trying to go back there.”
She adds: “But she’s f***ing smart. We often, in rehearsals, speak about her like a dog. When a dog is too intelligent, they find ways to break the rules and still get the reward. They’re naughtier.” She expands: “Dog trainers will tell you that you should actually want a dog that is not too intelligent. Because they’re the ones that follow the rules.” But when it comes to her character, she does not it is plain fear. She adds: “Pink isn’t scared of breaking the rules. She moves the goalposts constantly to get what she wants. But she’s just a scared dog, at the end of the day.”
Why The Kings Arms is the perfect place for this play
The Kings Arms
The Kings Arms is so intimate that for this play, you feel like you are sat witnessing events. How does Daisy feel about that?
“I love it. As a writer, as well as an actor, I’m very in-tune with an audience. I’m listening to you! I can hear your every breath!” How does that differ when she is wearing a writer’s hat? “When I’m watching something I’ve written, I will seat myself at the back row and watch the audience, rather than the play.”
She added: “I like making an audience uncomfortable. I like connecting with them – even though we’re pretending they’re not there – I am connecting with them. I will get really close. I like that threat. It’s as scary for me as it might be to that audience member. I like it.”
Last July Daisy won the original new voice Bruntwood Prize at the Royal Exchange. This must have felt special. How does Daisy feel now, looking back?
She said: “I’m really still not over it. Every week I wake up and some crazy name has dropped into my inbox.” She added: “You’ll think you’re over it and then something mad happens again. When it happened, in July, I think I was possibly only there in a physical sense. Someone sent me a podcast or interview I did afterwards and the interviewer said, ‘and you’ve just won £10k’, and I audibly say something along the lines of, ‘What? Did I?’.
She continued: “It was a big drop in the deep end for sure. One I’m very grateful for, but I’ve been on catch-up-mode this whole time. Working out who’s-who, what everything means, what not to do, etc.”
Why you should go and see Pests at The Kings Arms
Why would Daisy recommend Pests to audiences, when there are so many plays in Manchester jostling for our attention? She waxes enthusiastically and it is difficult not to get caught up in her passion for this piece. She said: “It is such a great play. Although it is a two-hander, it has never occurred to me as one. It is so rich.” She expands: “The subtext happening outside these four walls is epic.”
She has a take on the play and said “It’s a love story, really. Pink loves her little sister, Rolly. What will she do to keep her in her life? That’s it. That’s the play. It’s about dependency.” She summarises: “They are both depending on people and depending on substances. But it is the same, isn’t it? And when the system you’re born into has let you down – who can you depend on?”
Tickets for Pests at The Kings Arms
Pests is at the Kings Arms from 3rd-5th November at The Kings Arms in Salford. It runs for 90 minutes with no interval and it is recommended for audiences 16+ and can be booked here.Tickets for Pests at The Kings Arms
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