Creatives and performers Hannah Power and Conor Murray talk London transfer of ‘Don’t Tell Dad About Diana’: “We build meaning out of pop culture when we don’t yet have language for who we are”

The most beloved princess lives on through this new two-hander exploring queer identities and the evolution of LGBT+ rights in 1997 Ireland. Guillermo Nazara chats with the show’s authors and performers to learn more about the concept and how it will resonate with people’s hearts.

How does it feel to be finally bringing the show in London following its Ed Fringe run and subsequent tour?

It feels really exciting and slightly surreal. Edinburgh was such an intense, all-consuming experience, so to now bring the show to London after that run and an Irish tour feels like we’ve had time to really live inside it and enjoy it a bit more. There’s also something really special about sharing it with audiences here, where a lot of the conversations that fed into its development originally took place, and to be bringing it to Underbelly Boulevard after performing with them in Edinburgh.

How did the idea for the show come about?

The initial spark came from watching the 1997 episode of Reeling in the Years, a TV show that looks at the history of a calendar year through the lens of Irish media, and noticing the overlap between the Good Friday peace talks and the media frenzy around Diana, Princess of Wales. We were struck by how those two huge cultural moments were unfolding side by side, and how they shaped ideas around identity, nationhood, and visibility.

Why Diana among all the other possible queer icons?

We were less interested in Diana as a traditional “icon” and more in the fandom and projection around her. She became this figure people could pour meaning into, whether that was glamour, vulnerability, rebellion, or compassion.

The show celebrates self-affirming queer identities in late-90s Ireland. How are the struggles of the time and setting depicted in the story?

1997 Ireland is a really specific moment. There’s change happening politically and socially, but a lot of inherited structures, particularly around nationalism, masculinity, and religion, are still very present.

We try to reflect that tension through the characters’ everyday lives. It’s not a story about grand political statements, but about how those wider systems shape young people’s sense of themselves — what they can say openly, and what they have to keep secret.

One of Diana’s greatest contributions to the LGBT+ community was her pioneering vocal support to AIDS patients. Will this subject be covered in the show?

The show isn’t directly about that aspect of Diana’s public life. Our focus is more on the idea of her as a projected figure and what she represents to the characters rather than a full biographical retelling. That said, part of her wider legacy and compassion is always present in how people talk about her.

What’s the show’s creative process been like?

A lot of the writing came out of talking, improvising, and testing ideas between the two of us. Because we also perform it, the script has always been in dialogue with the stage version, which means it has evolved quite organically over time. We focused on writing sections and testing them out at Scratch nights in both Dublin and London to see if they would land.

Have you found any particular challenges throughout its development?

Structure! That was definitely the biggest challenge for us. We really spent a long time getting the sequence of events down to a tee, because the show is juggling quite a lot of threads at once. We had to figure out how to balance the personal story of the two characters with the wider historical and cultural backdrop of 1997 Ireland, and make sure those two things were always in conversation with each other rather than competing.

What about performative challenges?

The main challenge is the pace. It’s a very high-energy two-hander, so sustaining that intensity while still holding emotional truth is something we’ve had to really train into. There’s also nowhere to hide, which is exciting but demanding in equal measure.

Has the show experienced any changes since its inaugural Ed Fringe run?

Not significantly in terms of content. The script and structure have remained the same since its inaugural Edinburgh Fringe run. What has changed is more about confidence and precision in the performance. After Edinburgh, and then taking it on tour, we’ve had the chance to really live inside the piece and understand its rhythm in front of different audiences. That’s allowed us to sharpen delivery, lean into moments that consistently land, and trust the quieter beats more.

Are there any highlights in the show that you’d like to flag?

Without giving too much away, audiences often respond strongly to the moments where the friendship really cracks open emotionally. And then there’s a lot of comedy woven through chaos, drag, and the sheer speed of two teenagers trying to outrun their own secrets through Dublin.

Is there any message you’re trying to convey through this piece?

At its core, Don’t Tell Dad About Diana is about the importance of formative friendships, especially the ones that shape you before you fully understand yourself. It’s also about identity, projection, and the ways we build meaning out of pop culture when we don’t yet have language for who we are.

Why come to see Don’t Tell Dad About Diana?

Because it’s a fast, funny, and heartfelt story about two best friends trying to hold onto each other while the world shifts around them. It’s nostalgic without being sentimental, chaotic but grounded, and it leaves audiences thinking about the people who got them through their own teenage years.

Headshot credit to Romany Gilmour. Promotional pictures credit to Erica Verling.

Don’t Tell Dad About Diana plays at Underbelly Boulevard Soho on on Tuesday 26 May and Thursday 28 May. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara