THE RENDITION MEETS DANIELLE FIAMANYA
Image Credit - Mark Senior
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre welcomes Scottish musical Brigadoon, to stage; in this story of love, sacrifice, and miracles that still resonates decades after its debut.
At the heart of this revival is Danielle Fiamanya, a Black Scottish actress who brings depth, nuance, and authenticity to the role of Fiona — a woman navigating questions of love, community, and belonging in a world that only awakens once every hundred years.
In conversation with The Rendition, Danielle reflects on her lifelong passion for performance, the roles that have shaped her, and the transformative magic of bringing Brigadoon to life under the open skies of Regent’s Park.
What follows is a dialogue that moves between the personal and the universal — from childhood dreams to the importance of representation, and from whimsical storytelling to the grounded human experiences that theatre captures so powerfully.
Before we get into Brigadoon and everything else, I’d love to know: how did you find your way into acting, and musical theatre? At what point did you say, this is actually something I would love to do for the rest of my life?
Well, I mean in terms of actually doing it, it’s so classic, but I just can’t remember a time where I wasn’t singing or trying to grab someone’s attention. I was that kid. So I’ve always been doing it, and I always have stories of my mum and dad hearing me sing when I was a baby, making noise. It’s just something that I don’t even remember the beginning of.
I think I was always exposed to classes growing up, and it just always felt easy. It was never forced. I then started going to a theatre school in Glasgow when I was about 11. It was a funny one, because those things can be really expensive, and my parents did not have the means to pay thousands of pounds a month. But luckily, I was on a scholarship at both the schools I attended.
That became the crux of my life, I’d go to school, then go to drama classes two or three times a week.
It wasn’t until my last year of secondary school, when you have to decide what you’re going to do, that I had to make the choice. I never really questioned it as a career path because it was always just fun to me. I didn’t know how to make it into an actual career. I remember waking up one day, I had to fill in the form that was due that day —and I just thought, oh, it’s drama, it’s acting. And that was it.
There’s just always been a flow and an ease to that inkling within me, and then I went to drama school.
Do you remember one of your favourite performances within drama school, one that still rings true for you?
By third year, we were doing our shows. We did Little Women, which I performed with my best friend. I played her mum, which is so wild looking back, but that’s drama school - you just make it work. We had loads of great productions, and it was nice to be in them, but also to watch the other half of the year explore and do their own shows.
You’ve had a range of roles on stage. How have they shaped you into becoming the woman you are now, the woman that’s taken on the role in Brigadoon?
It’s a weird one. I feel like Brigadoon is a weird one for a lot of people because it’s often parodied. You see versions like Schmigadoon, little references here and there. But I didn’t actually know what Brigadoon really was.
I knew it was a Lerner and Loewe musical, and I knew it had done really well when it debuted, but I didn’t have full knowledge until I spoke to Drew. Then I delved into the music and story, and just how magical it is. The score is stunning, with lots of classics in there. It was something in the back of my memory, but I rediscovered it through this experience.
“Acting is, for me, a spiritual experience. At the end of the day, you’re making magical moments from pure presence. The whimsical is equally as important as the grounded — both are powerful, and together they reflect the human experience.”
For those who don’t know the story, how would you describe Brigadoon in your own words? And where does your character Fiona fit into it?
I feel like it’s quite a complex story. Even for us as storytellers, we have to be very clear, because there are a lot of time scales and rules to understand.
It’s set in the 1700s in the Scottish Highlands, just before the Battle of Culloden. Brigadoon is a town nearing that war, and in order to escape it, they are granted a miracle: Brigadoon comes to life every 100 years. For the townspeople, it’s just one day — they go to sleep, and when they wake up, 100 years have passed. This preserves their lives, their community, and their land.
The story begins with the town celebrating this miracle. Then two pilots from World War II stumble across Brigadoon after a crash. They are from a different time, and chaos ensues. My character Fiona and Tommy fall in love while navigating this strange new reality.
But there are rules: if anyone from Brigadoon leaves, the town disappears forever. The only way someone from outside can stay is if they are truly in love with someone from Brigadoon. Fiona begins the show navigating her new life, grateful for safety and continuity, but also curious about what exists beyond Brigadoon. She cares deeply for her family, especially her sister who is getting married, and she wrestles with questions of meaning, loss, and possibility.
Image Credit - Mark Senior
“I’ve never wanted to box myself in. The world will already tell you no in a million different ways, so why should I put that limitation on myself too? I love the idea of breaking boundaries and surprising myself with roles I never thought I’d play.”
What would you say you’ve discovered about Fiona by playing her character? Was there anything that surprised, challenged, or excited you?
What surprised me most, and what still shocks me every night, is her capacity to love and be loved. That takes great vulnerability, and it’s something I think we’re all navigating. It’s not always easy when love comes hard and fast, but she’s able to open up to it. That’s exciting for me as both Danielle the person and Danielle the actor.
She also has the ability to accept the present moment. When Tommy has to leave, she’s able to reconcile with it and accept that love is eternal, even if he goes. That’s such a powerful kind of love. So yes, her capacity to love and be loved, and all the nuances within that, has been such a gift to understand.
My question is, how do you as a performer balance the whimsical and grounded elements of this story? Because it has both strong emotional depth and dreamlike qualities.
That’s such a good question. What you described, whimsical and grounded is the alchemy of being an actor. Without sounding overly spiritual about it, acting is, for me, a spiritual experience.
At the end of the day, you’re making magical moments from pure presence.
The whimsical is equally as important as the grounded. This show really allows for both to take precedent. The grounded-ness comes from the actors, who are open and ready to channel that energy. But there’s also excitement in the whimsical; being outdoors, singing romantic songs, surrounded by love.
Balancing it is about letting both be equally powerful, not choosing one over the other. The whimsical gives us beauty and magic, while the grounded-ness gives us real people with conflict, grief, and resilience. Together, that creates the colours of the show and reflects the human experience.
We spoke about it earlier, but Regents Park is a dream. How has performing outdoors influenced the energy or intimacy of the show for you?
To just be in a scene, speaking about the magic of Brigadoon, and hearing the rustle of the trees, or seeing a butterfly, or hearing a bee buzz around - it brings such presence. It makes you want to absorb the moment completely.
That’s the magic of Regent’s Park. I often think, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
The simplicity of nature combined with what we do on stage, plus the audience’s energy, creates this constant flow. It’s about cherishing simple things, and that’s what performing here feels like.
You are a Black actress in musical theatre, Black and Scottish — so many beautiful layers. How do you keep pushing boundaries and taking on roles that may not have traditionally been written with you in mind?
I’ve never wanted to box myself in or define myself narrowly within this industry. That’s allowed me to walk into a room and think, “Why not? I can do this.”
The world will already give you a million reasons why you can’t, so I won’t put those limitations on myself. People have been open to that, and I’ve been given opportunities where the response is, “of course you’re right for this role.”
Not limiting myself has allowed me to read something and say, “I could do that.” It’s only when you see someone like you in a role that you realise the idea that you can’t is just an illusion.
I love breaking that boundary.
What do you hope audiences, especially those who may not usually come to musicals, take away from this production?
A couple of things. I’ve spoken to Scottish audience members who felt represented by this show in a way that was authentic. Even though the story is whimsical and romantic, it can still be truthful and inclusive. That makes me emotional, because it resonates deeply.
For all audiences, Scottish or not, I want them to take away joy and authenticity from Brigadoon. And within the story itself, I want them to feel the vastness of love; that we all have the capacity to love and be loved, that love transcends time, and that it’s eternal.
That’s what Brigadoon is to me.
And just finally, if you could go back and give advice to your younger self about starting out in the industry, what would you say?
I’d say: you’re enough. There’s a lot of love out there. Go find it.
The conversation ends with advice that speaks to performers and audiences alike: “You’re enough. There’s a lot of love out there. Go find it.”
In that simple but profound message lies the very essence of theatre; its power to affirm, to inspire, and to connect us all.
