Disability, Kink, and Joy as Resistance in The Dan Daw Show

The Dan Daw Show’s long list of potentially triggering content includes depictions of kink experiences, suffocation, humiliation, loud noises, flashing lights and there, at the end of the list, sexy disabled people. That sexy disabled should be included in such a list is in part thanks to the show’s sly humor, but it’s an honest acknowledgment as well. Seeing disabled people as sexy, as sexual at all, is still taboo, even in a society “predicated on fucking disabled people” as 41 year old Australian dancer Dan Daw puts it. That’s in part what makes The Dan Daw Show such a radical, gratifying gift. Here we see a disabled person fully in their power, unapologetically embracing joy as resistance.

“Maybe this wasn’t what you were expecting, but remember this is exactly how I want you to see me.” Daw remarks in one of the show’s many check-ins. How he wants to be seen could indeed be shocking for some. Throughout the 80 minute piece, which recently made its NYC debut as part of the Under the Radar Festival, Daw explores themes of autonomy, interdependence, intimacy, freedom, and care through kink. Without giving too much away, he is frequently shirtless and in various compromising positions. Sometimes he lets the audience in on why a certain act or stance feels good. More often he lets his body do the talking. His dom is dancer Thomasin Gülgeç playing Thomx. Thomx wrestles Dan, spits on him, shocks him with unexpected commands and actions. The energy between them is viscerally charged, but it’s also tender. They frequently check in with each other, and the audience. They make adaptations when something doesn’t feel good for Dan. They discuss their relationship with vulnerability and care.

At one point the character Dan remarks, “I want to be in control and surprised at the same time. I’m such a messy bitch.” It seems this applies not only to his sexual interests, but to the making of the show itself. There’s an interesting interplay between the urgency and danger of these BDSM scenes and the show’s projected captioning. We are constantly reminded that what feels spontaneous has actually been carefully scripted. While some might find this distracting, it only deepened my appreciation for the intentionality the whole team has brought to the work. 

Every aspect of the piece is simultaneously jarring and hypnotic. Nao Nagai’s lights blare and pulse to Guy Connelly’s Challengers-esque electronic music. Emma Bailey’s costumes put nondescript outerwear over neon pink underwear. Mark Maughan’s direction is subtle and precise. The overall effect is electrifying. The Dan Daw Show feels like a coy, whispered, secret, and a brazen declaration. It is controlled and surprising. It is one messy bitch that I would submit to again and again.