Dan has been a theatre director, playwright, improvisor, street performer, actor, motivational speaker, and comedian since graduating from clown school in 2001.
He co-created cult improv sensations Perfuct Storm and Improv Seduction and is the creator of the bafflingly popular sleep-aid podcast Dan Bain’s Sleepy Time Mumbles. As a multi-award-winning standup his comedy reflects his unique perspective and cheerful vulgarity, all filtered through his desperate attempts to appear clever.
Dan's work as a writer for theatre includes Ivy Black: Axe Murder Girl and The Light in the Sky; the silent children's shows A Paintbox of Clowns, Why Are My Parents So Boring? and Cat Vs. Dog; the Young and Hungry commissions Gameplan and Uncle Minotaur; the comedy Stag Weekend (with Brendon Bennetts); high school musical The Invisibles (with Luke Di Somma); and his multiple versions of A Christmas Carol. His adaption of The Odyssey for three comedy actors won the Best NZ Play, Best Adaptation, and Best South Island Play in the 2024 Playmarket Awards.
His book on live performance technique ‘These Are NOT the Rules of Improvisation’ is available from the Playmarket bookshop and online at perfuct.co.nz.
One of Aotearoa’s most experienced theatre directors, his credits include Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Titus Andronicus, Stephen King’s Misery, Ideation, and The Arsonists for The Court Theatre; Around the World in 80 Days and The Odyssey for CCC Summer Theatre; and Cancel Santa and O Little Town of Beckenham for Little Andromeda.
His acting credits at The Court Theatre include Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night, Hamlet in Hamlet the Videogame, Louie in The Ladykillers, Tom Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Danny Lieberman in Backstage, and innumerable characters in Court Theatre kids shows from 2008 - 2010.
Dan was Associate Director of The Court Theatre from 2017 - 2020 and Artistic Director of The Court Jesters from 2014 - 2020. He was a core member of the Court Jesters Company from 2002 - 2020.
He is currently the Artistic and Programming Director of Little Andromeda Fringe Theatre and the Head of The Malthouse Drama School.
Court Shows
- 2025 - End of Summer Time - Director
- 2024 - Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express - Director
- 2020 - Jekyll & Hyde - Director
- 2020 - Lysander's Aunty - Director
- 2019 - A Christmas Carol - Director/Playwright
- 2019 - Escape from Haunted House - Director
- 2019 - The Arsonists - Director
- 2019 - The Princess and the Frog (and the Robber!) - Director
- 2019 - Boudica - Director
- 2019 - Open House Festival - Director
- 2019 - EQ F@#%ING C - Co-Director
- 2018 - Children of the Night - Director/Devisor
- 2018 - A Christmas Carol - Playwright
- 2018 - The Last Days of Judas Iscariot - Satan
- 2018 - Hansel and Gretel - Director/Playwright
- 2018 - Stephen King's Misery - Director
- 2018 - Ideation - Director
- 2018 - A Paintbox of Clowns - Director/Playwright
- 2018 - - Producer
- 2018 - Titus Andronicus - Director
- 2017 - A Christmas Carol - Director/Playwright
- 2017 - Scriptless: First Class - MC
- 2017 - Cinderella in Space - Director
- 2017 - The Early Early Late Show - Director
- 2017 - Hamlet: The Video Game (the stage show) - Hamlet
- 2017 - Jack and the Beanstalk - Director
- 2016 - A Christmas Carol - Director/playwright
- 2016 - The Early Early Late Show 2016 - Director
- 2016 - Cops and Robbers - Director
- 2015 - Hamlet: The Video Game (the stage show) - Hamlet
- 2015 - The Ladykillers - Louie
- 2015 - The Early Early Late Show 2015 - Director
- 2014 - A Very Merry Scriptless: Over the Top - Director
- 2014 - Stag Weekend - Playwright
- 2014 - A Midsummer Night's Dream - Tom Snout
- 2014 - Cinderella meets Aladdin - Director
- 2014 - The Early Early Late Show 2014 - Director
- 2014 - White Rabbit/Red Rabbit - Actor
- 2014 - - Artistic Director
- 2013 - Epic Journey to the Shops - Playwright/Director
- 2013 - Cat vs. Dog - Playwright/Director
- 2012 - A Very Merry Scriptless: Santa's Grotto - Improvisor
- 2012 - Why are my Parents so Boring? - Director/Playwright
- 2011 - The Adventures of Captain Cook - Director
- 2011 - Hansel and Gretel - Director/Playwright
- 2011 - Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Papa Bear/The Queen
- 2010 - The Sunshine Boys - Multiple roles
- 2010 - A Paintbox of Clowns - Director/Playwright
- 2010 - Cinderella - Stepsister/mouse/prince
- 2010 - Jack and the Beanstalk - Daisy the Cow/The Giant
- 2009 - Backstage - Danny Leibman
- 2009 - Pinocchio - Geppeto/clown/fox
- 2009 - The NEW adventures of Auntie MacDuff - Luke
- 2009 - Pulp William - Urswick
- 2009 - Rumplestiltskin - Prince/Spinning Wheel/Baby
- 2008 - Beauty and the Beast - Step sister/Dad/Magic Mirror
- 2008 - Auntie MacDuffs Magical Trunk - Sebastian
- 2008 - Scriptless: Uncut - Dirk Shiny
- 2008 - Robin Hood and Maid Marian - The Sheriff of Nottingham
- 2008 - Pulp William - Urswick
- 2007 - A Very Merry Scriptless - Improvisor
- 2006 - A Very Merry Scriptless - Improvisor
- 2006 - The Early Early Late Show - Improvisor
- 2004 - Fairyable - Improvisor
- 2003 - - Improvisor