Amongst other things, I write.

I primarily write about music, theatre and sport. I’ve been published in a lot of newspapers, journals and on the internet – everything from locals to nationals, both in the UK and in the USA. I’ve written sections of a couple of good books too. I’ve been writing professionally for 30 years.

I hope you enjoy the blog “Twilight Dawning” where most of my newer pieces will appear as soon as they are ready to go public. Many of them will have appeared somewhere else first but usually in shorter form so this is the place to have a look if you want to see the whole article before it was cut for space restrictions.

Amongst the bands I have written about (journalistically) or for (promotionally) are:

All About Eve

Walter Becker

Dave Brubeck

Ron Carter

Alice Cooper

Daughters of Davis

The Doobie Brothers

Bob Dylan

Eagles

Ever Call Ready

John Foxx

Richie Furay

Michael Georgiades

Al Green

Steve Hackett

Ian Hunter

Bob James

Hilary James

Jethro Tull

Ladytron

Bernie Leadon

Roger McGuinn

Mostly Autumn

Mud

Larry Norman

Gary Numan

Panic Room

Danilo Perez

Al Perkins

Madeleine Peyroux

Sad Cafe

John Shuttleworth

Son Volt

Sparks

Judson Spence

Spinal Tap

Bruce Springsteen

Alvin Stardust

Steely Dan

Serafina Steer

Jim Steinman (Bat out of Hell – the Musical)

Swarf

Sweet

Nad Sylvan

Judie Tzuke

Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons

Paul Young (of Sad Cafe and Mike & the Mechanics)

If you are looking for something I have written about one of these artists, it would probably be on this website, on the artist’s own website or available by searching the web by my name and the artist’s name. Otherwise, it rests in my archive and it may appear on this site one day when the goblins and elves have finished with their scanning, typing and editing.

My theatre writing concentrates on performances of the plays of William Shakespeare and within that particularly the work of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England. There are reviews here of most of their Shakespeare-related productions from the last 10 years.

My sports writing is usually about the New York Yankees about whom I write two columns a month during the baseball season and periodic updates during the other half of the year. I occasionally write about the British football team, Leeds United.

I am a professional Shakespearean actor and I run my own theatre company “The Shakespearience” out of the theatre in Hammersmith, London which is called Ravenscourt Arts. Take a look at www.ravenscourtarts.com for more information.  The Shakespearience is a charitable, professional theatre company which amongst other things exists to promote the works of William Shakespeare amongst schools and young people. I alos make myself available to other theatre companies within the world of Shakespeare as a directorial consultant.

I also work in the charitable and faith sphere. I’m senior pastor of an unusual church in central London. It is the sort of church which seeks to be evangelical, compassionate and Christian. Orthodox (in the theological sense) without being mainstream.

I also present an occasional one man show “Darren Hirst – Monologues and Soliloquies”. I have a band “Outre Dan Steele” who are available for bookings for birthdays, bar mitzvahs and parties… Seriously, we would be much more at home in an arts centre, if you want to scare your friends with something a little Avant Garde.

I’m also a husband and a father.

There must be something I’ve forgotten.

I’m a busy man.

(If you’d like to quote from anything here, please get in touch).

“People are crazy, times are strange” (Bob Dylan)

The end of the world may be coming but with it comes the promise of a new day. Twilight Dawning.