Danny, King of the Basement

By David S. Craig

Ten-year-old Danny ‘Delco’ Carter is the ‘King of Moving’. In two years, Danny and his mom have moved more times then  most kids lose teeth. But Danny appears to be thriving. He can pack his bags faster then it takes to tie a shoelace. He can make a friend in a  morning and a best friend in a day. When Danny moves into a basement on upscale Clinton Street, the kids he meet seem to have bigger problems then just being hungry. Penelope’s parents are separated. Angelo’s Dad is as angry as a dinosaur. Danny’s imaginative play creates a sense of community that allows his friends to cope with their problems and, ultimately, to help him – Danny’s crisis isn’t losing a home, it’s gaining one.

Production History

In 2002, the play won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Production and, in 2004, was the first Canadian play to be nominated for the prestigious German Children’s Theatre Prize. Subsequently the play has been produced extensively in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. In the United States, the play had its American premiere at the Kravis Centre in West Palm Beach and subsequently was produced by the Seattle Children’s Theatre, Childsplay Theatre and has been performed across the country in touring productions. In 2005, the play was produced by the M6 Theatre in England and toured nationally for eleven weeks to major cities. In Canada, the play toured nationally twice, was performed on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for MP’s and in 2007 was sponsored by the Ontario Board of Education with a $150,000 grant. In 2024, the play premiered in Poland. It is estimated that over a quarter of a million people have seen Danny, King of the Basement live making it one of the most successful plays for young audiences in the world.