Daniel is a writer, director and Offie nominated playwright developing projects with Film Nation, Element Pictures, Firebird Pictures, West Road Productions, BlackLight TV and others.

TV

Daniel was recently a writing producer on Showtime’s upcoming limited series KING SHAKA which Antoine Fuqua will direct and he was a member of the writersroom and wrote an episode of US Amazon series MIDDLE WEST (Outlier/Point Grey). His original film SUPERDAD, for the award-winning anthology series ON THE EDGE (BlackLight/Ch4) was recently released and he has written two episodes of the multi award-winning continuing drama HOLLYOAKS (Lime/Ch4).

He currently has projects in development with Film Nation, Element, Blacklight, West Road Productions, Firebird Pictures, Jean Dominion, Greenacre Films and Headline Pictures. His crime drama script THE BOROUGH made the 2019 Brit List and he participated in the BBC Writersroom London Voices Scheme 2020, the BBC Writersroom Drama Room 2020 and currently participating in the BBC Writersroom Drama TV Writers’ Programme 2021 and the BBC Studios Writers Workshop 2021.

His comedy web series WEDDING DATES which he wrote, directed and produced was broadcast on BWNG TV, earned 30,000 views on YouTube and was nominated for three Screen Nation Awards.

FILM

Daniel’s play DISMISSED is being developed into a feature film with Headline Pictures. He received the BFI Network Early Development Fund for his drama feature IGNATIUS: THE EXTRAORDINARY and is a BAFTA X BFI Crew 2019/20 participant.

His short film BLIGHTY: BFF nominated for Best Short at the Screen Nation Award 2016 also made the Official Selection of British Urban Film Festival 2017. Daniel is in post-production for his short film LOOPS. Shot on 16mm and inspired by his play CHURCH STREET, it is about a mentally ill man who believes he’s stuck in a time-loop.

THEATRE

Daniel’s play DISMISSED about knife-crime and the state school system was recently staged at Soho Theatre and led to an Offie nomination for Most Promising New Playwright.

“Rusteau creates a deeply absorbing and compelling scenario: from start to finish, everyone is hooked.”
★★★★ The Upcoming

“Powerful and poignant.”
★★★★
Voice Mag

Crisp and urgent giving a sense of desperation.
★★★★
Playhouse Pickings


Daniel participated in the 2019/20 Soho Theatre Writer’s Lab and his play THE ONES WE LOVE was also shortlisted for Soho Theatre’s Tony Craze Award and his play CHURCH STREET was shortlisted for the Platform Presents Playwriting Prize 2019. He’s had his work performed at The Bunker Theatre, Drayton Arms Theatre, The Pleasance Theatre, The Old Red Lion Theatre and The Paddington Arts Centre.

FICTION

Daniel is currently writing his first novella. ROAD RUNNERS is a collection of short pulp crime stories set in a fictional east London borough. It’s a dark and philosophical study of the criminal underworld with a subtle undercurrent of magic, mythology and mysticism.

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