David Ireland is an Irish playwright with a reputation for writing hard-hitting drama such as The Fifth Step, Ulster American and Cypress Avenue, but director Max Elton is reviving a very different play by him, Most Favoured, which can be seen at Soho Theatre in London over the Christmas period.

BTG David Chadderton spoke to David about the play and his influences as a writer, as well as how his love of Shakespeare began in a Blackpool guest house at the age of 9 and why he wants to write romantic comedies and feels he couldn't face watching some of his earlier plays now.

Most Favoured, starring Lauren Lyle and Alexander Arnold, will run at Soho Theatre in London from 11 December 2025 to 24 January 2026.

(David Ireland photo credit Tommy Ga-Ken Wan)