Lydia De La Murrãy

Meet Lydia De La Murrãy – a bold, brilliant theatre-maker who’s turning personal chaos into comedy gold. 

In this spotlight, we caught up with Lydia to find out what inspires her, how the Bradford creative scene has shaped her journey, and what’s coming up next. From dream collaborations to touring her hit show, Closure? – get to know the artist behind the laughs.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your practice?

I’m a theatre-maker telling big stories all on my own—solo, autobiographical, and pretty damn funny. My work dives into personal experiences, often with a wink and a wince, mixing comedy with the kind of stuff that really matters.

My work doesn’t shy away from poking fun at myself, especially when it comes to my car-crash love life – might as well turn the chaos into comedy, right? I’m all about creating performances that are entertaining, immersive, and blooming hilarious.

I’ve shared my work at scratch nights, on tour, and in collaborative residencies—basically anywhere I can grow, connect, and try things out. I love learning new things, swapping ideas, and finding other brilliant brains to bounce off. I’m still early in my career, but full of heart, hustle, and a passion for stories that make people laugh out loud and leave wanting more.

Who or what inspires or influences your work?

As an autobiographical theatre maker, my main inspiration is drawn from personal experience. 

I love seeing work across multiple disciplines as often as possible. Not only does seeing other creatives’ work inform my practice, but it also supports my role as a Creative Producer and is something I adore doing in my spare time.

How has BPH supported you and your development?

BPH has been absolutely integral to the development of my work! I’ve accessed opportunities such as their Spare Bob grant, mentoring scheme, DYCP support, Go and See visits, networking events and multiple training opportunities! These schemes and initiatives have elevated my work, progressed me to touring point and enabled connections that have been invaluable.

The whole team is a delight, they cannot do enough for artists and freelancers. It’s a really tough time for anyone working in the creative industries, and BPH are consistently offering opportunities to support and propel creatives. I am so grateful to be able to tap into their resources and have an organisation that champions me as an independent theatre maker.

How has being part of Bradford’s creative community influenced your work?

The people I have connected with through Bradford’s creative community have sparked lightbulb conversations, offered help and support, and I’ve formed some awesome friendships. The people I have met through networking and training are kind, supportive and kooky. We’re all in the same boat, so everybody understands how important it is to platform and promote each other’s work where possible. I hope to see lots of the Bradford creative communities’ friendly faces in the audience when I perform in the near future.

What would be your dream collaboration/project?

My dream project would be acting in a comedy film or TV series, it’s something I’ve always aspired to. I’ve been teaching myself bits of filming and editing to help promote my work, but after going to a film festival recently, I came away inspired to submit something of my own next year. I’ve also recently started doing a bit of presenting, which I’ve really enjoyed, and it’s made me even more keen to work on screen. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t be doing it all solo, I’d love to collaborate with someone who knows their way around a camera and can help bring the vision to life, so I can focus on the performance side. It’d be amazing to create a cinematic comedy, just with a bit more help behind the scenes.

What does being an artist in Bradford mean to you?

I’ve been lucky enough to make and share work here in Bradford, connect with incredible artists, and feel the buzz of a place that’s rich in culture and community. The city leans into the real stuff, messy truths, big laughs, and deep roots, and that’s exactly the kind of space that fuels my work. Supporting Bradford’s City of Culture journey feels exciting and important, and I’m proud to play a small part in it.

What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming events you want people to know about?

I’ve been touring my show, Closure? In 2025, with recent shows at Leeds Playhouse and St James Guernsey,  and heading to the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough on Friday 6 June and the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe on Friday 27 June 2025. I’ll also be performing it at Bradford Arts Centre in the spring of 2026.

‘Closure?’ is a laugh-out-loud, one-woman comedy that dives into the big question: can you ever really get closure? Part confessional, part performance lecture, with a healthy dose of interpretive dance, it follows Lydia De La Murrãy’s quest to make sense of a particularly dysfunctional relationship—and the string of others that fell short.

Armed with a PowerPoint, a sense of humour, and a questionnaire she actually sent to her exes (yes, really), Lydia pieces together the past using storytelling, multimedia, and comedy. It’s funny, frank, and a deep dive into love, loss, and the messy business of moving on.

Alongside touring, I’m spending this year playing with how comedy can live inside more serious themes and how this can spark ideas for my new show, Home Is Where the Heart Is? (working title). I shared the first version with a live audience this month at BOLD! Scratch Night at The Underground here in Bradford, and got some brilliant feedback to build on. I hope to have a full-length version of this show by the Autumn/Winter time that I can share with you all. Make sure you follow on socials for updates!