About

habibi funk is a collaboration between Tunisian-Irish performer Moncef Mansur and multi-disciplinary artist Daniel Foxsmith. The work draws on theatre, performance, film and is always channeling a high strangeness.

Moncef is based between London and Ireland, Dan is based in Manchester.

Both trained as performers on the Acting for Contemporary Theatre course at East 15 Acting School in London. After working in the creative arts for many years, both took extended career breaks after suffering from burnout. Moncef went into restaurants, working as Head of People for high-profile London-based eatery Kricket; Dan retrained as a paramedic and worked for West Midlands Ambulance service.

History

Moncef and Dan have an extensive background in theatremaking.

They are returning to theatre with devised show Berber Boy, based on Moncef's experience growing up as mixed race Irish Tunisian.

For Moncef, theatre includes Qudz (The Yard), Everyday Maps For Everyday Use (Finborough Theatre) Pain is Weakness Leaving The Body (Finborough Theatre) Enduring Song (Bristol Old Vic & Southwark Playhouse), The Observatory (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and West Side Story (Gaiety Theatre). Film and Television includes Arrivals & Barzakh. 

As an actor Dan performed across several continents in award-winning shows. 

With fellow alumni of East 15, he founded and was co-artisitc director of Snuff Box Theatre, multi award-winning creators of Bitch Boxer and BLUSH. The company’s work toured nationally and internationally and was part of the British Council Showcase.

As a writer, he was shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2017 with his play PUMPJACK. His play WEALD was shortlisted for the Yale Drama Series Prize in 2015, and had its premiere at the Finborough Theatre in 2016 - the playtext was published by Oberon. His first play, The Observatory, won the Scottish Daily Mail and Conference of Drama Schools Edinburgh Award and National Student Drama Festival and Methuen Drama Prize.