Simon Richard Evans (born December 1983)[1] is an English theatre and television director, writer, and actor. He is best known as co-creator, writer, and producer of Staged (2020–2022), in which he also co-stars as a fictionalised version of himself, which premiered on BBC One.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Simon Evans | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 1983  |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Television writer, television actor, television director, theatre director |
| Works | Staged |
Early life
editEvans was raised in Oxford with his sister, actress Lucy Eaton, while his parents ran a dental practice in nearby Kidlington. He was educated at The Dragon School and Abingdon School, where his fellow alumni include Tom Hollander, Toby Jones, Hugh Laurie and members of Radiohead.[8] He studied Education, English, Drama & the Arts at Homerton College, Cambridge.[9]
Career
editAs a theatre director, Evans' productions include The Dazzle (starring Andrew Scott), Bug (James Norton), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Lenny Henry), Killer Joe (Orlando Bloom) and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Toby Stephens and Claire Skinner).[8][10]
As an actor, Evans' early roles include parts in Stig of the Dump (2002) and Lewis (2007).[3]
Working with Secret Cinema, Simon directed immersive productions of Shawshank Redemption and Millers Crossing.[11]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Evans wrote, directed and co-starred in the BBC Television series Staged, playing himself, alongside exaggerated versions of the show's stars, Michael Sheen and David Tennant.[4][5][6] The series was notable for being made using video conferencing technology. Evans had been due to rehearse Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing at Chichester when lockdown came into effect.[12] His cinematic directorial debut, Hunter in the Dark, was also postponed.[8][13]
Following Staged, Evans hosted and directed another lockdown event, a live-streamed Oxford Playhouse fundraiser, A Theatre Near You, starring Stephen Fry, Marcus Brigstocke, and Lucy Porter.[8]
In 2025, Evans will serve as Director of the stage adapatation of Inside No. 9, entitled Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright.[14][15][16]
Evans is the founding director of the theatre company, Myriad Entertainment, along with Georgia Clarke-Day and David Frias Robles.[3][11]
Personal life
editFilmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Stig of the Dump | Nathan Pinchbeck | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Crisis | Sean Bell | Short film |
| 2007 | Lewis | Dr. Martin Cook | Episode: "Expiation" |
| 2012 | John Carter | Zodangan Guard | Credited as Si Evans |
| 2020–2022 | Staged | Himself / Director | Also creator and writer |
Stage credits
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright | Director | Wyndham's Theatre, London |
References
edit- ^ "Simon Richard EVANS - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ "Zoom, Tennant and Sheen: Simon Evans on writing lockdown comedy Staged". Evening Standard. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Palmer, Katie (12 June 2020). "Simon Evans: Who is Simon Evans? Meet the Staged series creator". Express. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Everything you need to know about Staged on BBC One". inews.co.uk. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Meet the cast of BBC One's lockdown drama Staged". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ a b "BBC One's thespian comedy Staged nails the quirks of life under lockdown - review". The Independent. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "'Staged': BBC Renews David Tennant & Michael Sheen Lockdown Comedy; Ben Schwartz Joins Cast". deadline.com. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Simon Evans on BBC lockdown drama Staged and Oxford Playhouse fundraiser starring Stephen Fry, Marcus Brigstocke, Lucy Porter & Rachel Parris". Ox In A Box. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Homerton College Annual Review Volume 2". March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Orlando Bloom Will Star in Tracy Letts' Killer Joe in the West End". Playbill. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Myriad Entertainment". myriadentertainment.co. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ Hughes, Tim. "David Tennant and Michael Sheen's STAGED!: Oxford duo's secrets of TV hit". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Berlin: Lawrence Osborne Thriller 'Hunters in the Dark' Fills Out Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ Rook, Olivia (3 May 2024). "Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's 'Inside No 9' to be adapted for the West End". London Theatre. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ Garrett, Olivia (10 May 2024). "How to get Inside No.9 Stage/Fright tickets for Pemberton and Shearsmith's West End show". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ Wiegand, Chris (May 2024). "Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith announce stage version of Inside No 9". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
External links
edit- Simon Evans on Twitter
- Simon Evans at IMDb