Simon Evans
BornDecember 1983 Edit this on Wikidata
Alma mater
OccupationTelevision writer, television actor, television director, theatre director Edit this on Wikidata
WorksStaged Edit this on Wikidata

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]

Early life

Evans 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

As 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]

Evans is the founding director of the theatre company, Myriad Entertainment, along with Georgia Clarke-Day and David Frias Robles.[3][11]

Personal life

As of 2020, he lives in Noke, Oxfordshire.[8]

Filmography

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

References

  1. ^ "Simon Richard EVANS - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Zoom, Tennant and Sheen: Simon Evans on writing lockdown comedy Staged". Evening Standard. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Palmer, Katie (12 June 2020). "Simon Evans: Who is Simon Evans? Meet the Staged series creator". Express. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Everything you need to know about Staged on BBC One". inews.co.uk. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Meet the cast of BBC One's lockdown drama Staged". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "'Staged': BBC Renews David Tennant & Michael Sheen Lockdown Comedy; Ben Schwartz Joins Cast". deadline.com. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "Homerton College Annual Review Volume 2". March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Orlando Bloom Will Star in Tracy Letts' Killer Joe in the West End". Playbill. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Myriad Entertainment". myriadentertainment.co. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  12. ^ Hughes, Tim. "David Tennant and Michael Sheen's STAGED!: Oxford duo's secrets of TV hit". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Berlin: Lawrence Osborne Thriller 'Hunters in the Dark' Fills Out Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

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