Date of Birth: 09/09/83
Place of Birth: Tameside
Middle Name: William
Height: 5ft 8
Family: 2 Sisters
Pets: Dalmatian dog - Snowy
Favourite Band/Artist: Too many
Favourite Song: Too many
Favourite TV Show: Cant watch night TV so … This Morning
Favourite Film: Notting Hill, Monsters Inc, all action films
Favourite Actor: Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson
Favourite Actress: Julia Roberts
Favourite Food: Everything from around the world
Least Favourite Food: Tomato's
Favourite Drink: Coke, JD & Lager, during the show H2O
Least Favourite Drink: Whiskey
Favourite show you've seen: The Producers, Les Mis
Best show you have performed in: Oliver
Why: It felt so magical
Worst show you have performed in: Don't have one!
Best character you have played: Gavroche in Les Mis & Oliver.
Show you would most like to perform in: It was Joseph when I was young but maybe Les Mis, but whatever comes along …
Character you would most like to play: Again it used to be Joseph.
To read Simon's CV click here.
Programme Info
Peter Pan
I knew I was a lost boy when I walked into RADA… I had my favourite sandwich in the café and left without saying a word. In my search to find Neverland, I travelled to many
tropical places all over the world. I started in Edinburgh where I found some French people who turned out to be very Les Misréables, so I ran away from my flag duties as soon
as possible. Then I took a horse and cart to London, where I found a very strange building called the Palladium. There I met a man called Fagin, who gave me as much food as I
wanted in return for lost wallets, until one day he ran off into the sunset and was never seen again. After that I toured England with Great Expectations until I met a
doctor who could talk to animals - he did very little apart from that so I learnt how to speak crocodile, hoping that one day I might need it, before continuing my search for
Neverland - which now became an international quest! I visited Sesame Street where I saw a really nice tin can, so I jumped into and started learning how to count… to 10 at
least…
Next I went to Egypt where I met 12 brothers; one of them had a multi-coloured coat - I put it on a few times but nobody liked me much after that, they even threw me in jail
for a short time! Then I met a king who made me go to Monte Carlo and sing songs by a group called ABBA - not much fun after a while I can tell you. Almost there now, I
stumbled upon that weird Palladium building again but this time in Austria, where a man with a moustache made me stand on the right a lot and sometimes asked me to deliver
telegrams to a big family called the Von Trapps. Unfortunately they all escaped from me, singing over some hills leaving me all alone.
Finally, after eating far too much KFC chicken, I found myself suddenly flying around Neverland. I’ve never been so happy, thank you Mum and Dad and people of wonderland for
letting me fall out of my pram when I was a baby - it was the best thing you ever did.
The Sound of Music
Theatre includes: Joseph/Benjamin in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (New London), principal singer in Dancing Queen (Monte
Carlo), Prince Alexei in Sleeping Beauty (Wakefield), principal singer in Twelve Tenors (Theatre Royal, Windsor), principal singer in
Three Tenors (European tour), Tommy Stubbins in Doctor Dolittle (tour), Oscar in Sesame Street (international tour), John Darling in
Peter Pan (Dartford and Sunderland), Oliver in Oliver! (London Palladium), Pip in Great Expectations (Opera House, Manchester, and Lyceum,
Sheffield), Kurt in The Sound of Music (Sheffield Crucible), Michael Darling in Peter Pan (Palace, Manchester) and Gavroche in Les
Misérables (Edinburgh Playhouse).
Television includes: Crimewatch, corporates and numerous commercials (most notably the KFC campaign).
Recordings include: Dancing Queen, The Twelve Tenors, Spirit of Christmas.
Sleeping Beauty
Theatre credits include: Peter Pan, (Palace Theatre, Manchester; Empire Theatre, Sunderland; Orchard Theatre); the UK tour of Doctor
Dolittle; the international tour of Sesame St; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (the New London Theatre, London); the UK and
international tour of Spirit of Broadway; Oliver in Oliver! (London Palladium); Gavroche in Les Misérables (Edinburgh Playhouse); Great
Expectations (Manchester, Sheffield)
TV credits include: Crimewatch and numerous commercials including the recent KFC advert.
Simon looks forward to returning to Wakefield Theatre Royal, where he has previously appeared in Showstoppers, for the Roy Castle Appeal.
He is thrilled to be performing here today as Alexi in Sleeping Beauty.
Robin Prince of Sherwood
Simon is currently starring as Benjamin in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (as well as understudying
the role of Joseph). He says he was inspired into a career in show business by both his Grannie (who was one of the 50's singing
group "Swing Sisters") and his Grandad (who was Frank Randall's private manager)
His Mum encouraged him to take dancing lessons once it became obvious he had inherited their talents. He started dancing at 7 year old at
the Noreen Dickinson School in Ashton where he trained until he was 11 years old. At that point, he joined Starlight Stage and Dance
School where he trained until the age of 16. However, Simon started modeling at the tender age of 2 years and actually began his
professional career aged 9 playing Michael Darling in "Peter Pan" at the Wythenshawe Forum, a role he later reprised at the Manchester
Palace Theatre. He has also played roles varied as Gavroche in "Les Miserables", Tommy Stubbins in "Dr Dolittle" and "Oliver" in the hit
musical, all either in London's West End or on national tours. Other roles have included Pip in "Great Expectations" (The Opera Hose,
Manchester) and Kurt in "The Sound of Music" (The Crucible, Sheffield). He has also appeared on BBC's Crimewatch and in several TV a
dverts over the years.
Simon feels passionately about the Christie's against Cancer appeal, having lost many close relatives to the disease over the years.
He says that its a cause VERY close to his heart.
He is delighted to be playing the lead role of Robin in the TCTC production. This is mostly because of the association with Christie's
against Cancer but also, when he first heard the music, he thought it was so wonderful, he just knew that he wanted to be part of it.
The added bonus is that his girlfriend Sam (Samantha Draper), is also in the cast which means he gets to spend more time with her that
his West End commitments usually allow.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Simon's theatre
credits include Tommy Stubbins in Doctor Dolittle (UK Tour), Sesame Street (International Tour), Oliver in Oliver! (London Palladium),
Pip in Great expectations (The Opera House, Manchester), Kurt in The Sound Of Music (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), Michael Darling in
Peter Pan (Palace Theatre) and Gavroche in Les Miserables (Edinburgh Playhouse)
Television credits include Crimewatch and Various commercials
Doctor Dolittle
Simon
trained at Starlight Stage and Dance School in Manchester, where he gained scholarships
and high exam achievements up to intermediate level.
His career started with numerous TV and modeling assignments from the age of 2. His latest appearance being as a crime victim in
Crimewatch.
His theatre work began at the age of Nine as Michael Darling in Peter Pan at
the Wythenshawe Forum Theatre. He has since played Gavroche in Les Miserables
at the Edinburgh Playhouse, and went on to play Oliver in Oliver at the London
Palladium. Simon played Pion in Great Expectations with Darren Day at the Opera
House Manchester and then moved to Sheffield to play Kurt in The Sound of Music.
In Bradford he went on to perform in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
at the Alhambra Theatre.
Recently Simon reprised his role as Oliver at the Opera House in Manchester
and then at Christmas returned to Peter Pan as Michael Darling playing opposite
Brian Blessed and Anita Harris.
Oliver
Simon is 11 years old and lives in Ashton-under-Lyne.
He played the parts of Gavroche in Les Miserables for six months during 1993/94 at the Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh and Michael Darling
in Peter Pan in 1992/93 at Wythenshawe Forum Theatre, Manchester. Simon has appeared in numerous television advertisements and
promotional films and has been an extremely busy model for 11 years.
On completion of his Oliver! Run, Simon looks forward to joining his mother's newly opened stage school and agency, Starlight.