Theatre

Stephen performed extensively in a wide range of roles in all forms of theatre right across the UK, from the early 1970’s to the late 1990’s. From 2000 onward his main focus has been centered on directing and producing (see Demi-paradise & Border Reader pages) but has since ventured back on stage for occasional productions.

Autumn 2014. Appeared as Adam Scriven in the premiere of De Raptu Meo – Geoffrey Chaucer on Trial for Rape, a play by Gary O’Connor based on his novel ‘Chaucer’s Progress’ directed by Nigel Bryant. Commissioned by the Master of the Revels for the Honourable Society of The Inner Temple, ‘De Raptu Meo’ is based on real life events in the writer’s life.  A welcome return to work in London in an amazing historic setting. Played Chaucer’s Scrivener, who puts his master (an Inner Temple alumnus) ‘on trial’ before his judicial peers in the great hall, with an audience vote on his guilt or innocence at the end.

Spring 2011 saw me cast as alienated father Frank Dagnall in No Loss – Joe Loss, a powerful black comedy of working class family life set in 1980’s Lancashire by Christine Marshall, directed by Colin Muir. (Jellyshoe Productions for Lowry Studios, Salford Quays).

In 2008 I played Cecil Sharp in A Nest of Singing Birds for Cotton Grass Theatre Co. Our show was the centrepiece of Look Sharp, a re-creation of the famous folk music revivalist’s visit to the Derbyshire village of Winster a century previously. Local schools and six Morris teams from all over England were also involved in the weekend long project funded by ACE and the National Lottery.

Stephen has taken part in many rehearsed play readings and development workshops with new and established playwrights. In June 2005 he played Martin (Police Superintendent) in Unprotected – written by John Fay, Tony Green, Lizzie Nunnery & Esther Wilson – a verbatim account of managed prostitution in the inner city for Liverpool Playhouse and Everyman directed by Nina Raine (‘Everyword’ New Writing Festival). The full production won the 2006 Amnesty International Freedom of Expression award.

For North-West Playwrights Stephen worked with fellow actors, writer, director and/or dramaturg to present script in hand readings at Oldham Coliseum, Lancaster Dukes, Manchester Royal Exchange, Carlisle University of Cumbria, Kendal Brewery Arts Centre, Preston UCLAN Media Factory, Lancaster University Nuffield Theatre and Keswick Theatre by the Lake.

Theatre Archive

Theatre highlights centre on premieres of adaptations of classic Victorian novels, which were toured across the UK, and subsequently much performed worldwide. I played half the male characters in Stephen Jeffries’ adaption for four actors of Charles Dicken’s Hard Times. (Pocket Theatre Cumbria, directed by Adrian Harris). The other premiere was Sally Hedge’s adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd (Orchard Theatre Company directed by Nigel Bryant) playing shepherd Gabriel Oak. Highly entertaining and beautifully crafted, it broke box office records for the company. I returned to play in a number of other new plays for these two touring companies.

Stephen appeared elsewhere, for seasons and single plays, at Hull (Humberside),  Derby (Playhouse)  Manchester (Library & Wythenshawe Forum) Durham (Durham Theatre Company) Stoke (New Vic)  Lancaster (Dukes) Leeds (Playhouse) York (Theatre Royal) Pitlochry (Playbox Company – touring schools in the islands and highlands of Scotland) and Whitehaven (Stage 77 – Cumbria touring)

He also spent a year as actor/teacher/researcher with Leeds Playhouse and another year with Lancaster Theatre in Education (TiE) companies. Subject matter dramatised for performance included a major interactive programme for middle schools on the politics of food plus primary age dramas exploring the Spanish conquest of the Incas and contemporary Romany life.

I was particularly proud to have been part of The Young National Trust Theatre Company (YNTT) in the 1980’s creating and performing in site specific interactive living history projects for junior and senior school pupils across the country.

Working as a performer with extra responsibility for researching teachers information packs I appeared in a wide variety of roles at Natioinal Trust properties from Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire, Buckland Abbey in Devon, Beningbrough Hall North in Yorkshire, Castle Ward in Co Down, Montacute House in Somerset to Townend Farm Troutbeck in the Lake District.