A little about Simon.
Biography
Born and raised in Manchester England, Simon emigrated to Canada as a young man. Prior to his move to North America Simon acted all the way through primary and secondary school culminating in three years at the Manchester Youth Theatre. Here he performed in John Retallack’s ‘Agog and Agape; and ‘Backchat’ as well as a prestigious run at The Royal Exchange as Fluellen in ‘Henry V’.
After leaving Drama Centre London he got a job at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Canada where he was directed by Michael Bogdanov, Ron Eyre, Richard Cottrell, Derek Goldby, and John Hirsch. Playing opposite Brian Bedford, John Neville, Douglas Campbell and Anne Casson, it was here that he began to learn the craft of acting. Simon’s first play ‘The Tumbleweed’ was directed in workshop by Douglas Campbell at this festival.
Four years in Toronto followed. Driving a cab to pay the rent, he formed a small theatre company with two acting colleagues. Ziggurat Theatre was an actor led and text based company the first show of which was Berkoff’s ‘Decadence’. Simon’s performance in this play garnered him a Dora Award nomination. ‘Screwed, Blued and Tattooed’ a political farce and Simon’s second play was also produced under the auspices of this company. Throughout this time Simon performed in theatres across the country.
The Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-lake soon offered Simon a season and he then spent the next sixteen years with the second largest repertory company in North America. With a mandate to produce plays written in Shaw’s lifetime (1857 to 1950) Ibsen, Shaw, Pirandello, Chekhov, O Casey, Synge and Arthur Miller were just some of the playwrights whose work was performed by this unique company. A highlight of his time here came when his one man play about Charles Chaplin was programmed for the 2002 season. This play inaugurated the theatre’s new mandate to incorporate plays by living playwrights.
Pittsburgh Irish Classical Theatre programmed ‘Chaplin,’ and Simon soon developed a relationship with this this company's then AD Andrew Paul that has lasted to this day. As an artistic associate he acted, directed and taught during his time with the company. In 2010 he won Pittsburgh Performer of the Year, part of a series of awards by the city’s leading newspaper to members of the artistic community.
Seven years in Vancouver followed where he continued to write screenplays and, with a writing partner won the 2010 Praxis screenwriting contest. He also performed at all the major theatres in that city; Bard on the Beach, Vancouver Playhouse, The Arts Club and the Gateway Theatre, Richmond garnering three Jessie nominations and winning one for best supporting actor.
In 2011 Simons fascination with the clown archetype took him in a new direction as he accepted an offer to tour with the renowned Quebec company Cirque du Soleil. A tour of the US and Australia followed and more recently a rotational year on/off gig at The Beatles LOVE in Las Vegas.
He now spends his time between the US, Canada and the UK.