- Daniel Evans (actor)
-
Daniel Evans 
Actor Daniel Evans outside Wyndham's Theatre in the West End, after performing Sunday in the Park with George.Born Daniel Gwyn Evans
July 31, 1973
Rhondda, Wales, UKOccupation Actor, Director Daniel Evans, (born 31 July 1973), is a Welsh actor and director.
Contents
Background
Evans started acting early in life, going to the Urdd Eisteddfod, and beginning to compete there from the age of 5 or 6, as well as going to many amateur productions.[1] He realised it was what he wanted to do aged 8,[2] and aged 17, he won the Richard Burton Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. A year later, he won the Chair at the Urdd Eisteddfod.[2]
He attended Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen near Pontypridd, a Welsh language secondary school which has nurtured many actors. He is openly gay and has been out his entire career.[3]
Career
Stage career
Evans trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1991–1994,[4] but joined the Royal Shakespeare Company before completing his course.[2] With the RSC he had small roles in Coriolanus and Henry V,[2] before playing Lysander when Adrian Noble's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream toured in New York and on Broadway.
He appeared in the controversial play Cardiff East at the Royal National Theatre in 1997,[4] and as the title role in Peter Pan,[5] alongside Ian McKellen and Claudie Blakley.
Directed by Trevor Nunn, he appeared in The Merchant of Venice and Troilus and Cressida,[4] and was then cast as the hero in the operetta Candide,[2] which also starred Simon Russell Beale. It was his first singing role, and saw him nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2000.[4]
As well as Shakespeare and traditional theatre, Evans had starred in several more experimental plays. At the Royal Court Theatre, he appeared in the débuts of two Sarah Kane plays: Cleansed and 4.48 Psychosis.[2][4]
After the success of Candide, Evans was soon cast in another singing role, this time the Stephen Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (2001).[4][6]
Returning to Shakespeare, he played Ariel in Michael Grandage's production of The Tempest at the Sheffield Crucible, with Derek Jacobi starring as Prospero.[7] For this, and for his performance in the play Ghosts, he was awarded Second Prize for the Ian Charleson Award in 2003.[4] With the Royal Shakespeare Company again, he appeared in Measure for Measure and Cymbeline.[2][4]
In November 2005, he starred in another Sondheim musical, Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory in the West End, playing the role of French Post-Impressionist painter Georges Seurat, opposite Anna-Jane Casey. It was directed by Sam Buntrock, and was a daring production, using extensive animation and projections to show the creation of Seurat's masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte as it was put together over the course of the play.[8]
At the end of its short run at the Menier, Sunday transferred to the larger Wyndham's Theatre, where it continued until September 2006. It won five Olivier awards,[6] including Best Actor for Evans, Best Actress for Jenna Russell, who took over Casey's role when the Menier run finished, and Outstanding Musical Production.
In January 2008, Sunday started previews at Studio 54, on Broadway, New York, with Evans and Russell reprising their parts, and a new cast from the Roundabout Theatre Company. It opened on February 21, 2008, and closed on June 29.[9] The revival was nominated for, but failed to win, 9 Tony Awards,[4] including Best Actor in a Musical for Evans, Best Actress in a Musical for Russell, and Best Direction of a Musical for Sam Buntrock. Evans was also nominated for an Outer Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, a Drama League Award for a Distinguished Performance, and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, although the prizes were taken by Paulo Szot (Outer Critics' Circle and Drama Desk), and Patti LuPone, respectively.
Television and film career
On television, he has worked extensively with the BBC, especially in period dramas, including Great Expectations with Ioan Gruffudd, Daniel Deronda with Hugh Dancy, and The Virgin Queen with Anne-Marie Duff.[4]
Evans has also had cameo appearances in the long-running series, Spooks, Dalziel and Pascoe and Midsomer Murders.[4]
He starred as Daniel Llewellyn in the 2005 Christmas special of Doctor Who, which introduced David Tennant as the 10th Doctor.[10]
He appeared in The Passion in Holy Week, as St Matthew.[4]
Evans has appeared in five films to date: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cameleon, The Barber of Siberia, Tomorrow La Scala! and The Ramen Girl.[4]
Directing career
Evans débuted as a director in 2005 with a double-bill of Peter Gill's plays: Lovely Evening and In the Blue[11] , and a year later directed a Welsh-language production of the play Esther.[12] That year he also directed a reading of Total Eclipse, by Christopher Hampton, for the Royal Court Theatre's 50th Anniversary, a show which he starred in at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2007.
In 2007 Evans returned to Guildhall to direct a student production of Certain Young Men, also by Peter Gill, with a cast of eight final year students.[13]
On 8 April 2009, Evans was named as successor to Samuel West as artistic director of Sheffield Theatres. He will take up his new role following the refurbishment of the Crucible Theatre, with his first season due in February 2010.[14] Evans has stated that he does not plan on giving up acting for directing: " I don’t intend to give up acting … for the immediate future".[15]
Filmography
Year Title Role Other comments 1987 Eye of the Dragon Robin Richards TV Series Dramarama Unknown Character TV Series - Season 5 Episode 14 - "A Spirited Performance" 1995 Soldier Soldier L Cpl Alun Griffiths TV Series - Season 5 Episode 8 - "The Army Game" 1996 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander 1997 Cameleon Elfed Davies Be Brave Lawrence Won B.A.F.T.A. Wales for Best Film, Matthew Rhys won Best Actor 1998 The Barber of Siberia Andrew McCracken (in mask) 1999 Great Expectations Herbert Pocket 2-part TV film 2000 Doctors Jason Bridger TV Series - Season 1 Episode 4 - "All That Glitters" 2001 Love in a Cold Climate Cedric TV mini-series The Vice Aaron TV Series - Season 3 Episodes 3 and 4 - "Force of Nature", "Falling" Being Dom Joly Film and Advert Actor TV Series 2002 Deep Sleep Daniel TV Series Dead Air Waiter and Dom Joly's Neighbour Pilot for This Is Dom Joly Tomorrow La Scala! Jonny Atkins TV Film Daniel Deronda Mordecai TV Series 2003 Y Mabinogi Manawydan (Dan) Welsh language film 2004 Carrie's War Frederic Evans TV Film, credited as Daniel Roberts Spooks Defence QC TV Series - Season 3 Episode 6 - "Persephone" 2004 To the Ends of the Earth Parson Colley TV mini-series - Episode 1 - "Rites of Passage" The Virgin Queen Robert Cecil TV mini-series Doctor Who Danny Llewellyn TV Series - Season 1 Christmas Special - "The Christmas Invasion" 2005 Dalziel and Pascoe Rob Miclean TV Series - Season 10 Episodes 1 and 2 - "Houdini's Ghost" 2007 Midsomer Murders David Mostyn TV Series - Season 10 Episode 5 - "Death and Dust" 2008 The Passion Matthew TV mini-series The Ramen Girl Charlie External links
- Daniel Evans at the Internet Movie Database
- Daniel Evans at Hamilton Hodell
- Sunday in the Park with George at Studio 54, Broadway.
- Interview with Daniel Evans todoMUSICALES.com - December 2010
References
- ^ "Ticketmaster Interview: Daniel Evans". Ticketmaster. http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/feature/interviews/int_evans.html. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g "BBC - Wales - Daniel Evans Interview". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/theatre/pages/daniel_evans.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ Raymond, Gerald (2008-06-19). "Breaking the Mold". Backstage. http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/features/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003818628. Retrieved 2008-09-01.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Hamilton Hodell - Daniel Evans". Hamilton Hodell. http://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/page.asp?partid=27. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ "National Theatre: Peter Pan (1997 production)". Royal National Theatre. http://website-archive2.nt-online.org/?lid=1297. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ a b "Laurence Olivier Awards: Past Winners". Official London Theater Guide. http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/awards/winners. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ Wolf, Matt (2003-01-23). "Theatre Review: The Tempest". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117919752.html?categoryid=33&cs=1. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ Taylor, Paul (2005-12-02). "Theatre: Sunday in the Park with George Menier Chocolate Factory". The Independent. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20051202/ai_n15907598. Retrieved 2008-03-02.[dead link]
- ^ Rubin, Robert. "Broadway, Sunday in the Park with George Review". New York Theatre Guide. http://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/sundayintheparkwithgeorge08.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ Lyon, Shaun (2005-09-15). "TV Series Update". Outpost Gallifrey. Archived from the original on 2008-02-09. http://web.archive.org/web/20080209113828/http://www.gallifreyone.com/news-archives.php?id=9-2005. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ Hanks, Robert (2005-03-28). "Lovely Evening/In the Blue". The Independent. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20050328/ai_n13483123. Retrieved 2008-03-02.[dead link]
- ^ "The Big Interview: Daniel Evans". Official London Theatre Guide. 2006-05-18. http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/news/display?contentId=89288. Retrieved 2008-03-02.[dead link]
- ^ "Guildhall School of Music & Drama: Acting Graduates include...". http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/acting/introduction/samples_of_work_done.html. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ Higgins, Charlotte (2009-04-08). "Daniel Evans takes the reins at Sheffield Theatres". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/apr/08/daniel-evans-sheffield-theatres. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
- ^ "Sheffield Appoints Daniel Evans as New Director". Whatsonstage.com. http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8831239121613. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (2001–2025) Daniel Evans (2001) · Philip Quast (2002) · Alex Jennings (2003) · David Bedella (2004) · Nathan Lane (2005) · James Lomas / George Maguire / Liam Mower (2006) · Daniel Evans (2007) · Michael Ball (2008) · Douglas Hodge (2009) · Aneurin Barnard (2010) · David Thaxton (2011)
Complete list · (1979–2000) · (2001–2025) Categories:- 1973 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
- Welsh-speaking people
- Welsh stage actors
- Welsh television actors
- Welsh film actors
- Welsh radio actors
- Welsh voice actors
- Welsh musical theatre actors
- Shakespearean actors
- Royal Shakespeare Company members
- Royal National Theatre Company members
- Welsh theatre directors
- Laurence Olivier Award winners
- LGBT people from Wales
- Gay actors
- Academics of the University of Glamorgan
- People educated at Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg
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