Daniel Evans (actor)

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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 (1973-07-31) (age 34)
Rhondda Valley, Wales, UK
Occupation Actor, Director

Daniel Evans, (born 31 July 1973), is a Welsh actor and director.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Early life

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].

[edit] Stage career

Evans trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1991-1994[3], 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[3], and as the title role in Peter Pan[4], alongside Ian McKellen and Claudie Blakley.

Directed by Trevor Nunn, he appeared in The Merchant of Venice and Troilus and Cressida[3], 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[3].

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[3][2].

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)[3][5].

Returning to Shakespeare, he played Ariel in Michael Grandage's production of The Tempest at the Sheffield Crucible, with Derek Jacobi starring as Prospero[6]. For this, and for his performance in the play Ghosts, he was awarded Second Prize for the Ian Charleson Award in 2003[3]. With the Royal Shakespeare Company again, he appeared in Measure for Measure and Cymbeline[3][2].

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[7].

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[5], 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 is due to continue until June[8]. The revival has been nominated for 9 Tony Awards[3], including Best Actor in a Musical for Evans, Best Actress in a Musical for Russell, and Best Direction of a Musical for Sam Buntrock, and the results will be announced on June 15. 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.

[edit] 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[3].

Evans has also had cameo appearances in the long-running series, Spooks, Dalziel and Pascoe and Midsomer Murders[3].

He starred as Captain Llewellyn in the 2005 Christmas special of Doctor Who, which introduced David Tennant as the 10th Doctor[9].

He recently appeared in The Passion in Holy Week, as St Matthew[3].

Evans has appeared in 4 films to date: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cameleon, The Barber of Siberia and Tomorrow, La Scala![3].

He is due to appear in The Ramen Girl in 2008, starring Brittany Murphy[3].

[edit] Directing career

Evans débuted as a director in 2005 with a double-bill of Peter Gill's plays: Lovely Evening and In the Blue[10] , and a year later directed a Welsh-language production of the play Esther[11]. 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 in their final year[12].

Although still relatively new to directing, he has stated that it is something he wants to continue doing, "it's an area of my work I want to explore more and more."[1]

[edit] 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 2 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

[edit] External Links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Ticketmaster Interview: Daniel Evans. Ticketmaster. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g BBC - Wales - Daniel Evans Interview. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hamilton Hodell - Daniel Evans. Hamilton Hodell. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  4. ^ National Theatre: Peter Pan (1997 production). Royal National Theatre. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  5. ^ a b Laurence Olivier Awards: Past Winners. Official London Theater Guide. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  6. ^ Wolf, Matt (2003-01-23). Theatre Review: The Tempest. Variety. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  7. ^ Taylor, Paul (2005-12-02). Theatre: Sunday in the Park with George Menier Chocolate Factory. The Independent. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  8. ^ Rubin, Robert. Broadway, Sunday in the Park with George Review. New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  9. ^ Lyon, Shaun (2005-09-15). TV Series Update. Outpost Gallifrey. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  10. ^ Hanks, Robert (2005-03-28). Lovely Evening/In the Blue. The Independent. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  11. ^ The Big Interview: Daniel Evans. Official London Theatre Guide (2006-05-18). Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
  12. ^ Guildhall School of Music & Drama: Acting Graduates include.... Retrieved on 2008-06-11.