Simon McBurney

Simon McBurney is a British actor, writer, and director who has made a name for himself on both stage and screen. Born in Cambridge in 1957, McBurney attended the University of Cambridge before going on to study at the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris. He co-founded the theatre company Complicite in 1983, which has since become known for its innovative and visually stunning productions.

McBurney's stage work includes a number of notable productions, both with Complicite and as a solo performer. In 1997, he wrote and performed in "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" at the National Theatre, which won him an Olivier Award for Best Actor. He also wrote and directed "The Encounter," a one-man show about a National Geographic photographer lost in the Amazon rainforest, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2015 before transferring to the West End and Broadway.
In addition to his stage work, McBurney has also appeared in a number of films and television shows. He played the role of MI6 agent Nigel in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011), and appeared in "The Theory of Everything" (2014) as astrophysicist Frank Hawking. He also played the role of Archdeacon Robert in the BBC series "Rev." (2010-2014).
One of McBurney's most notable stage performances was in the Broadway production of "The Elephant Man" in 2014. McBurney played the role of Frederick Treves, a doctor who takes in John Merrick, a severely deformed man who becomes a celebrity in Victorian London. McBurney received critical acclaim for his performance, with The New Yorker calling him "mesmerizing," and The New York Times praising his "compelling, understated performance."
More recently, McBurney directed the National Theatre's production of "The Master and Margarita" in 2018. Based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, the play tells the story of the devil's visit to Moscow in the 1930s. McBurney's production was praised for its inventive staging and use of technology, with The Guardian calling it "a thrilling, disorientating ride."