Simon Stephens
Simon Stephens officiating a wedding in France (August 2023)
Born	(1971-02-06)6 February 1971 (age 54) Manchester, England
Occupation	Playwright
Nationality	British-Irish
Spouse	Polly Heath
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Simon Stephens (born 6 February 1971) is a British-Irishplaywright, musician and Professor of Scriptwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University. Having taught on the Young Writers' Programme at theRoyal Court Theatre for many years, he is now an Artistic Associate at theLyric Hammersmith. He is the inaugural Associate Playwright ofSteep Theatre Company,Chicago, where five of his plays,Harper Regan,Motortown,Wastwater,Birdland, andLight Falls had their U.S. premieres.^[1][2][3][4] His writing is widely performed throughout Europe and, along withDennis Kelly andMartin Crimp, he is one of the most performed English-language writers inGermany.^[5]

Originally fromStockport,Greater Manchester,^[6] Stephens graduated from theUniversity of York with a degree in History.^[7] After university, he lived in Edinburgh for several years, where he met his future wife Polly, before later completing aPGCE at theInstitute of Education. He worked as a teacher for a few years, before leaving to become a playwright. In 2017, Stephens was appointed to a Professorship at the Manchester School of Writing, at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He was a member of Scottish art punk bandCountry Teasers.

Stephens lives in London with his wife and three children. He has three cats, a dog, a snake and a capybara as pets. In 2016, Stephens publishedA Working Diary, an account of his activities in 2014.^[8]

• Vanya (2023). Premiered atDuke Of York’s Theatre, directed by Sam Yates. Adaptation ofUncle Vanya byAnton Chekhov. Performed byAndrew Scott.
• Morning Sun (2021).Manhattan Theatre Club production premiered in October 2021 at New York City Center Stage I directed byLila Neugebauer, withBlair Brown,Edie Falco, andMarin Ireland.
• Blindness (2020). Premiered atDonmar Warehouse, directed by Walter Meierjohann. Adaptation ofJosé Saramago's novel of the same name.
• Fortune (2020). Premiered atTokyo Metropolitan Theatre, directed bySean Holmes^[9]
• Light Falls (2019). Premiered atRoyal Exchange Manchester, directed by Sarah Francomb. Irish Premier in Cork School of Music, directed by Regina Crowley.
• Rage (2018) premiered at theRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama, directed by Elle While^[10] Revival cast premiere at theUniversity of Wales Trinity Saint David (2020)^[11]
• Obsession (2017). (English translation of Jan Peter Gerrits' play) Premiered at theBarbican Centre, directed byIvo Van Hove^[12]
• The Seagull (2017). Premiered at theLyric Hammersmith, directed bySean Holmes
• Fatherland (2017). Co-created withFrantic Assembly's Scott Graham andKarl Hyde for theManchester International Festival at theRoyal Exchange.
• The Threepenny Opera (2016) premiered at theNational Theatre, directed byRufus Norris, a new adaptation ofBertolt Brecht's book and lyrics (music byKurt Weill)^[13]
• Heisenberg (2015) premieredOff-Broadway at the New York City Center-Stage II, directed byMark Brokaw^[14]
• Song From Far Away (2015) premiered at theYoung Vic, directed by Ivo van Hove^[15]
• The Cherry Orchard (2014) premiering at the Young Vic, directed by Katie Mitchell
• Carmen Disruption (2014) premiering atDeutsches Schauspielhaus, directed by Sebastian Nübling^[16]
• Blindsided (2014) premiered at theRoyal Exchange Theatre, directed bySarah Frankcom^[17]
• Birdland (2014) premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre, directed byCarrie Cracknell^[18]
• London (2012) incorporatingSea Wall andT5 premiered atSalisbury Playhouse, directed by George Perrin^[19]
• Morning (2012) premiered at theTraverse Theatre, directed bySean Holmes^[20]
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2012) premiered at theNational Theatre, directed byMarianne Elliott, adapted from theMark Haddon novel of the same name^[21]
• A Doll's House (2012) premiered at theYoung Vic, directed byCarrie Cracknell^[22] American premiere atBrooklyn Academy of Music (2014)^[23]
• Three Kingdoms (2011) premiered atTheatre NO99 inTallinn,Estonia, directed by Sebastian Nübling,^[24] English premiere at theLyric Hammersmith (2012)^[25] | German premiere at theMunich Kammerspiele (2011)
• I Am the Wind (2011) translation of theJon Fosse play premiered at theYoung Vic, directed byPatrice Chéreau^[26]
• Wastwater (2011) premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre, directed byKatie Mitchell^[27]
• The Trial of Ubu (2010) premiered at the Toneelgroep inAmsterdam, (2012) English premiere at theHampstead Theatre, directed byKatie Mitchell^[28]
• T5 (2010) premiered at DryWrite at the Roundhouse, directed by Vicky Jones, and further developed at theTraverse Theatre as part of Traverse Live!, directed by Dominic Hill^[29]
• A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky (2010) written with David Eldridge and Robert Holman premiered at theLyric Hammersmith, directed bySean Holmes^[30]
• Marine Parade (2010) with music byMark Eitzel premiered at theBrighton Festival directed by Jo McInnes^[31]
• Punk Rock (2009) premiered at theRoyal Exchange Theatre, directed bySarah Frankcom^[32]
• Canopy of Stars (2008) premiered at theTricycle Theatre as part of the 'Great Game' series
• Sea Wall (2008) premiered in the Broken Space Season atBush Theatre, directed by George Perrin^[33]
• Pornography (2007) premiered at theTraverse Theatre directed bySean Holmes^[34]
• Harper Regan (2007) premiered at theNational Theatre, directed by Marianne Elliott^[35]
• Motortown (2006) premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre, directed byRamin Gray^[36]
• On the Shore of the Wide World (2005) premiered at theRoyal Exchange Theatre, directed bySarah Frankcom^[37]
• Country Music (2004) premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre, directed by Gordon Anderson^[38]
• Christmas (2004) premiered at theBush Theatre, directed by Joanne McInnes^[39]
• One Minute (2003) premiered at theATC, directed by Gordon Anderson^[40]
• Port (2002) premiered at theRoyal Exchange, directed by Marianne Elliott^[41]
• Herons (2001) premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre, directed by Simon Usher^[42]
• Bluebird (1998) premiered at theRoyal Court Theatre, directed by Gordon Anderson^[43]
• Bring Me Sunshine (1997) premiered at theEdinburgh Fringe Festival, directed by Heather Davies

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time won theOlivier Award for Best New Play 2013 and the 2015Tony Award for Best Play^[44][45]
• Punk Rock was nominated at theTMA Awards for Best New Play in 2010, and was also nominated for theEvening Standard Award for Best New Play in 2010^[46][47]
• Pornography won theCritics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland for Best New Play in 2008-09^[48]
• On the Shore of The Wide World won theOlivier Award for Best New Play in 2006^[49]
• One Minute won at theTron Theatre Awards as Best New Play in 2003
• Port won thePearson Award for Best New Play in 2001

• Simon Stephens at Doollee
• Official website of the Sea Wall movie, performed byAndrew Scott

• 1971 births
• Living people
• 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights
• 20th-century English male writers
• 21st-century English dramatists and playwrights
• 21st-century English male writers
• 21st-century English diarists
• Writers from Stockport
• Alumni of the University of York
• English male dramatists and playwrights

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from February 2021
• Use British English from October 2012