Simon Evans on the BBC’s hit comedy series Staged, the magic of illusion, and taking creative risks

<p>Simon Evans is the writer and director of the BBC's <i>Staged</i>, which ran for three seasons, filmed almost entirely over Zoom during the pandemic in a revolutionary approach to filmmaking. The series starred David Tennant, Michael Sheen, and Simon himself alongside a revolving door of guest appearances from an incredible lineup of actors such as Dame Judi Dench, bringing levity, laughs, and real joy to many people during an extremely dark time in a style that managed to feel both mainstream and experimental. Simon also has an extensive background as a theatre director, writer, and actor, including his original double bill <i>The Vanishing Man / The Extinction Event</i>, through which he captured his passion for illusion and demonstrated his skill as a magician, and his fantastic new production of <i>Cyrano De Bergerac</i>, starring Adrian Lester at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He's a multitalented artist and, in my humble opinion, a comedic genius, so it was brilliant speaking with him about the magic of live performance and growing alongside his surprise hit series.</p><h6>Staged</h6><p>Streaming: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08WLYTD8Q" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/staged/umc.cmc.72xfslvc50izib1o10nwc0z7">Apple</a> | <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p08dnl67/staged" target="_blank">BBC iplayer</a> | <a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/7b1bc66057f852748e1973e80e930a8a/staged" target="_blank">Roku</a> | <a href="https://www.britbox.com/us/season/Staged_S1_10119569" target="_blank">BritBox</a> | <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/staged" target="_blank">ABC iview</a><br/>Extra: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXoGgP2l3U" target="_blank">New Year's special</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqBNiSmAKJw" target="_blank">Outtakes</a></p><h6>Cyrano De Bergerac</h6><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFX9EF8x7w4" target="_blank">Trailer</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di3xizmD0yw" target="_blank">What the play is about</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxNeoOfEi8s" target="_blank">Bringing the play to the stage</a></p><h6>The Vanishing Man / The Extinction Event</h6><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iJ7H5lUO0M" target="_blank">Trailer</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxjyxijAjSg" target="_blank">Performing a close-up magic trick</a></p><h6>Other Productions</h6><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoWlt7mwmzg" target="_blank">Killer Joe</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De7pKrFnMek" target="_blank">The Dazzle</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZuvZ9GRDk0" target="_blank">Bug</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLhIlzW2kWs" target="_blank">A Day in the Death of Joe Egg</a><br/><a href="https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/the-resistible-donmar-warehous-14331" target="_blank">The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui</a></p>