Rob Evans (writer)

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Robert Alan Evans
Born (1978-03-14) 14 March 1978 (age 47)
Oxford, England
Education University of Edinburgh
Occupation(s)Playwright, director
Notable workThe Ballad of Pondlife McGurk
Mikey and Addie
Website Official website

Robert Alan Evans [1] (born 14 March 1978)[ citation needed ] is a British playwright and theatre director who primarily writes for children and young people. [2] [3] He is the winner of two CATS awards (one for The Voice Thief) and a Prix D'Orpheon (for The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk). [4] [2] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Evans was born in 1978 in Oxford, England and grew up in Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff [3] and Penarth. He studied for an MA in[ citation needed ] English Literature and History at the University of Edinburgh before moving to Glasgow in 2000, where he began writing and directing professionally for theatre. [3] [6]

Career

After working as Assistant Director at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh on Gagarin Way by Gregory Burke and Iron by Rona Munro, [ citation needed ] Evans was sent to the World Interplay conference in Townsville, Australia in 2003 by the Traverse. His first play, A Girl in a Car with a Man, [7] [6] was picked up by playwright Simon Stephens.[ citation needed ] It was produced at the Royal Court Theatre in 2004 [7] [8] [9] and actor Andrew Scott received the 2005 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for his portrayal of Alex. [10] It was performed in German at the Munich Kammerspiele in November 2005. [3] Evans developed Aruba (2005) [11] and Fish Story (2007) [12] with the People Can Run theatre company. [5] Aruba had a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, then toured the UK and off Broadway. [13] [11] [14]

His work for younger audiences includes Pinocchio (2006); [15] Kappa (2007); [16] an adaptation of Ben Rice's short story Pobby and Dingan (2010); [17] The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk (2010); [18] and an adaptation of Barry Hines’ A Kestrel for a Knave (2011). [19] [20] Pondlife was also performed in Stockholm as Neandertalare (2011) [21] and in Subiaco (2014). [22] Other works include Peter Pan (2012) at the Sherman Cymru [23] [24] and Mikey and Addie (2012) for the Cultural Olympiad. [25] [26] He co-created Tiger and Tiger Tale (2013) and Little Red (2015) with Natasha Gilmore and the dance theatre company Barrowland Ballet. [12] [27] In 2024, his adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Odd and the Frost Giants was performed at the Unicorn Theatre. [28] [29]

Evans' awards include two CATS awards (one for The Voice Thief) and a Prix D'Orpheon (for The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk). [4] [2] [5] In 2010, his play Pobby and Dingan won the TMA Award for Best Show for Children and Young People. [30] [4] He was shortlisted for the Brian Way Award for The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk in 2011. [31] His work in the UK has been published by Faber and Faber [32] and Samuel French [33] [4] and in France by L'Arche  [ fr ]. [34] BBC Radio 4 broadcast his abridgment of A Patriot for Us by John Heilpern in 2006 [35] [36] and his radio play The Cracks in 2010. [37] [2] [5]

Personal life

Evans is gay. [38] [2]

Selected productions

YearTitlePremiere venueWriterDirectorNotesRef(s)
1999Whatever! The Musical! Bedlam Theatre/Edinburgh Fringe Festival Yes [9] [12]
2001Dead Pan The Arches Yes [9] [12]
Ghost Shirt Tron Theatre Yes [9] [39] [40] [12]
2002New Town The Arches Yes [9] [12]
2004A Girl in a Car with a Man Royal Court Theatre Yes Andrew Scott received the 2005 Olivier Award for his portrayal of Alex. [7] [32] [8] [41] [9] [2] [10]
2005Aruba Edinburgh Fringe Festival YesYesWith People Can Run Theatre company [11] [14] [13] [5]
2006 Pinocchio Northampton Theatre Royal YesYes [15] [5]
2007Fish Story Pleasance Edinburgh YesYesWith People Can Run Theatre company [5] [12]
Kappa Catherine Wheels Theatre Company Yes [16] [4] [12]
2008 Rudolf MacRobert Arts Centre Co-created with Andy Manley [4] [42]
2009Naked Neighbour (Twitching Blind) Tramway Yes [5] [43]
2010 Pobby and Dingan Catherine Wheels Theatre Company YesAdapted from the Ben Rice book [17] [4]
The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk Catherine Wheels Theatre Company YesWinner of a Prix D'Orpheon [18] [4] [44] [5]
Mr Snow MacRobert Arts Centre/West Yorkshire Playhouse YesYes [4] [5]
2011Kes West Yorkshire Playhouse YesAdapted from A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines; performance with the Catherine Wheels Theatre Company [19] [4] [2] [12] [45]
Caged Traverse Theatre YesWith the Catherine Wheels Theatre Company; retelling of Beauty and the Beast [4] [46]
2012 Peter Pan Sherman Cymru Yes [23] [24] [4]
Mikey and Addie London 2012 Festival Yes [25] [4] [12] [26]
2013Sleeping Beauties Sherman Cymru YesRetelling of Sleeping Beauty [4] [5] [12] [47] [48]
Tiger & Tiger Tale Tramway Co-created with Natasha Gilmore and Barrowland Ballet [4] [5] [12]
Ignition National Theatre of Scotland Yes [2] [5]
2014The Voice Thief Summerhall With Catherine Wheels Theatre Company [4] [2] [5]
The Night Before Christmas The Arches YesWith Macrobert Arts Centre [4] [5]
2015 Little Red Tramway YesYesCo-created with Natasha Gilmore and Barrowland Ballet [4] [2] [5] [12] [49]
2017Crumble's Search for Christmas West Yorkshire Playhouse YesYes [5] [50]
2018The Woods Royal Court Theatre Yes [51]
2019The Tale of Little Bevan Courtyard, Hereford YesCommissioned by Pentabus [52] [53]
The DigBackstage Theatre (Longford)Yes [5] [54]
The River and the Mountain LAMDA Yes [5] [55]
2021Christmas Dinner Royal Lyceum Theatre Yes [56]
2022Death Drop: Back in the Habit King's Theatre, Glasgow Yes [57]
2023Too Close to the Sun Traverse Theatre YesYesCo-created with Natasha Gilmore and Barrowland Ballet; based on Icarus [58] [59]
2024 Odd and the Frost Giants Unicorn Theatre YesBased on the book by Neil Gaiman [28] [29]

References

  1. ↑ "Mikey and Addie". Theatre in Schools Scotland. 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 O'Connell, Alice (August 2018). "The Curious Interview: Robert Alan Evans". Wool & Whiskers. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Rob Evans" (in German). Rowholt Theater Verlag. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Rob Evans". PUSH Project. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Robert Alan Evans". Pentabus. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Not a child's play". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 May 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 "A Girl in a Car with a Man". Royal Court Theatre. Archived from the original on 27 October 2010.
  8. 1 2 Cavendish, Dominic (1 December 2004). "Tantalising journey through a nightmare". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "»A Girl In a Car With a Man«" (in German). Schaubühne. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013.
  10. 1 2 Dziemianowicz, Joe (10 October 2024). "All the times Andrew Scott did theatre". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 Radosavljevic, Duska (24 August 2005). "Aruba". The Stage. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Robert Alan Evans". Concord Theatricals. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  13. 1 2 Zeitchik, Steven (13 July 2006). "Aruba". Variety. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  14. 1 2 Sherman, Josh (12 July 2006). "Aruba". nytheatre.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.
  15. 1 2 Ramsden, Timothy (27 December 2006). "Archive: PINOCCHIO. To 13 January". Reviwers Gate. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  16. 1 2 "Kappa". Catherine Wheels Theatre Company.
  17. 1 2 "Pobby and Dingan". Catherine Wheels Theatre Company.
  18. 1 2 "The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk". www.catherinewheels.co.uk. Catherine Wheels Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011.
  19. 1 2 "Kes". Catherine Wheels Theatre Company.
  20. ↑ "Interview with Robert Alan Evans". Theatre by the Lake. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  21. ↑ "Neandertalare" (in Swedish). Mittiprickteatern. October 2011. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012.
  22. ↑ Zampatti, David (1 October 2014). "Pondlife teems with pleasures". The West Australian. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  23. 1 2 "Peter Pan". www.shermancymru.co.uk. Sherman Cymru. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012.
  24. 1 2 Wild, Susie (6 December 2012). "Peter Pan". The Stage. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013.
  25. 1 2 "Mikey and Addie". London 2012 Festival. 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012.
  26. 1 2 Fisher, Mark (14 May 2012). "Imaginate festival – review". TheGuardian.com .
  27. ↑ "The Herald". Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland. 4 December 2015. p. M18. Retrieved 26 November 2025– via newspapers.com.
  28. 1 2 "Odd and the Frost Giants". Unicorn Theatre. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  29. 1 2 "Odd and the Frost Giants". At London Bridge. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  30. ↑ "TMA Theatre Awards Winners 2010". Theatrical Management Association. 2010. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013.
  31. ↑ Elkin, Susan (15 April 2011). "Keith Saha's Ghost Boy wins top award". The Stage. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011.
  32. 1 2 "A Girl in a Car with a Man". Faber. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  33. ↑ "Titles to Come". Samuel French London. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012.
  34. ↑ "Rob EVANS" (in French). L'arche. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013.
  35. ↑ "A Patriot For Us [Book Of The Week]". radiolistings.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015.
  36. ↑ Vestey, Michael (20 May 2006). "Honest John". The Spectator. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  37. ↑ "The Cracks". BBC Radio 4.
  38. ↑ Evans, Robert (14 December 2017). "Blog: How to be a... theatre maker". A Younger Theatre. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  39. ↑ "Rob Evans". Theatre Scotland. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  40. ↑ Edwards, Owen Dudley (2001). "A View of Scottish Theatre in Edinburgh During Festival 2001". International Journal of Scottish Theatre and Screen. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  41. ↑ "Rob Evans: Ein Mädchen in einem Auto mit einem Mann" [A Girl in a Car with a Man] (in German). Rowholt Theater. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013.
  42. ↑ Brown, Mark (13 December 2008). "Theatre: Animal attractions". The Herald Scotland. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  43. ↑ "Naked Neighbour (Twitching Blind)". The Association of Lighting Designers. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  44. ↑ Bruce, Keith. "Biggest fish in the Pond". The Herald. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  45. ↑ Rickson, Graham (30 January 2019). "Kes, Leeds Playhouse review - seminal Yorkshire story soars". The Arts Desk. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025.
  46. ↑ Blundell, Justine (5 April 2011). "Caged, Traverse Theatre, Review". EdinburghGuide.com. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  47. ↑ Smith, Othniel. "The Sleeping Beauties". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  48. ↑ "Sleeping Beauties to enchant audiences". alt.cardiff. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  49. ↑ "The Herald". Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland. 4 December 2015. p. M18. Retrieved 26 November 2025– via newspapers.com.
  50. ↑ Love-Smith, Mark. "Crumble's Search for Christmas". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  51. ↑ Sierz, Aleks (18 October 2018). "Robert Alan Evans's 'The Woods' at the Royal Court". The Theatre Times. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  52. ↑ "Rober Alan Evans - The Tale of Little Bevan". Allen and Unwin. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  53. ↑ Philippa, May (17 October 2019). "Peaceful village with a dark side". Hereford Times. Hereford, Herefordshire, England. p. M41. Retrieved 26 November 2025– via newspapers.com.
  54. ↑ "Longford's Aisling Children's Arts Festival to bring a host of exciting events". Longford Live. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  55. ↑ Lambie, Sarah (28 August 2019). "New writing in drama schools: a boost for students and playwrights". The Stage. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  56. ↑ Law, Elaine (15 December 2021). "Christmas Dinner @ Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh". The Skinny. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  57. ↑ "Death Drop: Back in the Habit – King's Theatre, Glasgow". The Reviews Hub. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  58. ↑ "About Too Close To The Sun". What's On Stirling. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  59. ↑ "Too Close to the Sun - Traverse Theatre". Corr Blimey. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
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