Neil Smye

Biography

 

 

Born in Oxford, Neil was thirteen when he played the title role in his school production of the musical, OLIVER! which encouraged his decision to make a career as a performer.  On leaving school at eighteen he went on to train at the Guildford School of Acting before making his professional debut as The Gingerbread Man in David Wood’s THE GINGERBREAD MAN at the Oxford Playhouse for Whirligig Theatre Company. Since then Neil’s theatre work has been varied and has taken him all over the U.K. and beyond.

 

Neil’s early work was almost exclusively for Polka Theatre in Wimbledon where his physical theatre skills were put to good use. During this time he played well-known characters such as Pinocchio, Icarus and also Hansel in an adaptation of Humperdinck’s opera HANSEL AND GRETEL. He then also continued to perform with David Wood’s Whirligig Theatre Company, which specialised in large scale national tours of original children’s musical productions. Roles included Seagull in THE SELFISH SHELLFISH and Norman in SAVE THE HUMAN a joint production with the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Other early credits include playing Dick in HAUL FOR THE SHORE for Kent Arts Theatre and Henry in LITTLE WOMEN at the Churchill Theatre Bromley and then on tour.

 

Moving to live full time in London Neil’s work began to diversify and he began to hone his comedy and musical theatre skills. He played Charlie Brown in SNOOPY - THE MUSICAL for Jill Freud & Company in Southwold, Desmond in BERNARD TROPP’S UNFINISHED MUSICAL for No Mess Productions in Bracknell, a season in Germany playing Norman in Neil Simon's THE STAR SPANGLED GIRL at the English Theatre in Hamburg and a summer season in Wales playing Benny Southstreet in GUYS AND DOLLS for the Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

 

Large-scale commercial touring has been a major part of Neil’s career. He performed, somersaulted, juggled and uni-cycled for over a year as Tom Thumb in a UK tour of BARNUM with Andrew O’Connor, “Shuffled off to Buffalo” as Bert Barry in two tours of 42ND STREET with Gemma Craven then Ruth Madoc and ‘swept’ the stage in the multi-character role of stagehand Vic in two tours of LANZA – THE LAST SERENADE.

 

Between touring Neil appeared as William Park in RIOTOUS ACTS at The Theatre Museum Covent Garden, The White Rabbit in ALICE IN WONDERLAND at The Civic Theatre Barnsley, Edgar Wallace in THE GAMBLER at St Georges Theatre Luton, Wilbur in CHARLOTTE’S WEB, Mr Brown in A BEAR CALLED PADDINGTON and Centipede/Aunt Sponge in JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH all for Polka Theatre Wimbledon, Smee alongside Derek Griffiths’ Captain Hook in PETER PAN at the Weston Playhouse, , Arnell in Israel Horovitz’s black comedy LINE at the Tristan Bates Theatre London, Cosmo Brown in SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, The Chinese Policeman in ALADDIN at The Riverfront Theatre Newport, Ned in NO GIPSY CHILD OF MINE at The St Augustine’s Sanctuary Edinburgh and Bert in the world premiere of a new musical - IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE for the New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich.

 

Recent theatre work includes playing Reg in TABLE MANNERS and Detective Fergus in DOUBLE DEATH both for The Manor Pavilion Sidmouth, Alderman Fitzwarren in DICK WHITTINGTON for The Towngate Theatre Basildon, Robertson in LLOYD GEORGE KNEW MY FATHER and Geoffrey Thornton in THE DRESSER both for The Theatre Royal Windsor, Yvan in a rehearsed reading of ART at St Vincent's Hall Brixton, King Stefan in SLEEPING BEAUTY at the Theatre Royal Wakefield and Mr Smee in PETER PAN for Lighthouse Theatre Poole.

 

More recently Neil has been developing his on-screen skills with Television and film appearances as Deputy Editor in Season 5 of THE CROWN for Netflix, Lord Goring in Season 2 of BRIDGERTON also for Netflix, Glen Tilson in EASTENDERS for the BBC and The Lieutenant in JACK for Independent Films. Other TV and film appearances include, Robert in CENTURY HOUSE (a short film which Neil also wrote and directed), Al Jardine in BREAKING THE BANDS – THE BEACH BOYS for ITV – Potato, Neil in EL GATO for East River Productions, Mark in TORCHWOOD for Summerhouse films and Student in AFTER PILKINGTON for the BBC.

 

Neil has also featured in several TV ad’s including The Official in ‘The Weigh-In’ for HARIBO TANGFASTICS, Mark in the ‘But First…’ campaign for COSTA COFFEE, The Husband in the ‘Beautifully Simple’ campaign for WAITROSE, The Dad with arms in plaster in 'Refreshing little Lifts' for TIC TAC mints and The Dad in the ‘Love to Toast’ campaign for KINGSMILL.

 

 

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