All stories by Michael Simkins on BroadwayStars

Friday, October 28, 2022

Modern and major: how Gilbert and Sullivan still skewer England’s absurdities by Michael Simkins

Dismiss their works at your peril. Strip the barnacles of stale tradition off the Victorian duos’s light operettas and their seditious glory still shines When I was a teenager in the 19…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:13AM
Thursday, July 27, 2017

Tips for surviving the acting industry by Michael Simkins

From handling the few first months as a professional, when you're seen as a potential Next Big Thing, to maintaining focus when the work dries up, Michael Simkins offers survival tips for li…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:48AM
Thursday, June 22, 2017

Actors usually envy each other. But Daniel Day-Lewis is a class apart | Michael Simkins by Michael Simkins

The actor is retiring – and those of us used to playing angry policemen or affable dads could see just how exceptional his talent isIt’s the news I’ve been waiting for. Daniel Day-Lewi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Monday, May 1, 2017

Maybe I’m a grumpy old luvvie – but I think young actors have a lot to learn | Michael Simkins by Michael Simkins

As Dame Judi Dench has noted, many actors under the age of 30 haven’t even heard of the titans who preceded them. And as for their diction …I remember the occasion as if it were yesterda…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:12AM
Monday, July 18, 2016

Checking Twitter in the theatre? What next, vaping? | Michael Simkins by Michael Simkins

Bravo to Kit Harington for defending his young fans going to the theatre, but quite simply, this magical form only works if everybody is bought into itKit Harington, star of the ubiquitous G…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:40AM
Thursday, April 7, 2016

Michael Simkins: Slitting your throat and other theatrical hazards by Michael Simkins

The news that actor Daniel Hoevels accidentally slit his own throat on stage in Austria during a performance of Mary Stuart will send a shiver of empathy mixed with schadenfreude through the…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:45AM
Thursday, March 31, 2016

Method acting can go too far – just ask Dustin Hoffman | Michael Simkins by Michael Simkins

Reports that the star may have hurled insults at Meryl Streep are no surprise – actors are constantly searching for ways to spice up performancesThe claim in Michael Schulman’s recent bo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:31AM
Sunday, January 3, 2016

Tips for surviving the acting industry by Michael Simkins

From handling the few first months as a professional, when you're seen as a potential Next Big Thing, to maintaining focus when the work dries up, Michael Simkins offers survival tips for li…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:46AM
Monday, August 10, 2015

Alas, poor Benedict! Fans filming isn't the only peril that could throw Cumberbatch by Michael Simkins

Benedict Cumberbatch has pleaded for fans to stop distracting him after one filmed his ‘To be or not to be’ speech in Hamlet. But this is just one of the many new dangers today’s actor…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:44PM
Monday, August 3, 2015

Just sign the autographs, Benedict! by Michael Simkins

The stage door can be occasionally perilous for actors - but the fans waiting there aren't asking for that much

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 03:57PM
Wednesday, July 29, 2015

First Person: Dear Lupin by Michael Simkins

When I got the call enquiring whether I’d like to adapt The Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year Dear Lupin for the stage, the first thing I did was to thank my lucky stars. Dear Lupin: Le…

SOURCE: The Arts Desk at 06:39AM
Saturday, July 25, 2015

Paul Bhattacharjee and Cory Monteith deaths: is acting today just too tough? by Michael Simkins

Are the recent deaths of high-profile actors tragic one-offs? Or is the profession now too precarious? Michael Simkins, a veteran of stage and screen, lifts the lid on a lonely worldPaul Bha…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:12AM
Thursday, July 9, 2015

Where egos dare: Patrick Stewart v James Corden and other on-stage spats | Michael Simkins by Michael Simkins

That Glamour awards bitchfest was cringeworthy, but it's far from the first time that two actors have competed for attention on stageIt's difficult to know quite what to make of Patrick Stew…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:27AM
Wednesday, October 22, 2014

When stage actors are tempted to dial M for murder by Michael Simkins

The bane of the modern stage actor's life is, of course, the mobile phone, writes Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 01:30AM
Saturday, September 27, 2014

A signed photograph is not for life, but for sale by Michael Simkins

The genuine autograph hunter has been superseded, thanks to eBay , says Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 12:05PM
Saturday, September 13, 2014

The joy of Donald Sinden by Michael Simkins

The first thing you noticed about Sir Donald was the voice. It was a colossal instrument, says Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 11:00AM
Saturday, August 9, 2014

Simkins's World: Lodgings that this actor will never forget by Michael Simkins

Since the internet put paid to the actors' 'digs list', accomodation for the touring thesp has got a bit boring, says Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 01:30PM
Saturday, July 26, 2014

Simkins's World: Even dogs are stage stars now by Michael Simkins

You no longer need a grandiose name or personality to be an acting star these days - being a canine will do, says Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 10:50AM
Thursday, July 3, 2014

Monty Python reunion exposes the moment actors dread by Michael Simkins

Forgetting your lines, as John Cleese knows, can make centre stage a lonely place , says Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 01:30AM
Sunday, April 27, 2014

William Shakespeare: his part in my downfall by Michael Simkins

The Bard's 450th anniversary has brought back painful memories for Michael Simkins.

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 03:00AM
Thursday, April 24, 2014

Let's hear it for those poor, mumbling actors by Michael Simkins

As 'Jamaica Inn' shows, the best efforts of the cast can be undone by production gremlins, says Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 01:35AM
Saturday, April 19, 2014

Self-taping for actors' auditions isn't all it's cracked up to be by Michael Simkins

My wife wore a look of pitying amusement on her face as I tried to portray a man gripped by carnal passion, says Michael Simkins

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 10:30AM
Saturday, March 8, 2014

How life and art collide on the stage by Michael Simkins

There's nothing new under the sun in the theatre, says Michael Simkins    

SOURCE: The Telegraph at 01:30PM
Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Paul Bhattacharjee and Cory Monteith deaths: is acting today just too tough? by Michael Simkins

Are the recent deaths of high-profile actors tragic one-offs? Or is the profession now too precarious? Michael Simkins, a veteran of stage and screen, lifts the lid on a lonely worldPaul Bha…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:45PM
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Hurrah for am-dram – why it's time to applaud amateur actors by Michael Simkins

Forget the idea of pensioners performing in draughty village halls: amateurs and pros are closer in ability than you might thinkA stage-struck school friend who once told his careers teacher…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:26AM
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Is Judi Dench right – are young actors only obsessed with fame? by Michael Simkins

Wannabe stars don't always understand the importance of theatrical history, but it's showbusiness that's to blame Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:11PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards