Simon McBurney

Early life

McBurney was born on 25 August 1957 in Cambridge, England. His father, Charles McBurney, was an American archaeologist and academic of Scottish descent. His paternal great-grandfather was American surgeon Charles McBurney, who was credited with describing the medical sign McBurney's point. Simon McBurney's mother, Anne Francis Edmondstone (née Charles), was a British secretary of English, Scottish and Irish ancestry. His parents were distant cousins who met during World War II. His older brother is composer and writer Gerard McBurney.

He attended Marlborough College and Cambridgeshire College of Art and Technology (now Anglia Ruskin University) before studying English literature at Peterhouse, Cambridge, graduating in 1980. He moved to Paris and trained for the theatre at the Jacques Lecoq Institute and under Philippe Gaulier.

Career

A Disappearing Number was a devised piece conceived and directed by McBurney, taking as its inspiration the story of the collaboration between two of the 20th century's most remarkable pure mathematicians, the Indian genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, and Cambridge don G. H. Hardy. It played at the Barbican in autumn 2008 and toured internationally. In February 2009, McBurney directed the Complicité production Shun-kin, based on two texts by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki. It was produced in London and Tokyo in 2010.

On a freelance basis, McBurney directed the following: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and All My Sons (2008) (both in New York City), and live comedy shows, including Lenny Henry's So Much Things To Say and French and Saunders' Live in 2000.

McBurney is an established screen actor. He played the recurring role of Cecil the choirmaster in The Vicar of Dibley, CIA computer whiz Garland in Body of Lies, Dr. Atticus Noyle in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), British diplomat Nigel Stone in The Last King of Scotland, the metrosexual husband Aaron in Friends with Money, Fra Pavel in The Golden Compass, Charles James Fox in The Duchess, and Oliver Lacon in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He also wrote the story and was an executive producer for Mr. Bean's Holiday.

From 2010 to 2014, he appeared in the BBC comedy television series Rev., portraying the role of Archdeacon Robert. McBurney provided the voice of Kreacher in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010). In the series The Borgias, he portrayed the canon law expert Johannes Burchart. He is the Artiste Associé of the 66th Festival d'Avignon (2012). He starred in The Encounter, about photographer Loren McIntyre becoming lost in the Javari Valley in Brazil and his experiences with locals, which premiered at the 2015 Edinburgh International Festival. In July 2015, he starred as Atlee, the director of MI6 in the film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and in 2016, he portrayed paranormal investigator Maurice Grosse in the horror film sequel The Conjuring 2.

In 2013, he directed the English National Opera production of Mozart's The Magic Flute at the London Coliseum, and the same opera at the New York Metropolitan Opera in 2023.

In September 2019, the Complicité production of The Encounter was ranked by The Guardian writers as the 13th best theatre show since 2000.

Personal life

In 2007, he met concert pianist Cassandra "Cassie" Yukawa; they lived together with their two children. They previously lived in north London. His sister-in-law is violinist Diane Yukawa.

In the 2005 New Year Honours, McBurney was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to Drama". He is an Ambassador for Survival International, the global movement for tribal peoples' rights.

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

• 1997: Europe Prize Theatrical Realities (with the Théâtre de Complicité)
• 1998: Laurence Olivier Award (Best Choreography for "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" ("Der kaukasische Kreidekreis"), Royal National Theatre, Olivier Stage, London)
• 1999: Critics' Circle Theatre Award (Best new play for "Mnemonic" at the Riverside Theatre)
• 2005: Officer of the Order of the British Empire, "New Years Honours List" of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 2007: Nestroy Theatre Prize (nomination Best Directing for "A Disappearing Number" at the Wiener Festwochen)
• 2007: Critics' Circle Theatre Award (Best new play for "A Disappearing Number" at the Théâtre de Complicité)
• 2008: Konrad Wolf Prize

References

References

1. "Playbill Vault's Today in Theatre History: August 25".
2. Wiśniewski, Tomasz. (27 October 2016). "Complicite, Theatre and Aesthetics From Scraps of Leather". Springer International Publishing.
3. Costa, Maddy. (11 September 2010). "A life in theatre: Simon McBurney". [[The Guardian]].
4. O'Mahony, John. (1 January 2005). "Anarchy in the UK - Profile: Simon McBurney". [[The Guardian]].
5. "Gerard McBurney {{!}} British Youth Music Theatre".
6. (25 June 1980). "Tiopos [sic] results at Cambridge". The Times.
7. "The Dumbledore of Clowning". New York Times.
8. Thorpe, Vanessa. "Sophie Hunter: The Opera Director Who Has to Dodge Paparazzie". Sophie Hunter Central.
9. "Europe Theatre Prize - V Edition - Reasons".
10. [http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=4928 A Disappearing Number at the Barbican]
11. (10 February 2015). "The Encounter". Edinburgh International Festival.
12. Kroll, Justin. (17 September 2015). "'Harry Potter' Actor Simon McBurney Joins 'Conjuring 2' (Exclusive)". [[Variety (magazine).
13. (10 November 2013). "The Magic Flute - review". The Guardian.
14. (18 May 2023). "This 'Magic Flute' Has Ringtones, Bird Tracks and a Foley Artist". The New York Times.
15. (17 September 2019). "The 50 best theatre shows of the 21st century". The Guardian.
16. Costa, Maddy. (10 September 2010). "A life in theatre: Simon McBurney". The Guardian.
17. Fingleton, Eamonn. "Wronged?: An Unwed English Mother, A Flinty Japanese Employer, And History's Worst Plane Crash".
18. Jacques, Adam. (20 September 2011). "How We Met: Simon McBurney and Kathryn Hunter". The Independent.
19. Ward, David. (8 March 2002). "Air crash payout after 17 years". The Guardian.
20. {{London Gazette. (31 December 2004)
21. (2 February 2017). "Actor and director Simon McBurney becomes Survival International Ambassador". Survival International.
22. Petski, Denise. (9 October 2017). "'Carnival Row' Casts Simon McBurney; Jonny Coyne Joins 'The Blacklist'".
23. "V Edizione".
24. Wildermann, Patrick. (21 October 2008). "Bitte schnell was trinken". [[Der Tagesspiegel]].