Simon Slater

Simon Slater (born 1959) is a British music director, composer, narrator, and actor. He has composed more than 300 original music scores for film, theatre, TV and radio, and is a member of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.

For the British dance music producer Simon Slater, see Gat Decor.

Simon Slater
Born1959
Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire
Occupation(s)Music director, composer, narrator, and actor
InstrumentsPiano, double bass, saxophone, clarinet, ukulele
WebsiteOfficial website

In 2010, Slater's narration of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel won two awards; an Audie Award for Literary Fiction and an AudioFile magazine Earphone Award. For best sound designer in the 2013 play Constellations, he was nominated an Olivier Award.

Early life and education

Simon Slater was born in Filey Road, Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a sailor known as the Prospect Of Whitby yachtsman Arthur Slater.[1][2][3] As a young child he became inspired by his music teacher at Bramcote School.[1] In 1972 he joined Sedbergh School, where he was a student until 1977.[4] Growing up in Scarborough, he lived not far from the Stephen Joseph Theatre, where his parents took him to see plays by Alan Ayckbourn.[1] Later, he gained admission to Goldsmiths College at the University of London.[5][6]

Career

During his career, Slater has composed more than 300 original music scores for film, theatre, TV and radio,[7] which have included BBC Radio 4, Channel 5, the Royal Shakespeare Company and West End Theatre productions.[4] He is a member of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.[4]

For three years he worked as a composer on the plays Henry V and Julius Caesar for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He wrote the music for Macbeth, starring Sean Bean ("Albery") and wrote the music for The Blood Libel for Radio 4.

He also composed for many productions at Hampstead Theatre Club, The Liverpool Everyman, Bristol Old Vic, The Bush, and Young Vic.

Television

Slater has appeared in several TV series, including Heartbeat, Inspector Morse, Hotel Babylon, Monarch of the Glen, and as Inspector Kite in The Bill.[8]

He also appeared in Birds of a Feather, Doctor Who, Lovejoy, and Where the Heart Is.

Theatre
The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough

At the Stephen Joseph Theatre he was invited to compose the music for four actor-musicians in the Christmas adaptation of Pinocchio in which they play an array of instruments covering 30 roles.[1] The production ended in 2016.[1] Other Christmas shows he directed music for at the SJT include A Christmas Carol and Alice in Wonderland.[9]

Slater also wrote or co-wrote the songs for Christmas shows Cinderella at Winchester Theatre Royal, The Santa Trap for The Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, and Little Red Riding Hood at the Chelsea Theatre.[1]

His work as a theatrical actor includes a five-year run in the musical Mamma Mia! as Sam Charmichael,[7] as well as Forbidden Broadway (Fortune), Sugar Hill Blues (Hampstead and Warehouse Croydon), The Great White Hope (Tricycle), Aspects of Love (Sydmonton Festival), Waiting for Godot, and Wind in the Willows (Nuffield Southampton). He appeared in the Theatre Royal (Winchester) production of Peter Pan the Pantomime playing Captain Hook during the Christmas season of 2010/2011. He also wrote all the music for the show.

In 2016 he was musical director for Amadeus at the National Theatre.[1][9]

Music

He plays piano, double bass, saxophone, clarinet, guitar, piano accordion,[4] soprano, alto, tenor sax, ukulele, mandolin and double bass.[6]

He has written the musical score to the aerial show, 'Zoetrope' which is being produced by the theatre company Kinematic Theatre. The show debuts at Rose Bruford College's Rose theatre in late September. Simon has also written music for the Royal Shakespeare company and other London Theatres, including work at Sloane Square Theatre, The Royal Court.

Film

In the film The Iron Lady, Slater played the role of Chris Patten.[8]

Audio

In 2010, Slater's narration of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel won an Audie Award for Literary Fiction.[10] and an AudioFile magazine Earphone Award.[11]

In 2018 he read Hans Rosling's Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think.[12]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1989 Dealers Eamonn Doyle
1999 Entrapment Paul
2011 The Iron Lady Chris Patten [8]

Television
Year Title Role Notes
Heartbeat [6]
Dalziel and Pascoe Appeared in two two-hour specials as ‘Houdini’s Ghost’ and ‘Demons on our Shoulders’. [6]
Impact Earth For Channel 5 [6]
Inquisition For Channel 5 [6]
Hunting Venus For Yorkshire TV, directed by Martin Clunes. [6]

Stage
Year Production Character/contribution Director Company Notes and references
2012 Constellations Music composer Royal Court, Duke of York's Theatre Premiered at the Royal Court in 2012 before transferring to the Duke of York's Theatre.[1][5] Slater received an Olivier Award nomination for his music.[6]
Great Expectations Vaudeville Theatre [13][5]
Cannibals Royal Exchange in Manchester [5][13]
The lady and the van Hull Truck Theatre [5]
Death of a salesman West Yorkshire Playhouse [5]
The Life of Stuff [13]
No naughty Bits, Enlightenment Hampstead Theatre [5]
2014 Bloodshot Derek Douglas Post St James's Theatre A one-man thriller.[6][2]
2015 Carmen Disruption Michael Longhurst Almeida Theatre [6]
2016 Amadeus National Theatre
King Lear’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ directed by Neil Bartlett, which had a sell-out national tour and season at Stratford.[6]

Radio
Year Title Comments References
The Report A documentary series on BBC Radio 4 [6]
8 Days in July Directed by Hugh Levinson for the BBC and based on the 2005 bombings in London [6][14]
The Blood Libel Directed by Hugh Levinson for the BBC [6]

Awards and nominations
Year Organisation Award Nominated work Result
2010 Wolf Hall Won
2013 Olivier Award for best sound design[1][5] Constellations Nominated
Off West End Award Nomination for best sound design.[5] The Life of Stuff [13] Nominated
Manchester Evening News Awards James and the Giant Peach Won

References
  1. Hutchinson, Charles. "Composer Simon Slater returns to Scarborough roots for SJT's Pinocchio". York Press. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  2. Darley, Karen (21 October 2020). "Actor to return home for one-man thriller". Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  3. Ahad, Nick (5 December 2019). "Mamma Mia! theatre star Simon Slater heads home to Scarborough to create music for Treasure Island Christmas production". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  4. "The Sedbergh Media and Performing Arts Timeline". Sedbergh School Website.
  5. Pinero, Arthur Wing (2016). The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith. Oberon Books. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-78319-789-7.
  6. "Simon Slater - Air Edel - Composer - Musical Director". Air-Edel. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  7. Wilkinson, Sue (14 October 2020). "Jemma Redgrave and Simon Slater in rehearsed reading of Hansard at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre". www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  8. "Performer | Viennas English Theatre". www.englishtheatre.at. 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  9. Build a Rocket. Stephen Joseph Theatre and Tara Finney Productions
  10. "2010 Audie Awards® - APA". www.audiopub.org. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  11. "Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Read by Simon Slater | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  12. Hardyment, Christina (2018). "Review: Factfulness by Hans Rosling, read by Simon Slater". The Times.
  13. Urch, Chris (2013). Land of Our Fathers. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4725-3139-1.
  14. Gary Owen (2017). Killology. Oberon Books. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-78682-169-0.
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