Seymour Matthews

Seymour Matthews is an actor and playwright. His career began with three seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Co., where he performed in over a dozen productions and was a founding member of the Young Vic Co. when it opened in 1970, where he stayed for three years. Classical TV work followed, including Danton’s Death, The Brontes of Howarth and Dickens of London, in which he played Edgar Allan Poe; also Repertory Seasons at Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Colchester and Bristol Old Vic. He has appeared in 15 productions at the Royal National Theatre, appearing as Thomas Putnam in The Crucible, Bishop of Ely in Richard III, Lawyer Hawkins in The Devil’s Disciple, Bardolph in Merry Wives Of Windsor, Earl of Kent in Mary Stuart, First Avocatori in Volpone, The Consultant in Remember This, Firs in The Cherry Orchard and Chorus in Oedipus.

He was Artistic Director of Frinton Summer Theatre for 20 years and Sheringham Summer Theatre for 3 years. He has written 3 plays – Dead Man’s Hand, Who Dies Wins and Anagram of Murder – all currently published by Samuel French; he has also written and performed a one-man show as Edgar Allan Poe.

Films include Secret Passage, in which he played Rubin Montillo, and Angel, appearing as Dr Norton. In 2007/8 he completed a round-the-world tour with Sir Ian McKellen's King Lear for the Royal Shakespeare Company, which was later filmed at Pinewood Studios. His most recent TV was The Borgias for Sky and Jarib in The Bible, and he recently completed six months as Mr Paravicini in The Mousetrap in London’s West End.