Biography
Simon Manyonda is a British actor known for his work in television, theatre, and film, including roles in Doctor Who, King Lear, The Bay, and His Dark Materials. He has collaborated with some of the world’s most esteemed directors and actors, such as Sam Mendes, Glenda Jackson, Anthony Hopkins, Richard Eyre, and Nicholas Hytner. Dedicated to supporting young artists, he serves as a Board Member for Theatre Peckham.
Born in South East London, Simon Manyonda is the eldest son of a General Practitioner and a Gynaecologist and Obstetrician.
As a child, Manyonda faced speech impediments that made him quiet and observant. After years of speech therapy and gaining confidence, he joined a secondary school drama class, where he found his keen observation skills invaluable in improvising and portraying various characters in school plays.
Through these drama classes, Manyonda developed a stronger sense of self. Despite his stammer in everyday speech, he communicated with confidence and ease on stage through the characters he played. He won the Key Stage Three and Four drama awards and, at 15, joined the Young Vic Youth Theatre. There, he performed in Doctor Faustus and took on the title role in King Lear for the first time.
After secondary school, Manyonda attended Manchester Metropolitan University. While continuing to lead in student plays, he focused much of his time on writing poetry, creating art installations, and working with at-risk teenagers in foster homes.
During the summer of his second university year, after working with young people at a film school in New York, Manyonda rediscovered his passion for acting and decided to pursue drama school. His audition for LAMDA was so impressive he was immediately recalled for a second round the next day. For his full panel audition, he prepared a Shakespearean scene and a song within twenty-four hours—a challenge he embraced, ultimately earning a place at one of London’s most prestigious drama schools.
In the second term of his final year, Manyonda auditioned for Sir Richard Eyre at the Royal National Theatre and won the role of Haemon in Eyre’s production of Moira Buffini’s Welcome to Thebes. He graduated from LAMDA a term early to take the role, performing alongside renowned British actors such as David Harewood and Nikki Amuka-Bird.
