Biography
Born Stephen John Morgan, March 18th 1957, in the Mid Glamorgan industrial town Merthyr Tydfil South Wales UK, Stephen is the eldest son of Roy and Irene Kate Morgan.
The first inclination that a life on the boards was destined for Stephen came when, as a child, out of the blue of boredom, with no encouragement from any source and having never even set foot in a theatre, he decided to built a little theatre with working tabs in his bedroom using bed sheets and string to perform a little skit he devised and directed called 'Crime Doesn't Pay'. Co-starring his brother and sister, it was a 'morality piece' which he cajoled his bemused parents, who considered theatre 'only for posh people' so had never seen a live play, to attend. This innate desire to use his spontaneous creativity to bring theatre to audiences who would never otherwise have the opportunity is still as strong today.
His first experience in a professional production was in 1973, age 17, as fly man and singing in the finale of the Sheffield UK production of the Christian rock gospel musical Lonesome Stone. Later, having returned to the Welsh Valleys due to the Lonesome Stone show moving on to Germany, he found an advert in a local paper offering classes at the Sherman Theatre Cardiff UK, he wandered into Cardiff with his rucksack and guitar and found what he fondly says "felt like my real home", the Chapter Arts Centre. It was under the management of Mik Flood and Paul Chandler who gave him a job as cook and server in the cafe, receptionist, handyman, barman and general 'mucker in'. Stephen found himself a part of an amazing creative factory buzzing with many artists, musicians and the home base and favorite venue for many of the groundbreaking fringe companies of the day such as Cardiff Laboratory Theatre Company, Dek Leverton and Vanya Constant's Paupers Carnival, The Pip Simmons Theatre Group etc. It was the perfect environment for Stephen. Working there daily enabled him to marinade in this constant creative atmosphere, learning by osmosis, attending workshops and participating in productions such as Pip Simmons's epic site/specific promenade production of 'Woyzeck' etc.
At this time, he was also given the opportunity to train at drama school for two years and he supplemented this training by performing for free in post grad' productions by Cardiff University's' Directing and Producing Course students and being a member of the Cardiff Little Theatre Company. He was invited to attend another year at drama school to complete his B.Ed. degree but turned it down in his eagerness to become a professional, paid, Equity card carrying actor by accepting a job offer as Acting Assistant Stage Manager at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester UK.
Having a strong tenor voice, he soon found further work in musicals (then using the stage name Steven Firth) but his main passion has always been classical theatre.
He joined the Okai-Collier Theatre Company as Actor, costume designer, Stage Manager and Assistant Director honing his practical skills as well as his acting technique by continuing to train at the Actors Institute, Islington UK. He also at this time decided to ignore all industry snobbery and take walk-on 2 and bit parts in many TV and film productions so he could gain what he considers "an 'invaluable quantity of experience, training and discipline I could never have gained at otherwise by speaking to the crew, watching and noting everything done from the director to the runner. I am not ashamed of it". This resulted in Stephen being regularly contracted on TV productions because of his punctuality, professionalism on set and seasoned knowledge of the production process he gained.
Stephen continues working, playing leads in classical stage productions, TV and film and continues to hone his craft at the London Meisner technique training studio the Actor's Temple where he is also Technical Manager.
