Actor

Ian was born in Birmingham, and studied English Literature at Sheffield University before his drama training at Mountview Theatre School.

In 2016, Ian played the lead role of Michael in an acclaimed revival of the classic American play ‘The Boys in the Band’, directed by Adam Penford and also starring Mark Gatiss, Jack Derges, James Holmes and Daniel Boys. The show opened at the Park Theatre in London before embarking on a tour of the UK. In February, 2017 he reprised the role when the show transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End. He was subsequently nominated for Best Actor in a Play at the Whatsonstage awards, alongside Kenneth Branagh, Ian McKellen, Ralph Fiennes and Jamie Parker.

His other theatre work includes playing Alan Turing in the Hope Theatre’s Lovesong of the Electric Bear and in its subsequent transfer to the Arts Theatre, The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse and Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest at Jermyn Street Theatre.

He has performed at the National Theatre in Howard Barker’s Scenes from an Execution and in Richard Bean’s riotous satire about the tabloid press Great Britain, directed by Nicholas Hytner, alongside Billie Piper and Robert Glenister.

Other stage work encompasses Shakespeare, musical theatre, opera, operetta and pantomime.

Ian’s television roles include Alan-a-Dale in the Doctor Who episode ‘Robot of Sherwood’, and Moriarty’s barrister, Mr Crayhill, in Sherlock. Other TV appearances include The Crown, Poirot, An Adventure in Space and Time and Hustle.

As a writer, he has also been a script associate on two episodes of ITV’s Poirot and co-wrote a third: The Big Four with Mark Gatiss.

For stage he has written Horse-Play which played at Riverside Studios in Autumn 2022 and will be starring in his latest work The Way Old Friends Do which will open at the Birmingham Rep in Spring 2023.

He lives in Islington with his partner and labrador.