WELCOME TO THE INSIDE OF MY HEAD.

A digital illustration of a man with brown wavy hair, a beard, wearing large sunglasses and a blue shirt, looking to the right.

Sorry about the mess. There’s quite a lot going on in here. Thoughts from Behind Thick-Framed Glasses is where I write about the peculiar business of being an actor, the stories that follow me offstage and my attempts to navigate a life nobody has bothered to give me a script for.

I also have thoughts. Rather a lot of them. About books I won’t shut up about, people I can’t quite work out and minor incidents I’ve given entirely too much attention. Writing them down seemed more sociable than continuing to mutter to myself.

What do I write about?

My Story

I was born in Bridgend, South Wales, and always wanted to be an actor. At sixteen, I was hit by a car and had to undergo facial reconstruction surgery. Unsurprisingly, that wasn’t part of the plan.

For years afterwards, I lived in survival mode, hiding behind thick-framed glasses. Eventually, I found my way back to acting and built a career that has taken me to the West End and around the world in The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. Most recently, I returned to the West End for the transfer of Into the Woods.

Acting has brought extraordinary people into my life and taken me places I could never have imagined growing up in Bridgend. But some of the experiences that have shaped me most have happened away from the stage, where the words aren’t provided, and the timing is entirely my responsibility.

I don’t have life neatly worked out. I’ve made mistakes, changed my mind and occasionally learnt something useful, usually after making things unnecessarily difficult for myself.

This is where I write about those experiences, the things I love and the questions I’m still sitting with. I hope you’ll recognise something of yourself here. If not, maybe one of my questionable decisions will make you feel better about yours.

I’d love to hear your stories, too. Whether you’re reading here or over on Substack, do say hello. It would be lovely to know who’s on the other side of the glasses.

After years of telling other people’s stories and learning their lines, I decided to write some of my own.

Theatre

Observations

Body Positivity

Movies

Spirituality

Food

Books

Theatre Observations Body Positivity Movies Spirituality Food Books

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My Article Series

Unfiltered

I’ve always been a deep thinker, and I’ve had some trauma in my life that I thought I should evaluate through writing. Hopefully, it will offer some comfort and, at times, make you laugh.

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A digital illustration of a large tree with a man's face integrated into its trunk and branches. The man wears sunglasses and has a beard, with small characters dressed as fantasy or medieval figures sitting or climbing on the tree, which is surrounded by leaves.

An Actor’s Diary

I’ve recently joined the West End cast of Into the Woods, and I thought I should document my acting process. Maybe it’ll reveal that I don’t have one, but it’ll be thought-provoking nonetheless.

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Digital illustration of a person's head with blue hair and sunglasses, with a small figure rowing a boat on water on the person's neck and shoulder, featuring handwritten text and vibrant colors.

The Odyssey

I’ll be exploring how Homer might have had the answers thousands of years ago,
and what his gods, monsters and wandering heroes can teach us how to navigate modern life.

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A SMALL BOOK FOR BUSY MINDS.

My debut book, 100 Thoughts from Behind Thick-Framed Glasses, is coming soon - a collection of thoughts that live rent free in my head, questions and observations for anyone whose brain has never heard of an off switch.

Pre-Order My Book

LET’S PUT MY HEARTFELT ADVICE TO GOOD USE.

Digital illustration of a man with brown hair and beard, wearing red heart-shaped sunglasses and a red shirt.

Send me your burning questions about matters of the heart, from break-ups and mixed signals to whether you should send that text, delete their number or give them a fifth second chance.

I’ve made plenty of mistakes in love, usually with great confidence, and ignored advice I specifically asked for. Perhaps I can help you avoid a few mistakes of your own, or at least make you laugh before you do the complete opposite.

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GOOD READS MAKE GREAT GIFTS.

Give the gift of a subscription to Thoughts from Behind Thick-Framed Glasses. Something to look forward to in their inbox, perfect for squandering a little time. No wrapping required. Just a thoughtful gift for someone who enjoys a good read and a different way of looking at things.

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MY WRITING PLAYLISTS.

Matters of the Heart

Unfiltered 

Playlist
Playlist

Feeling Good

Playlist

In the Absence of Better Plans. Read These.

  • The Exhausting Business of Chasing the Perfect Body

    Equally, I know people who are completely happy exactly as they are. And good. They should be! If someone loves how they look, who are we to appoint ourselves head of quality control for somebody else’s body? I can assure you there have been a few people who’ve taken that position in my life, and I don’t remember ever putting that vacancy out for advertisement.

    Read The Article

  • Stay Open. Lightning Could Strike

    I’m not saying remain open, or be recklessly optimistic, or start trusting everyone and believing that everything will work out. I simply mean don’t allow disappointment to colour your future decisions. Don’t settle for something that doesn’t feel right simply because wanting more is frightening or feels unattainable.

    Read The Article

  • Everybody's a Therapist Now

    The strange thing was; one of the reasons I avoided therapy wasn’t therapy itself. It was social media. Every time I opened Instagram or TikTok, my algorithm seemed convinced I’d enrolled myself in an online psychology degree. Every difficult partner was apparently a narcissist. Every disagreement was trauma. Every awkward conversation was gaslighting…

    Read The Article

  • The thicker the frames, the bigger the disguise.

    There was Anna Wintour with her signature Chanel sunglasses, Jack Nicholson in his tortoiseshell Ray-Bans, Iris Apfel and her wonderfully eccentric collection of oversized frames, and then there is the undisputed king of thick-rimmed glasses: Jeff Goldblum. Whatever your profession if you have a fondness for oversized spectacles, I’m fairly certain we’ll get on.

    Read The Article

  • The Man Behind The Mask

    I am aware that there are decades of Phantoms who could be consulted on this very subject, however I have decided to self-certify as an expert. I don’t know if any actors who played the role before me experienced a sudden change in their face. The Phantom lived with his appearance from birth; my experience was somewhat different…

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  • Confessions of The Demon Texter of Fleet Street.

    Where Benjamin Barker was an unreliable barber seeming to ‘nick’ more customers than complete shaves without injury, I similarly struggle to provide a satisfactory texting service. If texting were a trade, I’d be on gardener’s leave. It is, in my opinion, the most soulless form of communication ever invented and for a generation that has overused the word ‘ick’ to describe virtually anything they dislike, this is one occasion where I reluctantly agree…

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