Simon Stephens has been the recipient of both the Pearson Award for Best New Play Play 2001 - 2 (Port) and the Olivier Award for Best New Play 2005 (On the Shore of the Wide World). His plays include Bluebird (Royal Court Theatre 1998), Herons (Royal Court, 2001, nominated for the Olivier Award for Most Promising Playwright), Port (Royal Exchange, Manchester, 2002), One Minute (Actor's Touring Company 2003); Christmas (Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, and the Bush Theatre, London, 2004), Country Music (Royal Court Theatre 2004), and On the Shore of the Wide World (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester and the Royal National Theatre, 2005) for which he won the Olivier Award for Best New Play 2005. Simon Stephens was the Arts Council Resident Dramatist at the Royal Court in 2000 and the Pearson Playwright at the Royal Exchange in 2000-2001. He is currently the resident dramatist at the Royal National Theatre.

It'a a sensitive piece... Maxie Szalwindka, Sunday Times, 27.6.10