Currently, Fred Woodley Evans is playing Phillip in the new revival of Lyle Kessler’s Tony-nominated play Orphans opposite Chris Walley as his on-stage brother Treat and Forbes Masson as Harold, with Orphans running at Jermyn Street Theatre in London until Saturday 24th January. Fred previously performed at Jermyn Street Theatre when he played John in Outlying Islands in early 2025, marking his professional stage debut, and in November, he finished his run as John Darling in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Wendy & Peter Pan. For Fred’s first screen role since becoming a professional actor, he has filmed for the upcoming Series 4 of Bridgerton playing Hendricks, which is set for release on Netflix early this year. Catching up with Fred, we found out from him about his current role of Phillip in Lyle Kessler’s Orphans at Jermyn Street Theatre, playing John in Outlying Islands, his time as John Darling in Wendy & Peter Pan and filming for Bridgerton – Series 4.
How does it feel to be part of the new revival of Lyle Kessler’s Tony-nominated play Orphans at Jermyn Street Theatre and how was it preparing to open in the play?
It’s incredibly exciting. There’s a great team on this. Everyone in the room is super passionate and hard-working. Audiences can expect something gripping, tense and emotionally charged. It’s a human story, so it will appeal to anyone who enjoys psychologically rich drama.
You star as Phillip alongside Chris Walley as your on-stage brother Treat and Forbes Masson as Harold, what has it been like meeting your fellow cast members and how is it bringing the show to the stage with them?
Brilliant. They’re generous and collaborative. And they bring so many offers to the table, every time we work a scene there’s a new surprise or element to respond to. It truly feels unpredictable up there and that makes it so exciting. I really feel like every night will have something unexpected in store.
Can you tell us about Orphans and how would you describe your character Phillip?
Orphans manages to be absurdly hilarious and completely terrifying in the same beat. Phillip’s vulnerable but there’s a deep strength to him. While he has a childlike innocence, he’s more than capable of being manipulative and sometimes cruel. That said, at his core he has an immense kindness to him. You root for him and you want him to succeed.
You have worked at Jermyn Street Theatre previously when you played John in the revival of Outlying Islands in early 2025, what was it like making your professional stage debut with the play?
I loved Outlying Islands. The play has this supernatural undercurrent running through it, while also being a real relationship-based pressure cooker. It takes you down one road and then twists it into something else. Jermyn Street felt like the perfect home for it. It’s such an intimate space, this little studio theatre tucked into London’s West End. The set takes up half of the theatre so you feel completely transported when the lights come up. You can hear the audience breathing. You can feel when they’re with you and when you need to get them back. They’re really present with you in that kind of space. I’m looking forward to experiencing that again with Orphans.
What did you enjoy most about working on Wendy & Peter Pan as John Darling with the Royal Shakespeare Company, which closed in November, and do you have any stand-out highlights from the run that you can share?
There were so many little details on that set, I was still spotting new things right up to our final show, and I’m sure there are many things I never found. There’s also a huge pirate ship. That was pretty cool. The pirate ship spun around with about 20 people crammed on top fighting with swords. That was a highlight every night.
As a screen actor, you have filmed for the upcoming release of Bridgerton – Series 4, what was this like?
It was my first job out of drama school and I remember being stunned by the sheer scale of the thing. The care and skill of the team that puts that show together is astounding.
Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?
I got into it from a young age when I started going to weekly classes at the Young Actors Theatre Islington. My oldest mate (who now does pottery and loads of other cool and completely separate things) wanted to go and I ran in after him. Never looked back.
What are some of your favourite theatre shows to watch, and are there any you would like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?
Vincent in Brixton is on at the Orange Tree Theatre in March/April and I can’t wait to see it!