Simon was Artistic Director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia from 1990 to 1993 and Artistic Director of the Melbourne Theatre Company from 2000 to 2011.
His directing credits range from new works to contemporary and Shakespearean classics to musicals to opera.
He has directed works by most of the great contemporary writers including Albee (A DELICATE BALANCE), Beckett (HAPPY DAYS), Brecht (ARTURO UI), Churchill (CLOUD NINE/SERIOUS MONEY), Hare (THE BLUE ROOM), McDonagh (THE PILLOWMAN), Orton (WHAT THE BUTLERSAW/ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE), Shepherd (BURIED CHILD/A LIE OF THE MIND), and Stoppard (ARCADIA/ROCK’N’ROLL/THE REAL THING). He has directed premieres of many works by leading Australian writers, including David Williamson, Hannie Rayson, Stephen Sewell, Matt Cameron and Joanna Murray-Smith and Australian premiere of GRIEF IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS which won three Sydney Theatre Awards.
Simon’s musical credits include PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT (which has been performed internationally for the past 20 years including the West End and Broadway; a new Australasian version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LOVE NEVER DIES (which was filmed by Universal, has had seasons in Tokyo, China, Hamburg and the USA); AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, URINETOWN THE MUSICAL, COMPANY, THE THREPENNY OPERA, CABARET, DREAM LOVER – THE BOBBY DARIN MUSICAL, MURIEL’S WEDDING, THE MUSICAL (Australia and UK) based on the film of the same name; THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA for HOSH Opera Australia performed on the Sydney Harbour stage (twice); ROUND THE TWIST THE MUSICAL based on the successful TV series and three adaptations by his wife, Carolyn Burns: HIGH SOCIETY (which also toured the UK), LADIES IN BLACK, which won the Helpmann for best new Australian work and COME RAIN OR COME SHINE based on the short story by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Simon’s opera credits include THE TURK IN ITALY, L’ELISIR D’AMORE, FALSTAFF, LA BOHEME, and LULU for Opera Australia, THE MAGIC FLUTE, LE COMPTE ORY and DON GIOVANNI for Opera New Zealand, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and BILLY BUDD for Hamburg State Opera.
He has received seven Green Room Awards and six Helpmann Awards.