Orlando Wells is an actor and playwright. His artist credits include This House (Tour and West End), The History Boys (UK Tour and West End), Pirandello’s Henry IV (Donmar Warehouse), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, Othello, Romeo and Juliet (RSC), Turn of the Screw (Almeida), the long-running Channel 4 series As If and most recently for television A Spy Among Friends (ITV), The Playlist (Netflix) and Slow Horses (Apple TV).
His first play The Tin Horizon was produced to strong reviews at Theatre 503 in April 2009. He adapted Patrick Hamilton’s The Duke in Darkness for the Chiswick Playhouse in May 2013 to positive reviews. He co-wrote the libretto for Triptych for Opera Erratica which was produced at The Print Room and Wilton’s Music Hall in May 2014. His play The Woodcutter’s Tale has had a rehearsed reading with David Troughton, directed by Jamie Glover, at the Jermyn St Theatre. The Orange Tree Theatre commissioned Orlando to write Four Days in Hong Kong, a 50′ play about Edward Snowden’s exposure of the NSA’s spy programme as part of the 2014 Orange Tree Theatre Festival, directed by Phoebe Barran.
Orlando’s first radio play Lenin Forever! aired on BBC Radio 4 in December 2024. Inspired by true events, the irreverent and anarchic comedy tells the true story of two scientists tasked with embalming the body of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin for public display.
He has also written for children’s animated series Xolight and Noksu (Steve Walsh Productions) and is developing his own children’s series idea Jelicho Pots. His 30min drama Shrike was longlisted for Coming Up.
Orlando Wells is represented by Frances Arnold and Rose Arnold