Toby Stephens April 2018. Stephens, the younger son of actors Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Robert Stephens, was born at the Middlesex Hospital in Fitzrovia, London. He was educated at Aldro and Seaford College where he was remarkably unhappy. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Stephens began his film career with the role of Othello in 1992, in Sally Potter's "Orlando". He has since made regular appearances on television (including in "The Camomile Lawn", 1992) and on stage. He played the title role in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of "Coriolanus" shortly after graduation from LAMDA;
Toby and the Secrets of the Tree had a similar opinion as they felt that the book would be best appreciated by readers who had finished the first novel. Kirkus Reviews was more mixed in their opinion, writing "Once all these people and threads intersect, the sheer quantity of coincidence and contrivance to tie them off neatly strains credulity to the breaking point. Nonetheless, the knit never quite ravels, displaying a brilliance and depth nothing short of dazzling. A mess, but a spectacular one." Peter Berkrot, accomplished voice over actor and audiobook narrator, calls this "Toby" book one of his favourite titles while Booktrust included it in