
Nabil Shaban
Biography
Nabil Shaban (1953-2025) was born in Amman, Jordan and arrived in England when he was three for treatment for his osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle-bone disease). He spent the next six years in hospital and seven in a children's home. In 1980, he and Richard Tomlinson founded Graeae (pronounced Grey Eye), a professional theatre company of disabled performers. A writer and performer with many film and television credits, he was probably best known to television viewers for his role as ruthless businessman Sil in the Doctor Who stories 'Vengeance on Varos' and 'The Trial of a Time Lord' (BBC, 1985 + 1986).
Movie Appearances

Walter
as Ben Gunn
1982

Slave of Dreams
as Soothsayer
1995

Morticia
as Dr. Moores
2009

Sorry About Last Night
as Lawyer
1995

Children of Men
as Bexhill Market Hustler
2006

Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos
as Sil
1985

The Skin Horse
as Narrator
1983

Wittgenstein
as Martian
1993

Born of Fire
as The Silent One
1987

Skallagrigg
as Alan
1994

City of Joy
as Anouar
1992

Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor
as Sil
2019

The Story of Doctor Who
2003
Trouble Sleeping
as Lawyer
2008

Doctor Who: Mindwarp
as Sil
1986

Deptford Graffiti
as George
1991
Vote Sil
as Sil
TBA

A Different Hand
as The Best Friend
1992

Iranian Nights
as Caliph
1989

Raspberry Ripple
as Bill
1986


