Actor-Training TESTIMONIALS
I worked with Chris Meads on many shows at East 15 Acting School. From the very first moment I knew that I was working with someone really special. His dedication and will to fight to create the best possible show every time is admirable. Someone once said “Art doesn’t like compromises” – Chris is the best example of it. He is intelligent, creative, open and courageous. I thoroughly enjoyed our collaborations as Chris really understands and values the power of movement in theatre. He is also a great acting tutor – I have seen students flourish under his guidance.
Marcin Rudy: Head of Movement, East 15 Acting School
For the actor, Chris Meads' directing process is systematic, encourages creativity, and culminates in delightful specificity. At the outset, Chris enters the room with an inspiring energy and a carefully constructed scheme to lay the production’s foundations. He commences each rehearsal with a selection of games and exercises that both build a sense of creative community among the actors and sets the tone for his own precisely choreographed, while creatively open, approach. He then delves into dissecting the text with the actors so that he and they have a firm springboard of agreed focus — a foundation which is then free to percolate in each individual artist’s process. Chris then works intensely with the company to carve each specific moment — all member’s input encouraged — until a dynamic, eclectically engaging, dramatic story has been constructed and is ready for an audience’s enjoyment. I am forever delighted by Chris’ work.
Emma K Sanschi; Trained within East 15’s MFA International Acting Course 2017 - 2019
I had the privilege of working with Chris Meads on several different productions over the course of my Acting MFA. Prior to this, I had performed in a number of professional stage productions and worked with many different directors. My experiences working with Chris have been among the most enjoyable and enriching of my career to date. I do not say this lightly: Chris was born to direct actors. His passion for his craft is not only inspiring but contagious - making for incredibly dynamic and exciting rehearsals. Chris’s mastery for storytelling is a testament to his uncompromising dedication to honour a playwright’s words and intention. It also stems from the fact that Chris is a nurturing and enabling director: he values an actor’s creativity and input and his trust in our abilities meant that we as actors felt supported and emboldened to experiment and follow our instincts - no matter how silly! Something I also really appreciated in Chris’s approach was his ability to communicate from the outset what his overall vision was for our show’s aesthetics and style through various musical, historical and performative illustrations. In doing this, he demonstrated that he’d thought through everything and had a solution to anything; no matter what kind of hiccups or obstacles we may encounter, we were in good hands! His competence provided a highly structured, concise and coherent framework within which to explore and create. I can only hope that many more actors will receive such a chance to work alongside Chris Meads.
Kathleen Glynn; Trained within East 15’s MFA International Acting Course 2017 - 2019
The most notable thing I can say about Chris is that he possesses the rare ability to both teach and direct to a very high standard. I have never been disappointed by his productions, including numerous Christmas shows which have been performed by MA International students, MA Acting productions and productions with Third Year BA Act students. His constant enquiry into what an actor needs is a journey I have been privileged to be part of many times. He is never satisfied with enough - there is always more to discover. This keeps the work fresh and exciting for all those lucky enough to be taught or directed by him. Chris has no time for cynicism in his work. He is a positive and joyous creator of theatre, producing shows far beyond the expected. I have nothing but praise for Chris and would welcome him back to East 15 at the drop of a hat!!
Gerry McAlpine: Head of First Year Studies and Course Co-coordinator Certificate of Higher Education in Theatre at East 15 Acting School
I’ve never worked with a director like Chris. He’s a generous director who gives us tools for preparation and a lot of freedom as actors to explore the characters. The most inspirational part of rehearsals, for me, is the beginning of the process when we start developing our characters by exploring their space, time and relationships. I have never done exercises like these before and I found them quite useful for any character or show in general. Later on in the process, Chris is always bringing tons of energy to rehearsals to help us get through the last push until opening night. I would love to work with him again in future endeavours!
Phoebe Santini; Trained within East 15’s MA International Acting Course 2018 - 2019
Working with Chris is a true pleasure. He brings a combination of precise language, high expectations, and compassionate nurturing into the room, and treats each student-actor as an individual with artistic gifts to offer. His rehearsal room is organized and encourages actors to participate fully as creative partners. He emphasizes ensemble and professionalism. I felt both challenged and cared for as a member of his cast, and saw many of my classmates grow in confidence and enthusiasm under his tutelage. He insists on a high-quality final product, but ensures that the process is as joyful and collaborative as possible. I learned so much about both acting and directing from my time with Chris, and hope to have the opportunity to one day work with him again.
Elizabeth R Albert; Trained within East 15’s MA International Acting Course 2018 - 2019
Chris is truly unique when it comes to nurturing the actors creative process. He is highly respectful of the actor’s work, very open to ideas and suggestions, as well as a careful listener to the ensemble he`s a part of. Chris values the process and the importance of working together as an ensemble in a way that`s very beneficial to the actor. As a result, the actor feels appreciated, important and safe. This allows you to experience ownership of the creative process and therefore inspires you to contribute, listen and stay open to the ensemble you’re a part of. Chris has a special gift for seeing the best potential in each actor, offering them appropriate individual challenges. In this process he is extremely generous in supporting each member of the ensemble. Chris works in a precise, clear and structured way, which enables you to explore your craft within a safe environment. This inspires you to work hard, encourages you to play, and allows you to do the best work you can as an actor.
Lisa-Marie Larsen; Trained within East 15’s MFA International Acting Course 2017 - 2019
I had the pleasure of working with Chris on two productions back to back at East 15 Acting School in 2018. As an acting tutor and director he worked with me to craft and stage an original devised dramatic monologue, followed by the rollicking Christmas production ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. It was an absolute joy to work with him from start to finish on both projects, which were completely contrasting in style and genre. For my devised monologue, he guided with an expert hand, planting creative questions which fueled my process and contributed to one of my most satisfying performances to date. In ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, Chris’s passion and infectious energy was apparent from Day 1 and it never wavered. It is very rare to work with a director who is both an actor’s director and intensely focused production expert. His sensitivity and coach-like approach to directing enveloped us in warmth and absolute faith in the outcome. I found myself turning up ready to work and being motivated to dig deeper and bring expansive creative decisions and offers to the rehearsal process. Without saying much, Chris demanded the absolute highest standards from us throughout the entire course from start to finish, and there were no cast favourites. If you didn’t want it as bad as someone else in the room, you felt that you were missing out on a great opportunity to hone your craft. Chris was always extremely well prepared, and somehow knew how to marinate us in the world of the play, from acting exercises, character explorations…and he always encouraged teamwork. This allowed me to bring my best work to the table whilst keeping on my toes. Coupled with his unique cheeky gleeful nature, I always looked forward to the rehearsals. He was very strict with time and encouraged “best practice” in us, which was very appreciated, given we are soon to enter the competitive London industry. In summary, I would say as an acting teacher he brings a unique mix of nurture and high-performance professional industry coaching perspectives. As a director, he brings an immersive experience, one that is meticulously well thought out and inspiring. He listens to your opinions and ideas with great respect, and then makes suggestions to ensure a polished final performance. Always front-footed and armed with a radiant exuberance, he is every aspiring actor’s dream to work with.
Stephanie Van Driesen; Trained within East 15’s MFA International Acting Course 2017 - 2019
I worked with Chris on Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ at East 15 Acting School. It was an ongoing enjoyment. In the rehearsal process, Chris always gives his actors the freedom to try and experiment by themselves and he creates a solid safe space around them. There is never any judgement in his directing but a lot of benevolent honesty, leading his actors to their best without ‘frightening’ them or changing them into something they’re not. He also provided us with a lot of useful tools in order to work on a character, to approach a script, to unlock a scene that I will definitely use again in the future. He allows that very specific and magical moment when an actor and a character can meet halfway and create a truthful human being in a supportive ensemble.
May Royer; Trained within East 15’s MA International Acting Course 2018 - 2019
Chris Meads is an extremely accomplished acting tutor and director, with a passion for the art of acting and storytelling. I have known Chris as a colleague at East 15 Acting School, and can vouch for the quality of his process and production outcomes. His research is always broad and thorough, and sets an inspirational context for everyone involved. Chris always seeks to create a rehearsal space that is open and collaborative; empowering and enabling the actor to explore the character and plot dynamics, and ensuring the actor embodies and inhabits the world of the story. The exercises he uses encourage playfulness and exploration, and result in productions that are visually exciting to watch, and emotionally engaging to experience.
Caroline Webster: Acting Tutor and Director at East 15 Acting School
Chris is such a pleasure to work with. I was never for a moment uneasy in rehearsal or uncertain of what we were trying to do. From early on, you can sense the structure within which you are working and trust that Chris is seeing the big picture - and it’s easy to relax within that and discover what the play has to say. He has a great eye for casting and a rock solid sense of humor. His ideas for research are lots of fun and a great help in developing a character and establishing a strong sense of time and place.
Ann E Lyon; Trained within East 15’s MA International Acting Course 2018 - 2019
Working with Chris is a unique experience of discovery, collaboration and evolution. I have worked with him both as a member of the ensemble he directed, and as a creator of my own script and performance, which he coordinated. Through his work ethic and thorough preparation, Chris generates an active, vibrant work atmosphere in the rehearsal room and an overall feeling of excitement and playfulness. He sets a high standard through his thirst for specificity, clarity, authenticity, and focus, among other touchstone principles which are always present in how he guides the actors, nurtures their instincts, and cultivates the unity and strength of an ensemble. He creates a clean, safe space for the actors to be creative, bold, and free, and encourages them to release their inner child, as in a playground. The end result is a magnetic, fun, alive, crisp and very well-tuned performance, be it from a company or a single actor. He has a very particular view of the spectacular universe and an extremely effective and fresh way of building imagery, in order to push a story forward. He mainly does that through the way in which he directs and helps the actors shape their performance. As an acting tutor and facilitator of individual creative endeavours, he focuses his attention on each actor, guiding, inspiring, and never hindering the process of the person he collaborates with. He encourages individual initiative and helps refine one's means of expression, offering advice and various tools to best showcase you in the context of the performance.
Cristina Tudor; Trained within East 15’s MFA International Acting Course 2017 - 2019
I had the pleasure of working with Chris Meads on Chekhov's ‘Three Sisters’. I found his directing method very holistic as he used diverse exercises to awaken different sides of the actor and the ensemble. The starting point for each session before scene rehearsals was always ‘table work' - structured reading of the text and background research - before moving on to 'floor work' exercises with the newly digested text and research material in mind. The 'floor work' exercises often required the actor to use and stretch their physical, sensory and mental imagination, but in such a soft, organic way that it felt very natural. The diversity of these exercises ensured that every actor could find something to suit their individual practice, something that surprised them or lured them to search deeper. In scene rehearsals Chris would always find a way to direct each actor individually, perceptive of each person's unique approach and practice; under his sophisticated guidance it felt comfortable and safe to explore the play, my character and the relationships between the characters profoundly from different angles. He was always keen to hear our interpretations and suggestions. The whole process, albeit challenging as it always should be, pushed the ensemble to reach for the extraordinary and felt thoroughly supportive. I can’t but wish that every director worked with such enthusiasm, insight and passion as Chris.
Heini Inkeri; Trained within East 15’s MA International Acting Course 2018 - 2019
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Chris as an actor during my study at East 15. His dual role of professional director and tutor flowed seamlessly together, challenging the cast while supporting us as well. I have never worked with a director as specific, passionate, prepared, and creative as Chris. He infused the company with sparks of curiosity about the story and our characters. He spoke often about ideas for good practice, holding us to high standards in professional etiquette and creativity in the rehearsal room. His particular vision, combined with his willingness to let his actors play made for a high-quality process and performance. Chris has inspired me to make bold choices, come into the rehearsal room with both questions and answers, and to play with distinction.
Tamara Koltes; Trained within East 15’s MFA International Acting Course 2017 - 2019
I had the chance to get to work with Chris on ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Chris's endless positivity made the entire process a blast. He was able to create a safe space where actors were not afraid to explore, while maintaining a clear structure and consistency to the show. Chris is extremely well organized, and respectful of his actors and their time. He has an ability to work with big casts to create wonderful stage pictures, and keep the whole cast eager and energized throughout the whole process. Chris is one of the best directors that I have had the chance to work with, and I trusted him from day one to create a beautiful piece of theatre.
Vincent Rosec; Trained within East 15’s MFA International Acting Course 2017 - 2019
Chris has the ability to teach actors in training whilst directing. He works at the level of the actor in front of him and then takes them on a journey to give excellent performances. He is also able to make a positive and happy environment for this to happen for both the actors and all of the support staff involved. His shows are always enjoyable to work on.
Ian Brener: Movement Tutor, East 15 Acting School