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Current Projects / CV: CV
THEATRE  

I started working in theatre in 1981 as an actor and moved into directing in 2000 with the creation of my company I-Beam Educational Theatre. This company toured timely, socially relevant productions to young audiences across Ontario. In 2004 I moved to the UK where I earned an MA in Directing from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Following this degree, I stayed in London to build my directing career. 

My directing and producing work covers musicals, opera, classical and contemporary drama, new writing and site-specific theatre. Directing highlights include the UK premiere of The Theory of Relativity by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill (nominated for Best Production of a New Musical – BroadwayWorld UK), and the UK premieres of Bright Lights Big City by Paul Scott Goodman, Andrew Lippa’s john & jen.  

Other highlights include directing/producing the West End Up Close concert series in association with The House of St. Barnabas, the London editions of the Blame Canada concert series, and the site-specific production of A Devilish Exercise that celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Marlowe's plays, performed on the site of The Rose Theatre Bankside.

As part of the staff directing team at the Royal Opera House, I worked on their new productions of Manon Lescaut (dir. Jonathan Kent) and Norma (dir. Alex Olle for La Fura del Baus) and on their revivals of Oedipe (dir. Alex Olle for La Fura del Baus) and Mitridate re di Ponto (dir. Graham Vick).  My opera directing also includes several projects for Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and Opera Brava's new 2019 production of La Traviata.

The Theory of Relativity - Ina Marie Smith & Natasha Karp w/ Full Company

The Theory of Relativity - Ina Marie Smith & Natasha Karp w/ Full Company

Photography: Poppy Carter

The Theory of Relativity - Andrew Gallo, Curtis Brown, Jodie Steele

The Theory of Relativity - Andrew Gallo, Curtis Brown, Jodie Steele

Photography: Poppy Carter

The Theory of Relativity - Jodie Steele, Joshua LeClair, Simon Bailey, Barney Ashworth (at piano)

The Theory of Relativity - Jodie Steele, Joshua LeClair, Simon Bailey, Barney Ashworth (at piano)

Photography: Poppy Carter

The West End Up Close - Julie Jupp, Julie Atherton, Madelena Alberto

The West End Up Close - Julie Jupp, Julie Atherton, Madelena Alberto

Photography: Nicholas Brittain

The West End Up Close - Joshua LeClair, George Ure

The West End Up Close - Joshua LeClair, George Ure

Photography: Nicholas Brittain

The West End Up Close - Full Company

The West End Up Close - Full Company

Photography: Nicholas Brittain

Bright Lights Big City! - Full Company

Bright Lights Big City! - Full Company

Photography: Garry Lake

Bright Lights Big City! - Paul Ayres & Jodie Jacobs

Bright Lights Big City! - Paul Ayres & Jodie Jacobs

Photography: Garry Lake

Bright Lights Big City!  - Rachel Wooding

Bright Lights Big City! - Rachel Wooding

Photography: Garry Lake

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Tom Byrne (standing) with Full Company

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Tom Byrne (standing) with Full Company

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Toly Postavolav, Alina Kim

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Toly Postavolav, Alina Kim

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Chris Chalmers

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Chris Chalmers

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

Ruthless! The Musical - Edward Ashley, Marie Penella Gomez, Avital Lvova

Ruthless! The Musical - Edward Ashley, Marie Penella Gomez, Avital Lvova

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

Ruthless! The Musical - Maria Penella Gomez, Rachel Mawditt

Ruthless! The Musical - Maria Penella Gomez, Rachel Mawditt

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

Ruthless! The Musical - Full Company

Ruthless! The Musical - Full Company

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown - Michael Sebastian & Rosie Stark

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown - Michael Sebastian & Rosie Stark

Photography by: C.Lane

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown - Full Cast

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown - Full Cast

Photography by: C.Lane

They Shoot Horses Don't They? - Derek Arnold

They Shoot Horses Don't They? - Derek Arnold

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

They Shoot Horses Don't They? - Delianne Forget, Derek Arnold

They Shoot Horses Don't They? - Delianne Forget, Derek Arnold

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

They Shoot Horses Don't They? - Nancy Baldwin & Aidan Feore

They Shoot Horses Don't They? - Nancy Baldwin & Aidan Feore

Photography: Joe Martin/Moe Mario

John & Jen - Helen Evans and Jon Hawkins

John & Jen - Helen Evans and Jon Hawkins

Photography by: C.Lane

John & Jen - Helen Evans and Jon Hawkins

John & Jen - Helen Evans and Jon Hawkins

Photography by: C.Lane

Devilish Exercise - Full Cast

Devilish Exercise - Full Cast

Photography: Andy Bradford

Devilish Exercise - Tom Franklin

Devilish Exercise - Tom Franklin

Photography: Andy Bradford

A Devilish Exercise - Simon Harrison, Richard Pryal, Robert Curtis, Tom Lewis, Angela Rauscher

A Devilish Exercise - Simon Harrison, Richard Pryal, Robert Curtis, Tom Lewis, Angela Rauscher

Photography: Andy Bradford

Beckett's Shorts - Claire Smith , Matt Ashcroft (Rough for Theatre 1)

Beckett's Shorts - Claire Smith , Matt Ashcroft (Rough for Theatre 1)

Photography: Andy Purves

Productions as Staff Director at The Royal Opera House

Productions as Staff Director at The Royal Opera House

Mitridate Rè Di Ponto, Norma, Oedipe

Mitridate, re di Ponto, Director: Graham Vick, The Royal Opera © 2017 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Mitridate, re di Ponto, Director: Graham Vick, The Royal Opera © 2017 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Mitridate, re di Ponto, Director: Graham Vick, The Royal Opera © 2017 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Mitridate, re di Ponto, Director: Graham Vick, The Royal Opera © 2017 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Norma, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Norma, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Norma, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Norma, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

Oedipe, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Clive Barda

Oedipe, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Clive Barda

Oedipe, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Clive Barda

Oedipe, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, The Royal Opera © 2016 ROH. Photograph by Clive Barda

Oedipe, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, La Monnaie, Brussels, 2011 © Bernd Uhlig

Oedipe, Director: La Fura Dels Baus, La Monnaie, Brussels, 2011 © Bernd Uhlig

 

 "Chris is a visionary practitioner with bold and exciting ideas that he realises with a serious   determination." 

Dr. Robert Lindsey (Editor of Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Plays, former Assistant Head of the Masters in Classical Acting programme at the Central School of Speech and Drama)

"His ability to draw performances in a cohesive and clear way is an exceptional talent that cannot go   unnoticed. Clearly a director to watch."

John Reid (Independent Theatre and Film Producer: Mrs. Henderson Presents, One Flew Over The Cookoo’s Nest (West End). Former producer/manager for Elton John, Queen, Simple Minds, George Michael, Billy Connolly and Barry Humphries)

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THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY

Music and Lyrics: Neil Bartram
Book: Brian Hill

2015 Nominee for Best Production of a New Musical (Fringe/Regions)– BroadwayWorld UK/West End

An elegant and inventive production of a tender, witty and moving piece. – Jonathan Kent  

Under the sure, subtle and trusting direction of Christopher Lane, the actors all became real people on stage, uncommon in a musical, and a real achievement. - Richard Maltby Jr.   

If you’re looking for theatre with no frills or complications just great storytelling, this show is the right equation. - West End Wilma

 

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY!

By: Paul Scott Goodman

... a wonderfully slick, raw and honest production which favours a stripped back style and achieves that rare musical hat trick of great singing, great dancing and great acting. - What's on Stage (Four out of Five stars)

It’s taken 11 years for Paul Scott Goodman’s Off-Broadway rock musical to surface in London, and it’s hard to imagine a better case being made for it than Christopher Lane’s energetic, strongly cast production .…  A thoroughly welcome example of how to produce contemporary musical theatre to a high standard. - Fourth Wall Magazine

A raw and exciting production, comparable with Rent; Tick, Tick Boom and Songs for a New World. - So So Gay

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JOHN & JEN

Music by: Andrew Lippa
Lyrics by Tom Greenwald
Book by: Tom Greenwald and Andrew Lippa

FOUR out of FIVE Stars    The Sunday Express

Chris’s production of john & jen was illuminating for both Andrew Lippa and myself: warm, witty and wise.  I’ve seen many incarnations of the show and this was, without a doubt, one of the most imaginative and provocative to date.  - Tom Greenwald (Book writer and Lyricist, john & jen)

 …an emotionally complex piece with searing, resonant songs that are both gorgeously melodic in their own right and full of wit and feeling.  Those qualities are expertly brought out in Christopher Lane’s intense and moving production…  - Mark Shenton (The Stage)

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