Shane Meadows (born 26 December 1972) is an English director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in independent film, most notably the
cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...
''
This Is England
''This Is England'' is a 2006 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. Its plot centres on young skinheads in England in 1983, illustrating how their subculture became influenced by far-right politics. The f ...
'' (2006) and
its three sequels (2010–2015).
Meadows' other films include ''
Small Time'' (1996), ''
Twenty Four Seven'' (1997), ''
A Room for Romeo Brass'' (1999), ''
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands'' (2002), ''
Dead Man's Shoes'' (2004), ''
Somers Town'' (2006), ''
Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee
''Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee'' is a 2009 British mock musical documentary film written and directed by Shane Meadows. It follows the fictional character of Le Donk, played by Paddy Considine, a roadie working for Arctic Monkeys, and Scorzayzee, a ...
'' (2009), and ''
The Stone Roses: Made of Stone'' (2013).
Early life
Meadows was born on 26 December 1972 in
Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in the East Staffordshire borough of Staffordshire, England. It is near to the Derbyshire county border.
The town is from Burton upon Trent via the A50 and the A38, from Stafford via the A51 ...
,
Staffordshire
Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
. In 1982, his father Arty, a lorry driver, discovered the body of
Susan Maxwell, a child murder victim of
Robert Black, and was initially a suspect in the murder case, which led to Meadows being bullied at school. Meadows moved to
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
when he was 20.
Career
Meadows enrolled on a
Performing Arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
course at
Burton College, where he first met friend and future collaborator
Paddy Considine
Patrick George Considine (born 5 September 1973) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for playing antiheros in independent films. He has received two British Academy Film Awards, three Evening Standard British ...
. Amongst other things, they formed the band
She Talks to Angels (inspired by a
Black Crowes song
of the same name), with Meadows as vocalist and Considine as drummer. Lead guitarist in She Talks To Angels was
Nick Hemming
Nicholas Hemming is an English musician and guitarist. He was formerly of the early 1990s indie band She Talks to Angels, is a key musician in the Willkommen Collective, and is currently the lead singer for The Leisure Society. Hemming als ...
, who was also a member of
the Telescopes
The Telescopes are an English noise, space rock, dream pop and psychedelic band formed in 1987 by artist, composer, and musician Stephen Lawrie, with band members David Fitzgerald and Joanna Doran joining later. The band's line-up is in ...
and now fronts
The Leisure Society.
The majority of Meadows' films have been set in the
Midlands
The Midlands is the central region of England, to the south of Northern England, to the north of southern England, to the east of Wales, and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands comprises the ceremonial counties of Derbyshire, Herefor ...
. While they recall the
kitchen sink realism
Kitchen sink realism (or kitchen sink drama) is a British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as " angry young men" ...
of filmmakers such as
Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English screenwriter, producer, director and former actor with a film, theatre, and television career spanning more than 60 years. His accolades include prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin In ...
and
Alan Clarke, their use of autobiographical material and popular music soundtracks were influenced by Martin Scorsese's ''
Mean Streets'', the film which Meadows has credited with inspiring him to become a filmmaker: "It was obviously about people Scorsese understood and had grown up with. It was the first time that I thought, 'Maybe you don't have to make a film about a genre, maybe you can make a film about your own life.' "
Much of the content of his films is semi-autobiographical and based on his experiences in Uttoxeter. ''
Twenty Four Seven'' was inspired by his youth, both at a boxing club, and also playing in a local football club. Despite some huge losses, the club's coach never lost faith in them. ''
A Room for Romeo Brass'' was also inspired by his youth. After Paul Fraser —
his best friend, neighbour and future writing partner
[Spencer, Neil]
"Suburban guerrilla"
''Guardian.co.uk'', 25 August 2002 – had a bad accident and was bed-bound for two years, Meadows instead hung around with some of the town's more undesirable characters. ''
Dead Man's Shoes'' is based on the more unpleasant side of his youth in Uttoxeter. It was inspired by a close friend who had been bullied, developed a drug problem and then committed suicide. Meadows said "I couldn't believe that, going back ten years later, he had been totally forgotten in the town – it was as if he had never existed. I was filled with anger against the people who had bullied and pushed the drugs on him, and with despair at what drugs had done to that small community".
Five of Meadows' films were shown at the 2007 Flourish Festival, held annually in Uttoxeter, to mark the release of ''
This is England
''This Is England'' is a 2006 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. Its plot centres on young skinheads in England in 1983, illustrating how their subculture became influenced by far-right politics. The f ...
'' (a film set in 1983).
His second feature-length film, ''
Twenty Four Seven'', won several awards at film festivals, including the
Douglas Hickox award at the
British Independent Film Awards
The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports, and promotes British independent cinema and film-making talent in the United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early Nov ...
and Best Screenplay at the
Thessaloniki Film Festival. ''
Dead Man's Shoes'', his sixth film, and third starring
Paddy Considine
Patrick George Considine (born 5 September 1973) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for playing antiheros in independent films. He has received two British Academy Film Awards, three Evening Standard British ...
,
[Blacklock, Mark]
"Cruel justice"
''Telegraph.co.uk'', 6 October 2004 was nominated for a
BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
for Best British Film. His seventh film ''
This is England
''This Is England'' is a 2006 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. Its plot centres on young skinheads in England in 1983, illustrating how their subculture became influenced by far-right politics. The f ...
'', won the
British Independent Film Awards 2006 for best British independent film. Meadows was presented with the award by
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
and used the occasion to announce that he was to be a father. ''
This is England
''This Is England'' is a 2006 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. Its plot centres on young skinheads in England in 1983, illustrating how their subculture became influenced by far-right politics. The f ...
'' also won a
BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
for Best British Film.
The film has since had a series of sequels adapted into television serials. The first series, ''This is England 86'' (set in 1986), aired on Channel 4 in September 2010). A second series, ''This is England 88'' (set in 1988) was aired in December 2011. A third and final series, ''This Is England '90'' (set in 1990), was originally due to be broadcast in December 2012, but in July 2012, Shane Meadows announced that the production had been put on hold in order for him to complete his documentary about
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist I ...
, and the actors were still waiting for confirmation as to when filming would start. The series was finally broadcast in September 2015, and was met with critical acclaim. Phil Harrison of ''The Guardian'' stated: "Shane Meadows has once again elicited some remarkable performances from his actors and the result is emotionally draining for everyone who has taken these characters to our hearts." Morgan Jeffery of ''Digital Spy'' also wrote that "...all things considered, this series - this saga - remains an astounding accomplishment from Meadows and co-writer Jack Thorne."
In an interview for his 2019 series ''
The Virtues'', Meadows opened up about abuse he suffered as a nine-year old, and how the experience has undoubtedly influenced his work.
In 2021 the BBC announced that Meadows is to direct a tv series based on a novel by
Benjamin Myers and produced by Element Pictures. ''
The Gallows Pole'' is a period drama set against the backdrop of the coming industrial revolution in 18th century Yorkshire. The drama follows the enigmatic King David Hartley, as he assembles a gang of weavers and land-workers to embark upon a revolutionary criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy and become the biggest fraud in British history.
Filmography
Feature films
*''
Small Time'' (1996)
*''
Twenty Four Seven'' (1997)
*''
A Room for Romeo Brass'' (1999)
*''
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands'' (2002)
*''
Dead Man's Shoes'' (2004)
*''
This Is England
''This Is England'' is a 2006 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. Its plot centres on young skinheads in England in 1983, illustrating how their subculture became influenced by far-right politics. The f ...
'' (2006)
*''
Somers Town'' (2008)
*''
Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee
''Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee'' is a 2009 British mock musical documentary film written and directed by Shane Meadows. It follows the fictional character of Le Donk, played by Paddy Considine, a roadie working for Arctic Monkeys, and Scorzayzee, a ...
'' (2009)
*''
The Stone Roses: Made of Stone'' (2013)
Television
*''
This Is England '86'' (2010) (four 60-minute episodes with Meadows directing episodes three and four)
*''
This Is England '88'' (2011) (three 60-minute episodes)
*''
This Is England '90'' (2015) (four 60-minute episodes; the fourth and finale was feature length / 75 minutes)
*''
The Virtues'' (2019) (three 45-minute+ episodes; the fourth is feature length / 75 minutes)
*''
The Gallows Pole'' (2023) (three 60-minute episodes)
Online series
* ''
Charity Shop Sue'' (2019)
Short films
;2007
*''Valentine'' – promotional music video
[Track by Richard Hawley, taken from his album '' Lady's Bridge''.]
*''Serious'' – promotional music video
*''The Living Room'' — documentary about musician
Gavin Clark
;2005
*''The Stairwell''
0 secondsref>"The Stairwell" was produced for the Nokia Shorts competition, 2005.
;2004
*''Northern Soul''
0mins;2000
*''Shane's World''
0 mins:— ''Macca's Men''
:— ''The Man With No Name''
:— ''The Poppa Squeeze Affair''
:— ''Three Tears for Jimmy Prophet''
:— ''Tank's Top Tips''
;1999
*''Le Donk Episodic One Slap''
9 mins*''Le Donk Episodic Two Slap''
5 mins*''Billy Gumbo''
0 mins*''Willy Gumbo''
0 mins*''Le Donk Rat Attack''
5 mins*''Simon Stanway 3''
mins*''Gary Golfer''
mins*''Eric D'ya Get the Jisto''
mins*''Stars of Track and Field''
0 mins;1998
*''Paul, Simon, Dominic and Snowy Cabrerra''
4 mins*''Daihatsu Domino''
mins*''Size Sixteen Feet''
mins*''There was a Wolf in the Room Mum, and it was Dying''
mins*''It was just a little Chimp, about six inches tall and he wore a little red sweater''
mins*''Autumn in the Heart''
mins*''Hospital Stanway''
mins*''A Room for Romeo Brass rehearsals''
1 mins*''All the Way Through''
mins
;1997
*''Come Back Dominic Dillon''
2 mins*''Waiting For the Winter''
6 mins*''In the Meantime Afternoon''
0 mins– documentary
*''A Room For Romeo Brass''
3 mins;1996
*''The Rise and Fall of a Protection Agency''
0 mins*''Where's the Money, Ronnie?''
2 mins– final version
*''Simon Stanway is Not Dead''
8 mins*''Torino Torino''
5 mins– documentary
*''The Church of Alan Darcy''
mins;1995
*''The Pasta Twist''
1 mins*''The Stretch''
6 mins*''The Allotment Show'')
mins*''Sneinton Junction''
mins*''Jock and John are Neighbours''
mins*''Black Wiggow''
0 mins*''King of the Gypsies''
mins– documentary
*''King of the Gypsies''
0 mins– documentary
*''Kill Me Now, Mummy''
mins*''Karate Youth''
mins*''The Zombie Squad''
1 mins*''Where's The Money, Ronnie?''
4 mins– third version
*''A Glyde in the Park''
mins;1994
*''Where's the Money, Ronnie?''
0 mins– second version
*''Where's the Money, Ronnie?''
0 mins– first version
*''The Datsun Connection''
3 mins*''The Murderer''
mins*''Little Man''
0 mins*''The Cleaner''
mins
Collaborators
Meadows frequently collaborates with various actors and film crew members. Though he writes and directs all his work, for many of his films the splits the writing credits with another party, with the two credited jointly as writers.
He has worked twice with
Toby Kebbell
Tobias Alistair Patrick Kebbell''Births, Marriages & Deaths: Toby is married to Arielle Wyatt. They got married in 2020 and they have one child together. Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 9 July 1982) is an English ...
,
Frank Harper, and
Bob Hoskins
Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor and film director. Known for his intense but sensitive portrayals of "tough guy" characters, he began his career on stage before making his screen breakthrough pl ...
. He has worked three times with
Stephen Graham,
Joe Gilgun
Joseph William Gilgun (born 9 March 1984) is an English actor and producer known for several roles, including that of Vinnie O'Neill in the Sky Max series ''Brassic (TV series), Brassic'', which he also co-created, Marcus in ''Hollyoaks'', Eli ...
,
Rosamund Hanson,
Chanel Cresswell,
Perry Benson
Perry Benson (born 9 April 1961) is a British character actor, having had regular roles in British television sitcoms '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1988–1993), '' Oh, Doctor Beeching!'' (1995–1997) and '' Operation Good Guys'' (1997–2000). Other ...
, and
Michael Socha
Michael Robert Socha (born 1987) is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the films ''This Is England'' and ''Summer (2008 film), Summer'', and the television series ''This Is England '86'' and its sequels. He also appeared in ''Being ...
, and at least four times with
Paddy Considine
Patrick George Considine (born 5 September 1973) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for playing antiheros in independent films. He has received two British Academy Film Awards, three Evening Standard British ...
,
Vicky McClure
Vicky Lee McClure (born 8 May 1983) is an English actress, model and presenter. She is known for her roles as Detective Inspector Kate Fleming in the BBC series ''Line of Duty'' (2012–2021) and Lol Jenkins in Shane Meadows's film '' This Is ...
,
Andrew Shim (who also had cameo roles in ''Dead Man's Shoes'' and ''The Stairwell ''),
Thomas Turgoose, and
Jo Hartley.
Paul Fraser (a childhood friend) has been Meadows' co-writer and contributor for all of his films except his ''This is England'' projects, ''Small Time'' and ''Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee'', on which Meadows worked with writers Considine and
Jack Thorne
Jack Thorne FRSL (born 6 December 1978) is a British playwright, television writer, screenwriter, and producer.
A massive fan of hard science fiction, he is best known for writing the stage play '' Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'', the fil ...
(both of whom went on to successfully write and direct their own projects) or Meadows worked alone.
Many of Meadows's films have had original music provided by
Nick Hemming
Nicholas Hemming is an English musician and guitarist. He was formerly of the early 1990s indie band She Talks to Angels, is a key musician in the Willkommen Collective, and is currently the lead singer for The Leisure Society. Hemming als ...
of
The Leisure Society,
Gavin Clark of
Clayhill or Italian pianist and composer
Ludovico Einaudi
Ludovico Maria Enrico Einaudi OMRI (; born 23 November 1955) is an Italian pianist and composer. Trained at the Milan Conservatory, Conservatorio Verdi in Milan, Einaudi began his career as a classical composer, later incorporating other styles ...
. Meadows has worked many times with producer
Mark Herbert and cinematographer
Danny Cohen.
Crew
* Paul Fraser has written for nearly every Meadows movie from ''
24 7: Twenty Four Seven'' to ''
Somers Town''. He also worked as second unit director/assistant director for ''Somers Town''. He appears in ''
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands'' as "Bingo Checker", ''
A Room for Romeo Brass'' as "Physiotherapist" (uncredited) and ''24 7: Twenty Four Seven'' as "Photographer".
Music
Many of Meadows's films have had original music provided by:
*
Gavin Clark of
Clayhill, Clayhill also appeared in "Northern Soul" (short). Clark was the subject of a 2007 Meadows documentary "The Living Room".
*
Nick Hemming
Nicholas Hemming is an English musician and guitarist. He was formerly of the early 1990s indie band She Talks to Angels, is a key musician in the Willkommen Collective, and is currently the lead singer for The Leisure Society. Hemming als ...
and
The Leisure Society.
*
Ludovico Einaudi
Ludovico Maria Enrico Einaudi OMRI (; born 23 November 1955) is an Italian pianist and composer. Trained at the Milan Conservatory, Conservatorio Verdi in Milan, Einaudi began his career as a classical composer, later incorporating other styles ...
an Italian pianist and composer.
Recurring cast members
Shane Meadows often casts certain actors more than once in his films. Meadows has most frequently worked with
Paddy Considine
Patrick George Considine (born 5 September 1973) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for playing antiheros in independent films. He has received two British Academy Film Awards, three Evening Standard British ...
,
Vicky McClure
Vicky Lee McClure (born 8 May 1983) is an English actress, model and presenter. She is known for her roles as Detective Inspector Kate Fleming in the BBC series ''Line of Duty'' (2012–2021) and Lol Jenkins in Shane Meadows's film '' This Is ...
,
Andrew Shim,
Thomas Turgoose,
Frank Harper and
Jo Hartley.
References
External links
*
Biographie et Filmographie du réalisateur Shane Meadows — French Shane Meadows website''ShaneMeadows.fr''
* ''Alt-Flix.co.uk''
Shane Meadows – Further Reading & Critical Bibliography''shanemeadows.co.uk''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meadows, Shane
1972 births
Living people
Alumni of Burton College
English film directors
English television directors
English screenwriters
English male screenwriters
English television writers
People from Uttoxeter
People from Sneinton
English male television writers