Chris Kelham

Biography

Chris has over twenty years experience working as an actor across theatre, film, television and radio. He was a former recipient of the Carleton Hobbs BBC Radio Drama Award. He has performed in the West End and widely across UK theatres including; The Manchester Royal Exchange, Leeds Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic and the National Theatre. Working closely with Graeae Theatre Company, Chris received Arts Council funding to work with a group of non-disabled and disabled performers examining the relationship between anxiety, creativity and performance.   

Over a period of several years, Chris worked as a performer and director with Di Trevis at The Jerwood Space addressing questions of culture, society, politics, poetry, text and performance using works including Shakespeare, Brecht, Beckett, Lorca, Kane, and Churchill.   

Chris has developed a practice rooted in community, inclusivity and play. His training includes anti-rascism, BSL and disability awareness and has worked with the network Actors For Human Rights raising awareness of asylum seekers in the UK. Based on the studio research model, Chris enables the actor to conduct their own experiments using neighbouring art forms and examining the dynamic relationship between impulse, image and physical action.  

Chris had directed various productions and workshops at the Guildhall School including; The Crimp Plays, The Journey, When All The Dogs Came Running and Hamlet - Under The Shadow Of Water.