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 This Is England (2006) and its three television 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 (2008), Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee (2009), and The Stone Roses: Made of Stone (2013).
Early life Meadows was born on 26 December 1972 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Meadows' father, Arty, was a lorry driver and his mother a shop assistant.
In 1982, when Meadows was 10, his father discovered the body of Susan Maxwell, a child murder victim of Robert Black, beside the A518 in Staffordshire and was initially a suspect in the murder case, which led to Meadows being bullied at school. At this time, his parents sent him to live with his aunt in an effort to protect him from the media coverage, but Meadows was bullied and sexually assaulted. He described to The Guardian that he buried his sexual assault, resulting in periods of depression that started in his 20s, and in his 40s was diagnosed with PTSD and received EMDR therapy.
Meadows moved to Nottingham when he was 20.
Meadows left school before completing his GCSEs and took advantage of the emergence of video to start shooting short films.
Career
Meadows enrolled on a Performing Arts course at Burton College, where he first met friend and future collaborator Paddy Considine. 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, who was also a member of the Telescopes and now fronts The Leisure Society.
The majority of Meadows' films have been set in the Midlands. While they recall the kitchen sink realism of filmmakers such as Mike Leigh 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 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, where 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". In an interview for his 2019 series The Virtues, Meadows discussed the abuse he suffered as a nine-year old, and how the experience has undoubtedly influenced his work.
Five of Meadows' films were shown at the 2007 Flourish Festival, held annually in Uttoxeter, to mark the release of This is England (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 and Best Screenplay at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. Dead Man's Shoes, his sixth film, and third starring Paddy Considine,Blacklock, Mark; "Cruel justice" Telegraph.co.uk, 6 October 2004 was nominated for a BAFTA for Best British Film. His seventh film This is England, won the British Independent Film Awards 2006 for best British independent film. Meadows was presented with the award by Sylvester Stallone and used the occasion to announce that he was to be a father. This is England also won a BAFTA for Best British Film.
This is England 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,Metro, 4 July 2012: This Is England ’90 production halted for Shane Meadows' Stone Roses doc Retrieved 30 August 2012 and the actors were still waiting for confirmation as to when filming would start.Metro, 29 August 2012: This Is England star Chanel Cresswell admits 1990 update isn’t confirmed Retrieved 30 August 2012 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 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 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.
In 2025, Meadows completed principal photography on Chork, a film he co-wrote alongside Jack Thorne.
Filmography
Feature films +YearTitleDistribution1996Small Time1997Twenty Four Seven1999A Room for Romeo Brass2002Once Upon a Time in the Midlands2004Dead Man's Shoes 2006This Is England2008Somers Town2009Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee2013The Stone Roses: Made of Stone2026Chork
Television +DateTitleEpisodesChannelNotes2010This Is England '86 4 (60 mins)Channel 4Directed episodes 3 and 42011This Is England '883 (60 mins)Channel 42015This Is England '904 (60 mins, Ep.4: 75 mins)Channel 42019The Virtues3 (45+ mins, Ep.4: 75 mins)Channel 42023The Gallows Pole3 (60 mins)BBC
Online series DateTitleEpisodesChannelNotes2019Charity Shop Sue
Short films +DateTitleDurationDistributionNotes1994Where's the Money, Ronnie?10 minsSecond VersionWhere's the Money, Ronnie?10 minsFirst VersionThe Datsun Connection13 minsThe Murderer5 minsLittle Man10 minsThe Cleaner2 mins1995The Pasta Twist11 minsThe Stretch16 minsThe Allotment Show2 minsSneinton Junction6 minsJock and John are Neighbours7 minsBlack Wiggow10 minsKing of the Gypsies6 minsDocumentaryKing of the Gypsies10 minsDocumentaryKill Me Now, Mummy7 minsKarate Youth3 minsThe Zombie Squad11 minsWhere's The Money, Ronnie?14 minsThird VersionA Glyde in the Park5 mins1996The Rise and Fall of a Protection Agency20 minsWhere's the Money, Ronnie?12 minsFinal (Fourth) VersionSimon Stanway is Not Dead18 minsTorino Torino15 minsDocumentaryThe Church of Alan Darcy8 mins1997Come Back Dominic Dillon12 minsWaiting For the Winter16 minsIn the Meantime Afternoon20 minsDocumentaryA Room For Romeo Brass13 mins1998Paul, Simon, Dominic and Snowy Cabrerra14 minsDaihatsu Domino9 minsSize Sixteen Feet6 minsThere was a Wolf in the Room Mum, and it was Dying2 minsIt was just a little Chimp, about six inches tall and he wore a little red sweater5 minsAutumn in the Heart7 minsHospital Stanway9 minsA Room for Romeo Brass rehearsals11 minsAll the Way Through5 mins1999Le Donk Episodic One Slap19 minsLe Donk Episodic Two Slap15 minsBilly Gumbo10 minsWilly Gumbo20 minsLe Donk Rat Attack15 minsSimon Stanway 35 minsGary Golfer8 minsEric D'ya Get the Jisto5 minsStars of Track and Field30 mins2000Shane's World: Macca's Men The Man With No Name The Poppa Squeeze Affair Three Tears for Jimmy Prophet Tank's Top Tips70 mins2004Northern Soul30 mins2005The Stairwell40 secsProduced for the Nokia Shorts competition2007ValentinePromotional music video for track by Richard Hawley, from his album Lady's BridgeSeriousPromotional music video for track by Richard Hawley, from his album Lady's Bridge.The Living RoomDocumentary about musician, Gavin Clark
Collaborators Meadows frequently collaborates with various actors and film crew members. 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. Fraser 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".
Meadows has worked many times with producer Mark Herbert and cinematographer Danny Cohen.
Meadows has often discussed the importance of looking after his cast members, particularly in films that tackle such issues as racism and sexual abuse - he told The Guardian: "I’ve always tried to make sure that no one gets damaged."
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 Meadows documentary The Living Room (2007). Meadows met Clark when they both worked at Alton Towers. Nick Hemming and The Leisure Society. Ludovico Einaudi 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, Vicky McClure, Andrew Shim, Thomas Turgoose, Frank Harper and Jo Hartley. Actor Where's the Money, Ronnie? (1996) Small Time (1996) 24 7: Twenty Four Seven (1997) A Room for Romeo Brass (1999) Shane's World (2000) Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002) Dead Man's Shoes (2004) Northern Soul (Short) (2004) The Stairwell (Short) (2005) This Is England (2006) Somers Town (2008) Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee (2009) This Is England '86 (2010) This Is England '88 (2011) This Is England '90 (2015) The Virtues (2019) Charity Shop Sue (2019) The Gallows Pole (2023) Total Andrew Shim 8 Vicky McClure 6 Jo Hartley 6 Thomas Turgoose 6 Stephen Graham 5 Michael Socha 5 Ladene Hall 4 Paddy Considine 4 George Newton 4 Joe Gilgun 4 Rosamund Hanson 4 Chanel Cresswell 4 Andrew Ellis 4 Danielle Watson 4 Kriss Dosanjh 4 Perry Benson 4 Mat Hand 3 Jimmy Hynd 3 Dena Smiles 3 Tanya Myers 3 Frank Harper 3 Ian Smith 3 Hannah Walters 3 Steve Brody 3 Katherine Dow Blyton 3 Johnny Harris 3 Rebecca Manley 3 William Travis 3 Seamus O'Neill 3 Helen Behan 3 Dominic Dillon 2 Darren O. Campbell 2 Bob Hoskins 2 Johann Myers 2 Justin Brady 2 Anthony Clarke 2 Tony Nyland 2 Karl Collins 2 Dave Blant 2 Craig Considine 2 Matt Considine 2 Toby Kebbell 2 Emily Aston 2 Joe Dempsie 2 Perry Fitzpatrick 2 Lyra Mae Thomas 2 Neil Bell 2 Sherrie Johnson 2
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