Charles Craggs

Education

About me

I am freelance actor-musician and my interests lie in the creation and development of music and sound. I have written music and songs for many show and I have worked with established companies such as KILN, Stan’s Cafe, The Fabularium, Noctium, Spectra, Talking Birds, Wild Rumpus, Teatr Biuro Podróży, Theatre Absolute, Open Theatre and Metro-Boulot-Dodo.

Additional Information

I have also held the position of Artistic Director at Noctium, devising music in all of the company productions. These include ‘Animate’ which involved live looping throughout with the use of a guitar and effects pedals and ‘Hymns for Robots’ a devised piece of theatre based on the life of Delia Derbyshire, for the entirety of the Edinburgh Fringe. This project saw me working with a style of music I hadn’t worked with before. It involved the use of digital and electronic sounds but allowed me to be able to play and perform live and manipulate live sounds as well. I’m always looking at new and interesting ways to create music whether it’s playing instruments in unconventional ways or using everyday objects to create sound.

I enjoy writing music and playing live both professionally and recreationally. I specialise in guitar and bass up to a grade 5 level, and I can also play a range of string instruments, percussion and electronic instruments such as synthesisers. I am also able to use music production software such as Ableton Live. Learning a wide variety of instruments has greatly enhanced my playing and song writing skills, and I use my versatility of styles and musicianship to tailor to the show or audience’s needs.

Additional Skills

Grade 5 Guitar (Merit) Guildhall School of Music and Drama, guitarist (acoustic, electric, bass), Ukulele, percussion, drums, Mandolin, Melodica, Ableton Live, Synthesiser, song writing, composer, sound design, full driving license, Short wheel base van experience, workshop leader, Difference Engine operation, stilt walking, puppetry, basic acrobatics, basic clowning, good range of accents and dialects.

Acting experience

For three years I trained at Coventry University on the Theatre and Professional Practice course. During this time I learned many key skills within the theatre industry that have helped me shape my own career. As well as acting and performing, the course gave insights into many areas of theatre, including technical skills, costume design, directing and music. This eventually culminated into a final project using all aspects of what the course had to offer.
During my time at Coventry I performed in many theatrical performances that included plays, devised theatre, a film to stage adaptation and some student films. These include:

2011
A Slice of Reality - This was my first film experience and student film whilst studying at University. Based on real experiences if followed the day in the life of a pizza delivery man as he dealt with rude customers, his annoying boss and his car that was forever breaking down, all while trying to see his girlfriend. It was filmed in various locations around Coventry and Nuneaton. It gave me an insight as to how a filmed production works and what is needed to be able to achieve the finished project.

2012
The Twelve Dancing Princesses - This devised piece of theatre was part of a final project at Coventry University and was based on Jeanette Wintersons’ novel ‘Sexing the Cherry’ and tells the story of 12 sisters who married 12 brothers and how they escaped from their forced marriages. This production was my first endeavour as an actor-musician. Along with two other musicians we were responsible for creating the music that underscored each scene, as well as writing the songs that helped to enhance the story. In 2013 the show travelled to the National Student Drama Festival in Scarborough.

‘Pornography’ by Simon Stephens - This play was part of another final project at Coventry University. This project mainly focussed on my acting abilities with some physical theatre aspects as well and my role within this show was portraying ‘scene 4’ from the script. The monologue was broken up into different sections and would be interwoven with the other pieces of text throughout the show. The script was based around people and the events around the 7/7 bombings that took place in London.

‘The Suicide’ by Nikolai Erdman - As part of my second year at University we spent the first term rehearsing and creating an end of term show. Throughout the entire process we were responsible for learning lines and character development. We also spent a lot of time researching and reading about the period of time this play was written and how it portrayed Russia at the time. As well as performing in the show we, as an ensemble, were responsible for the marketing and ticketing of the event.

2013
(500) Days of Summer - This film to stage adaptation was part of a final project at Coventry University. In this project I played the lead character Tom Hansen as we see his relationship between Summer Finn set over numerous days. As well as performing live on stage there were elements of filmed scenes interspersed between. This was performed for one night at the Crescent theatre in Birmingham.

The Winter Forest - This devised piece of theatre was part of a final project at Coventry University and was inspired by Angela Carter’s celebrated stories from ‘The Bloody Chambers.’ With a blend of storytelling and live music three magical and witty witches guide you through a sad story of a young girl’s perilous journey. In this project I played the part of Jack as well as helping to write the music and songs for the show.

Arabian Nights - This was an outdoor promenade style performance was part of the Theatre and Professional Practice course at Coventry University. Based on the collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, One Thousand and One Nights, we performed three tales, including Marouf the Cobbler, Aladdin and Ali Baba and the forty thieves, to school groups around the grounds of Coombe Abbey in Coventry. The project involved puppetry, live music and original songs which I help to co-write along with other musicians, as well as stilt walkers, giant props and pirates!

This is a show about me! - This devised piece of theatre was in collaboration with KILN who worked final year students of Coventry University’s Theatre and Professional Practice degree to present This is a Show about Me! a Hollywood story. This is a Show about Me! was a devised performance about the life of a Hollywood star who shoots to the lofty heights of celebrity, fame and fortune only to crash into the depths of personal despair, loss and loneliness. Within this production I was responsible for the creation and composition of music, along with other musicians, to create a house band. I was also a part of the ensemble performance as well as taking on an individual role as a news anchor during the show. The show was performed in the round and among the audience with the action changing sides frequently.

Skills

Skin Colour	White
Hair Length	Short
Native accent	English
Accents (UK)	Birmingham, Bristol, Cockney, English, standard, Hull, Manchester, Scottish, Standard, West Country, Yorkshire
Accents (North American)	Boston, New York City, Texas
Languages Spoken	English
Interested in	Children's Theatre , Comedy, Festivals, Film (Professional), Fringe, Radio, Rehearsed Readings, Roleplay, Theatre (Fringe), Theatre (Immersive), Theatre (Professional), Theatre (Touring), TV, Web-Series
Experienced In	Children's Theatre, Devised, Theatre (Fringe), Theatre (Immersive), Theatre (Professional), Theatre (Touring)
Musical Skills	Bass, Bass Guitar, Drums, Guitar, Mandolin, Percussion, Snare drum, Synthesiser, Tambourine, Triangle, Ukulele
Stage Combat Skills	No
Driving Licences	Standard
Facial Characteristics	Beard
DBS checked	Yes
Additional Skills	Actor, Stiltwalker
Accents (International)	Australian, Eastern European, French, German, Irish, New Zealand
Athletics	Badminton, Basketball, Running