Shane Meadows

Early life

Meadows was born on 26 December 1972 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Meadow's father, Arty, was a lorry driver and his mother a shop assistant.

In 1982, when Meadow's 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, 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, 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, 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 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. {{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/06/chork-shane-meadows-jack-thorne-1236439655/ |title= ‘Chork:’ Shane Meadows & Jack Thorne Feature Wraps Production|website=Deadline Hollywood |first=Zac|last=Ntim|date= June 23, 2025|accessdate=23 June 2025}}{{cite web|website=Variety|url= https://variety.com/2025/film/global/shane-meadows-wraps-chork-first-feature-17-years-1236437832/ |date= Jun 23, 2025|title= ‘This Is England’ Director Shane Meadows Wraps Production on First Feature in 17 Years: Runaway Road Trip Movie ‘Chork,’ Co-Written by Jack Thorne|accessdate=23 June 2025

Filmography

Feature films

Television

Online series

Short films

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.

References

References

1. Sawyer, Miranda. (2019-05-05). "Shane Meadows: ‘For many years I didn't remember it... but it caused me a lifetime of anguish’". The Guardian.
2. Lawson, Mark. (2015-08-07). "Shane Meadows, chronicler of England's public and personal stories". The Guardian.
3. Louise Jury. (24 April 2007). "Director who puts himself in the frame". ES London Ltd.
4. "Game of Thrones star Joe Dempsie on his life and career".
5. Clarke, Cath. (2018-03-30). "Paddy Considine: ‘I never wanted to sell my soul for this’". The Guardian.
6. (2005-01-04). "Local Heroes: Paddy Considine".
7. "Nick Hemming | State Magazine".
8. (14 September 2002). "Filmmakers on film: Shane Meadows on Mean Streets".
9. Spencer, Neil; [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/aug/25/features.review "Suburban guerrilla"] ''Guardian.co.uk'', 25 August 2002
10. (5 May 2019). "Shane Meadows: 'For many years I didn't remember it... But it caused me a lifetime of anguish'".
11. Blacklock, Mark; [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3625051/Cruel-justice.html "Cruel justice"] ''Telegraph.co.uk'', 6 October 2004
12. {{IMDb title. 1685471. This Is England '86
13. [http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/904133-this-is-england-90-production-halted-for-shane-meadows-stone-roses-doc Metro, 4 July 2012: ''This Is England ’90 production halted for Shane Meadows' Stone Roses doc''] Retrieved 30 August 2012
14. [http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/910065-this-is-england-star-chanel-cresswell-admits-1990-update-isn-t-confirmed Metro, 29 August 2012: ''This Is England star Chanel Cresswell admits 1990 update isn’t confirmed''] Retrieved 30 August 2012
15. "Welcome to Shane Meadows.co.uk".
16. (13 September 2015). "IMDB".
17. (4 October 2015). "This Is England '90, review: 'end of an era'".
18. Harrison, Phil. (4 October 2015). "This Is England '90 episode four – winter".
19. (4 October 2015). "This Is England '90 episode 4 review: A bittersweet triumph".
20. Griffiths, Eleanor. (19 May 2021). "BBC announces new Shane Meadows drama The Gallows Pole, based on "the biggest fraud in British history"".
21. "News".
22. Mottram, James. (2008-08-09). "Shane Meadows on his latest film Somers Town".
23. "BSC Members {{!}} British Society of Cinematographers".
24. Matheou, Demetrios. (2009-06-26). "Shane Meadows: how to make a film in five days". The Guardian.
25. Pelley, Rich. (2023-09-14). "Shane Meadows: ‘When I worked at Alton Towers, I’d ride the Thunder Looper four times each lunch break’". The Guardian.