Charles Mayer (actor)
Encyclopedia
Charles Mayer is an English stage, television and film actor, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included Wallace in Ip Man 2
, Bob Cratchit
in A Christmas Carol
, Charles Condomine in "Blithe Spirit", Marc in "Art", Felix in "The Odd Couple", and Father in "Six Characters in Search of An Author", Michael Fitzgerald in Spooks
, Donald in Hotel Babylon
, Jon in Goodbye Shanghai and Freddie in Shanghai Chill. He has also appeared in various independent films which he has acted in, directed, produced or written. His West End
debut came in 2006 in Martin Sherman's
Bent
. He appears every Wednesday to Saturday evening at Gosney and Kallman's Chinatown in Shanghai
, China
. He is Associate Producer of Shanghai Repertory Theater and has been a resident of The People's Republic of China since 2008.
, England
, the son of Jennifer-Ann Wright, a retired RAF Intelligence officer and Martin Mayer, an RAF test pilot. He has one older and one younger sister, with a niece and two nephews in England. Brought up on RAF camps in England and Germany
until starting boarding at The Duke of Kent School in Surrey
at the age of 8, he always only wanted to be a pilot like his father. After five years at prep school, where he won the Drama Prize in his final year for his performance as Antipholus of Syracuse in Shakespeare's
The Comedy of Errors
he was sent to Wellington College, Berkshire
. Aged 16 he passed the Officers and Aircrew Selection Course and was awarded an RAF Sixth Form Scholarship contract to train as a pilot in the RAF on completion of his A-Levels. From age 15 to 18, he spent his term time at public school and holidays in Africa at his parents' house in Nairobi
, Kenya
. Failing his RAF Initial Officer Training in 1989, he worked as a farm labourer and tractor driver in the South of England for two years. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, Mayer went to the recruiting office and signed up as a potential officer, entering the British Army in February 1991. He passed the RCB and entered Sandhurst
in September 1992, commissioning in August 1992 into the Welsh Guards. After the Platoon Commander's Battle Course he took over his platoon in Northern Ireland in January 1993. He spent 4 years commanding in Northern Ireland, 2 years instructing at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick, 2 years ceremonial duties in London, (where he still holds the Household Division Subaltern's award for least sleep in a fortnight)and two years in Tidworth (working in an office 100 yards form the room in which he was born). After completing 10 years of service Mayer decided to become an actor. He applied to audition for the best drama schools in London and entered the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2002.
(2010), a large budget kung fu film shown in cinemas across Asia, Mayer plays the villain opposite Sammo Hung
. He is the corrupt, ruthless 1950s Hong Kong Police officer Chief Superintendent Wallace. His greed and violent temper are finally brought under control when he is arrested at a boxing match.
In Greys Inbetween by Ambient Film Ltd, a romantic tragedy written, directed and produced by Andrew Rajan, Mayer plays the villain, the philandering husband who breaks his girlfriend's heart. The film enjoyed a limited run in 2008 at the National Gallery in London.
In The Ultimate Truth, a comedy written and directed by Nick Clarke with Wysiwyg Films, he plays a confused meglomaniac gangster turned politician with a sweet moll. It premiered at the Curzon Soho, London in 2003.
Mayer has a major role in upcoming feature Shanghai Chill, an independent film written and directed by Eric Heise. It is currently in production.
For short film, Mayer has a leading role in Goodbye Shanghai directed by Adam Christian Clark, has written and directed Against All Odds for the Meiwenti Shanghai Short Film Competition 2009, and produced and acted in China White Night for the 2009 Straight8 Film Competition
. He has acted in many others.
prime time series Spooks
and Hotel Babylon
, and more recently in Piers Morgan On... Shanghai
as the MC at Chinatown. As of Jan 3 2011 He is the new host of International Channel Shanghai's daily culture programme City Beat.
In London in 2006 he appeared in the West End in Martin Sherman's Bent
, with Alan Cumming
. The revival was directed by Daniel Kramer, under whom he has enjoyed several exploratory workshops. Mayer was additionally consultant to the company on history and psychology of the SS in Nazi Germany. (During the run of the play, he played the lead/villain in the backstage short film Stage Fright, written and directed by fellow Guildhall graduate Lawrence Spellman and involving the entire cast and many of the crew of the theatre production Bent. It is the only film in which he has played the villain and he doesn't have his comeuppance.)
Also during the run of Bent Mayer played the lead in John Wilson's Hamp, a rehearsed reading directed by Bent cast member Hugh Ross.
Mayer plays the villain in 5th Wall Performance's production A Taste of Red, a dance theatre video sound collaboration. After two independent runs it was banned by the cultural bureau from playing at the 2010 Shanghai Repertory Theater International Spring Arts Festival for its violent and pornographic content.
For East West Theater in Shanghai he directed the Lovers' scenes from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
at The British Chamber of Commerce.
He has played many theatrical roles whilst at drama school and in amateur companies whilst serving in the Army.
As of Jan 3 2011, Mayer is the male host of the International Channel Shanghai's daily culture programme City Beat.
Whilst living in Shanghai he has hosted various events, including fashion shows, festivals and film screenings.
spirit entering a young man's soul in modern Paris
. It is currently being considered by publishing agents in London.
Mayer has taught voice and movement for the stage in Shanghai and HMP Altcourse, and has taught military movement for actors at RADA
, The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and for productions including The Gate Theatre, London's Woyceck, Sheffield Crucible's Lear
, Sonia Friedman's Bent
, The National Theatre's War Horse
and the Royal Shakespeare Company's Henry IV, Part 2
.
. He tries to visit at least once a year. His mother is involved in local politics and his father in land management of their property. Mayer effectively left home at the age of 8 and has never lived in Lancashire. He is engaged to be married to Australian Cate Fittock.
Ip Man 2
Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role...
, Bob Cratchit
Bob Cratchit
Robert "Bob" Cratchit is a fictional character who is the abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol...
in A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
, Charles Condomine in "Blithe Spirit", Marc in "Art", Felix in "The Odd Couple", and Father in "Six Characters in Search of An Author", Michael Fitzgerald in Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
, Donald in Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
, Jon in Goodbye Shanghai and Freddie in Shanghai Chill. He has also appeared in various independent films which he has acted in, directed, produced or written. His West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut came in 2006 in Martin Sherman's
Martin Sherman
Martin Sherman is an American dramatist and screenwriter, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-nominated play Bent , which explores the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust...
Bent
Bent (play)
Bent is a 1979 play by Martin Sherman. It revolves around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and takes place during and after the Night of the Long Knives....
. He appears every Wednesday to Saturday evening at Gosney and Kallman's Chinatown in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He is Associate Producer of Shanghai Repertory Theater and has been a resident of The People's Republic of China since 2008.
Early life
Charles Mayer was born in Tidworth, HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of Jennifer-Ann Wright, a retired RAF Intelligence officer and Martin Mayer, an RAF test pilot. He has one older and one younger sister, with a niece and two nephews in England. Brought up on RAF camps in England and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
until starting boarding at The Duke of Kent School in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
at the age of 8, he always only wanted to be a pilot like his father. After five years at prep school, where he won the Drama Prize in his final year for his performance as Antipholus of Syracuse in Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors is one of only two of Shakespeare's...
he was sent to Wellington College, Berkshire
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
. Aged 16 he passed the Officers and Aircrew Selection Course and was awarded an RAF Sixth Form Scholarship contract to train as a pilot in the RAF on completion of his A-Levels. From age 15 to 18, he spent his term time at public school and holidays in Africa at his parents' house in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Failing his RAF Initial Officer Training in 1989, he worked as a farm labourer and tractor driver in the South of England for two years. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, Mayer went to the recruiting office and signed up as a potential officer, entering the British Army in February 1991. He passed the RCB and entered Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
in September 1992, commissioning in August 1992 into the Welsh Guards. After the Platoon Commander's Battle Course he took over his platoon in Northern Ireland in January 1993. He spent 4 years commanding in Northern Ireland, 2 years instructing at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick, 2 years ceremonial duties in London, (where he still holds the Household Division Subaltern's award for least sleep in a fortnight)and two years in Tidworth (working in an office 100 yards form the room in which he was born). After completing 10 years of service Mayer decided to become an actor. He applied to audition for the best drama schools in London and entered the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2002.
Film
In Mandarin Films' Ip Man 2Ip Man 2
Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role...
(2010), a large budget kung fu film shown in cinemas across Asia, Mayer plays the villain opposite Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
. He is the corrupt, ruthless 1950s Hong Kong Police officer Chief Superintendent Wallace. His greed and violent temper are finally brought under control when he is arrested at a boxing match.
In Greys Inbetween by Ambient Film Ltd, a romantic tragedy written, directed and produced by Andrew Rajan, Mayer plays the villain, the philandering husband who breaks his girlfriend's heart. The film enjoyed a limited run in 2008 at the National Gallery in London.
In The Ultimate Truth, a comedy written and directed by Nick Clarke with Wysiwyg Films, he plays a confused meglomaniac gangster turned politician with a sweet moll. It premiered at the Curzon Soho, London in 2003.
Mayer has a major role in upcoming feature Shanghai Chill, an independent film written and directed by Eric Heise. It is currently in production.
For short film, Mayer has a leading role in Goodbye Shanghai directed by Adam Christian Clark, has written and directed Against All Odds for the Meiwenti Shanghai Short Film Competition 2009, and produced and acted in China White Night for the 2009 Straight8 Film Competition
Straight 8
straight 8 is an independent filmmaking event founded in 1999 and based in the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the medium and editing style used to create the short films...
. He has acted in many others.
Television
After drama school Mayer made brief appearances in BBC One'sBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
prime time series Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
and Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
, and more recently in Piers Morgan On... Shanghai
Piers Morgan On...
Piers Morgan On... is a British television travelogue programme presented by journalist Piers Morgan, broadcast locally on ITV1. So far he has visited Dubai, Monte Carlo, Hollywood, Las Vegas, Marbella and Shanghai.-Series 1:-Series 2:...
as the MC at Chinatown. As of Jan 3 2011 He is the new host of International Channel Shanghai's daily culture programme City Beat.
Theatre
Mayer played Bob Cratchit in Shanghai Repertory Theater's inaugural production of A Christmas Carol in 2009, and was due to play Edmund in their second production King Lear in 2010, but was unable to play the role due to another commitment.In London in 2006 he appeared in the West End in Martin Sherman's Bent
Bent (play)
Bent is a 1979 play by Martin Sherman. It revolves around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and takes place during and after the Night of the Long Knives....
, with Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
. The revival was directed by Daniel Kramer, under whom he has enjoyed several exploratory workshops. Mayer was additionally consultant to the company on history and psychology of the SS in Nazi Germany. (During the run of the play, he played the lead/villain in the backstage short film Stage Fright, written and directed by fellow Guildhall graduate Lawrence Spellman and involving the entire cast and many of the crew of the theatre production Bent. It is the only film in which he has played the villain and he doesn't have his comeuppance.)
Also during the run of Bent Mayer played the lead in John Wilson's Hamp, a rehearsed reading directed by Bent cast member Hugh Ross.
Mayer plays the villain in 5th Wall Performance's production A Taste of Red, a dance theatre video sound collaboration. After two independent runs it was banned by the cultural bureau from playing at the 2010 Shanghai Repertory Theater International Spring Arts Festival for its violent and pornographic content.
For East West Theater in Shanghai he directed the Lovers' scenes from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
at The British Chamber of Commerce.
He has played many theatrical roles whilst at drama school and in amateur companies whilst serving in the Army.
Hosting - Presenting
In London Mayer was the host of the Couture Clubbing fashion shows, and was spotted by Norman Gosney and Amelia Kallman, who offered him the role of Master of Ceremonies 'Chinatown Charlie' at their vaudeville and nouveau variety club Gosney and Kallman's Chinatown in Shanghai, China. He performs there every Wednesday to Saturday evening.As of Jan 3 2011, Mayer is the male host of the International Channel Shanghai's daily culture programme City Beat.
Whilst living in Shanghai he has hosted various events, including fashion shows, festivals and film screenings.
Other work
Mayer has recently finished writing a novel, Fleur, about the consequences of Charles Baudelaire'sCharles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the nineteenth century...
spirit entering a young man's soul in modern Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It is currently being considered by publishing agents in London.
Mayer has taught voice and movement for the stage in Shanghai and HMP Altcourse, and has taught military movement for actors at RADA
Rada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
, The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and for productions including The Gate Theatre, London's Woyceck, Sheffield Crucible's Lear
Lear (play)
Lear is a 1971 three-act play by the British dramatist Edward Bond. It is an epic rewrite of William Shakespeare's King Lear. The play was first produced at the Royal Court Theatre in 1971, featuring Harry Andrews in the title role...
, Sonia Friedman's Bent
Bent (play)
Bent is a 1979 play by Martin Sherman. It revolves around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and takes place during and after the Night of the Long Knives....
, The National Theatre's War Horse
War Horse (play)
War Horse is a play based on the book of the same name by acclaimed children's writer Michael Morpurgo, adapted for stage by Nick Stafford. Originally Morpurgo thought "they must be mad" to try to make a play from his best-selling 1982 novel. He was proved wrong by the play's instant success...
and the Royal Shakespeare Company's Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...
.
Personal life
Mayer's parents are retired and live in his father's native county, idyllic rural LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He tries to visit at least once a year. His mother is involved in local politics and his father in land management of their property. Mayer effectively left home at the age of 8 and has never lived in Lancashire. He is engaged to be married to Australian Cate Fittock.
External links
- Gosney and Kallman's Chinatown website
- Charles Mayer at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Charles Mayer on The SpotlightThe Spotlight (directory)The Spotlight is a UK directory of actors and actresses. It was established in 1927.It originally existed as a printed directory, but now also exists as an online interactive directory....
- Charles Mayer on CNN Go