Senior Lecturer

Background

Chris commenced his career in London where he directed for the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, the Riverside Studios, the Kings Head and New End Theatres. He also directed for regional companies including the Crucible, Sheffield and Chesterfield Civic Theatre. He has also worked in the United States as Director and Teacher as well as at Rose Bruford College and the Drama Studio, London.

In his Directing career he has directed over 150 productions from new writing to the classical repertoire.

In 1985 he moved to Australia to take up the position of Head of Directing at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), which has produced many of the dynamic young actors who are now establishing high profile careers, here and overseas. Actors trained under Chris’s supervision include Hugh Jackman, Dominic Purcell and Frances O Connor.

In Australia he also continues to direct professionally, his production of Mike Leigh s Abigail s Party, winning several awards during its season at the Wharf Theatre, Sydney. He has also directed for Black Swan Theatre Company, the Hole In The Wall Company and The Western Australian Theatre Company. He also directs Opera, most recently Puccini s Gianni Schicchi. He has been both Dramaturg and Director for the Australian National Playwrights Conference. He has also been Visiting Fellow at the National University of Singapore, directing a new play by Singapore Playwright, Chua Tze Wei; taught a series of Classes at the Gaiety School Dublin, directed The Caucasian Chalk Circle for Middlesex University, London. His production of The Pillars of Society was performed at the International theatre School Festival in Amsterdam.

He writes for stage and screen and in August 2000 directed the highly successful premiere of his own play Paradise in Sydney. Also in 2000 he lectured on Theatre at the University of California, Berkeley.

In January 2001 he directed and designed the acclaimed production of Redemption for the Perth International Arts Festival. The production was performed in 2002 at the 6th Cultura Inglesa Festival Sao Paulo, Brazil. He directed an adaptation of Redemption for ABC Radio in July 2001.

In April 2002 he directed The Caucasian Chalk Circle (in Cantonese) for the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

In 2003 he directed The Unexpected Man for Black Swan Theatre Company and presented the controversial and critically acclaimed world premiere of his play The Devil’s Tunic.

In 2005 he wrote and directed a short film Bang on the Head and directed Crave for Black Swan BSX Company. His play Out of Here was performed by the Perth Theatre Company.

He recently visited Buenos Aires to research a new play about the Tango. The resulting play The Butcher s Dance had it s premiere in March 2005. 

Paradise has been published by playscripts.com in the USA.

Staff Qualifications

• Certificate IV Workplace Tng & Assessment, TAFE WA, 2004 .
• Diploma of Teaching, England, 1974 .

Recent Publications (within the last five years)

Creative Works

• Baker, C., (2010), Attempts on her Life (Director). Attempts on her Life, WAAPA Roundhouse Theatre Perth.
• Baker, C., (2008), Fidels Cigar. Fidels Cigar, The Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA.