Chris Menes is a theatre sound designer and composer based in Bristol, UK.

Chris’s passion is for creative and immersive theatre sound design. He works closely within the theatre production and devising process to explore the possibilities of sound and music to enhance the performance and help drive narrative.

His explorations with music began as a child, first learning piano and later guitar before beginning to experiment with producing electronic music in his early twenties. Since 2015 he has created sound and music for a range of theatre productions many of which have toured nationally.

As well as has his theatre work, Chris produces his own experimental electronic music using a variety of studio equipment and techniques including a modular synthesiser (See photo below). He has recently finished composing his first solo album and occasionally performs as one half of electronic improv duo SatNav.

Background:

In 2019 Chris completed a Masters in Creative Sound and Media Technology at Bath-Spa University.

In 2015 he attended the Sound Design For Theatre summer school at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Between 2006 & 2010 he was a founding member of Collective-Era, a visual arts collective based first in Oxford then in Brighton.

He graduated in BA Fine Art at Oxford Brookes University in 2005.

‘Ember’ An album of introspective ambient & experimental music

Recorded during the short days and long nights of winter 2018-19, ‘Ember’ is a collection of atmospheric tracks focusing more on texture and mood than on melody or rhythm. The record pulls together inspiration from ambient music, drone, glitch and electroacoustic music and adds field recordings and sparse minimal piano to create a contemplative yet occasionally challenging body of work.

You can stream or download the album on Bandcamp.

Above is a video for the opening track (Also named ‘Ember’)

Theatre Credits

Sound Designer for an online audio book adaptation of ‘The Anarchist’s Mobile Library’ by Tessa Bide Productions. August 2020.

Composer and sound designer for ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ by Soap Soup Theatre and Open Attic. December 2019.

Sound designer for ‘The Anarchist’s Mobile Library’ by Tessa Bide Productions. August 2019.

Sound design for Soap Soup Theatre’s ‘MathildaMathilda’ which opened at Weston Super-Mare Museum in May 2019 with and will tour nationally throughout 2019.

Assistant sound designer (Alongside Matt Huxley) for Tessa Bide Productions and Soap Soup Theatre’s ‘The Selfish Giant’ which opened for a month long run during Christmas 2018 at Clapham Omnibus, London, and is touring nationally throughout 2019.

Sound designer and composer for Hive Theatre’s ‘This Perfect World’ which opened at The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath in July 2018

Sound design for an R&D of ‘Threads’, an experimental dance and circus performance directed by Gwen Hales. March 2018

Co-sound designer (with Nick Janaway) for an R&D residency at The Brewhouse, Taunton for ‘Babble’, an experimental, interactive early years work by Flibberdigibbert Theatre. February 2018

Sound design and composer for New Model Theatre’s ‘Happiness Ltd’ which opened at The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter for a two week run in October 2017 and was performed at Salisbury Playhouse, Theatre Royal Plymouth and New Diorama Theatre, London.

Sound design for Soap Soup Theatre’s family show, ‘The Pixies’ Scarf’, which opened at The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol for a week run over Easter 2017 and toured nationally between 2017 and 2019.

Building electronic sound effect machines for Fine Chisel’s ‘Beneath the Blizzard’, which opened Christmas 2016 at the Exeter Bike Shed before moving to The Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare and The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath.

Sound design for Theatre West’s ‘The Orator’ written by Marietta Kirkbride and directed by Chloe Masterton which had a two week run at The Acta Centre, Bristol in September 2016.

Working alongside Timothy X Atack (Sleepdogs) to assist in delivering the sound design for Lucy Cassidy’s ‘Can You See Me?’ at The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath. September 2016.

Sound designer and composer for Lady Strong’s Bonfire’s ‘The Bed’ which opened at The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol in May 2016,

Sound design for the R&D of Liz Hart’s ‘Mummy Monster’ (Produced by Lady Strong’s Bonfire).

Sound designer and composer for Soap Soup Theatre’s ‘The Environs’. A walk about festival show which has been performed at Shambala and Boom Town Festival.

Theatre Sound Design Examples

Contact

chrismenes@gmail.com

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