Mark Langley

Personal statement

I have a background in both education and the industry. As a tutor my specialism is in voice, and I enjoy a career as both a voice coach, performer and writer/director alongside managing higher education.

Whenever people find out I am a voice coach, the next question is usually how did I become one? Well here's the short version! I trained as an actor between the ages of 16 and 19, and I was working on my first touring productions when I decided to go to university. At St Johns in York I read Drama, Film and Television, but also some Phonetics and Linguistics.

When I left university I worked in opera as a director and the combination of my studies, my acting skills and my work with opera singers meant other people asked me to teach voice. As a result, I have been a voice coach for over 20 years. I was the Lecturer in Voice at The Arden School of Theatre for many years, as well as working as a freelance voice coach for many radio, TV, film and theatre companies. I continue to balance my voice work with performance, because I think it is important that when I teach something, I should understand what it entails.

Being a voice coach is always fun and every now and then you are asked to go to work in Hollywood, or you get to work with an actor you really admire. But its not about fame, sometimes the best work is with a group of students, teachers or people who want to develop their voices. My website gives you some idea of the work I have done: www.marklangley.co.uk

Alongside my industry work, I have also been a manager of higher education for ten years and I work for QAA. Top quality higher education is my passion and the reason why I am here at Bath Spa University.

Academic qualifications

• BA(Hons) College of Ripon and York St John.

Other external roles

• Reviewer for QAA.

Teaching specialism

• Voice and text study.

Whenever people find out I am a voice coach, the next question is usually how did I become one? Well here's the short version! I trained as an actor between the ages of 16 and 19, and I was working on my first touring productions when I decided to go to university. At St Johns in York I read Drama, Film and Television, but also some Phonetics and Linguistics. When I left university I worked in opera as a director and the combination of my studies, my acting skills and my work with opera singers meant other people asked me to teach voice. As a result, I have been a voice coach for over 20 years. I was the Lecturer in Voice at The Arden School of Theatre for many years, as well as working as a freelance voice coach for many radio, TV, film and theatre companies. I continue to balance my voice work with performance, because I think it is important that when I teach something, I should understand what it entails.

Being a voice coach is always fun and every now and then you are asked to go to work in Hollywood, or you get to work with an actor you really admire. But its not about fame, sometimes the best work is with a group of students or teachers or people who want to develop their voices. The following gives some idea of the range of people and companies I have worked with.

Companies worked with include: 

Acier Productions, BBC, Bolton Octagon, Channel 4, Compass Theatre Company, English National Opera, Harrogate Theatre Royal, Imperial War Museum North, ITV Granada and Yorkshire, Manchester Royal Exchange, Marcher Coast FM, The Actors Centre North, Oldham Coliseum, Opera North, Pistachio and Notorious Films, Pola Jones, Sheffield Crucible Theatre, Signal Radio, South Yorkshire Opera, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Stoke New Vic, Tower FM, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Wish FM, Wire Fm, Wolf FM

Actors worked with include: 

Ann-Margaret, Joe Absolom, Rosie Ash, Will Ash, Helen Baxendale, Mark Benton, Stephen Campbell-Moore, Michelle Collins, Sinead Cusack, Janie Dee, Barbara Dickson, Samantha Giles, Jamie Glover, Suranne Jones, Ben Keaton, Ian Kelsey, Bruno Langley, Kay Mellor, Paul Moriarty, Peter Polycarpou, Eva Pope, Georgina Taylor, Tim Vincent, Kierston Waring

Directors worked with include: 

Natasha Betteridge, Stefan Escreet, Sarah Frankcom, Michael Grandage, Giles Havergal, Roger Haynes, Theresa Heskins, Gwenda Hughes, Susan Jacobson, Richard Jones, Anna Mackmin, David McVicar, Jude Kelly, Chris Monks, Deborah Paige, Sarah Punshon, Joanna Reed, Laurie Samson, Kevin Shaw, Neil Sissons, Phil Wilmot.

External examiners

• Lincoln University.

Recent professional updating

• Voice coach on Around the World in Eighty Days - Stoke New Vic Theatre, Prisoners' Wives 2 BBC TV
• Writer and Director of Alight: Twilight, for BBC Radio 3's Music Nation event.