Rew Lowe

Personal statement

Rew lives in Bristol and began teaching at Bath Spa after more than a decade working as a freelance actor, director and theatre-maker.

He trained at the renowned École Philippe Gaulier, in Paris (whose other alumni include Sacha Baron Cohen, Simon McBurney and Roberto Benigni), also editing Gaulier’s manual, Le Gegeneur/The Tormentor.

As an actor, Rew has performed throughout North America, Europe, the Middle and Far East, as well as at several leading theatres in the UK (West Yorkshire Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Chichester, The Arcola).

His collaborators include numerous multi-award-winning companies and artists such as NIE (New International Encounter), 1927, Caroline Horton and Co, Peepolykus, Verity Standen, The Desperate Men and Slung Low.

In 2011 he co-devised and took a leading role in the S4C/Cartoonito commissioned 52-episode The Ha Ha Hairies, a children’s TV series, combining animation and live action, which was broadcast globally, subsequently winning a BAFTA. He also features in the BAFTA-winning Grandpa In My Pocket.

As a director, Rew has worked at The Lyric Hammersmith and with Lucy Hopkins (Soho Theatre) and with the multi-award-winning Dancing Brick. He was Writer in Residence at Brunel’s SS Great Britain as part of Bristol’s Hidden Cities and works as a Clown and Physical Comedy Consultant for the multi-BAFTA-winning Adastra Creative.

Within the Acting Department, Rew focuses on national and international recruitment and admissions and runs an annual collaboration with Bath Spa’s sister school, Circomedia.

He’s currently developing several pieces of new work, including a kid’s TV cookery show, presented by an Italian spy (Cookin’ Made Easy… With Mr Zazzizi), a novel (The Pink Flamingo) and, bringing together Bath Spa Geography and Acting students on one shared project, a new piece of ensemble theatre looking at the personal impact of climate change in the Alaskan village of Kivalina.

Academic qualifications

• BA (Hons) English and Related Literature, University of York 
• PGCE English and Drama, University of Cambridge
• Diplome, École Internationale de Philippe Gaulier.

Professional memberships

• Equity
• UCU (University and College Union).

Other external roles

• Artistic Director, Paradise Arenas
• Clown/Physical Comedy Consultant, Adastra Creative.

Areas of expertise

Philippe Gaulier, Jacques Lecoq, Le Jeu/The Game, neutral mask, bouffon, masked play, Commedia dell’arte, Larval and Basel masks, writing and directing, clown, comedy, physical comedy, physical theatre, movement, viewpoints, contact improvisation, ensemble theatre, devised theatre, theatre and television for children, families and young people, Shakespeare, immersive theatre, interactive theatre, outdoor theatre, storytelling, actor musicianship, performance skills.