Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor
To visit website: www.christummings.com
For youtube site go to: www.youtube/christummings
For full CV go to: The Spotlight
I was born in Hackney, East London, at the begining of the swinging sixties! My mum Paulette, was a bus conductress on the 38 and 253 buses, and my dad Winston, was an Eastman cutter and tailor. I have a younger brother Michael, and an even younger sister Eleanor.
My primary school was Princess May in Stoke Newington followed by Upton House secondary school in Homerton, where I first realised I could make people laugh (even though they were probably just laughing at me!). In fact, I remember the first time that I ever made a big room of people laugh, it was easy, I stood up and said: "Not guilty!" they all cracked up, well, all except the Judge.
School was where I first discovered an interest in music and drama, many people still remember me as the guy who used to play Dave Brubeck's 'Take Five' to death on the saxophone in the school music room. At the age of 17 I joined the Anna Scher Theatre and later the Old Vic and Young Vic Youth Theatres, and was so inspired meeting wonderful people from all different walks of life that I decided to make acting my profession. After leaving school I attended Kingsway College Princeton where I studied speech and drama. I made my professional debut in 1979 starring in the Mustapha Matura play 'Welcome Home Jacko,' the same year, Charlie Hanson, Mustapha Matura, Trevor Laird, Victor Romero Evans and myself founded the Black Theatre Co-op (BTC) a small scale theatre company that toured England, Europe and the U.S. Thus, I've been an actor for the past 27 years; worked in theatre, TV and films as well as a stint of being a stand up comedian. BTC was also responsible for the hit Channel 4 sitcom ‘No Problem’, in which I played Toshiba the streetwise motor mouthed DJ. A few years later I joined the cast of 'Desmonds' playing Alex Renolds the artist and boyfriend of Desmonds daughter Gloria. I also co-wrote and co-starred in 'Get Up Stand Up' a comedy sketch and stand up tv show with Malcolm Frederick and Angie Le Mar. Here's a clip of us doing our thing, hope you enjoy.
Lenny Krablouse
Add to My Profile | More Videos
My work has taken me all over the world from New York to South Korea (which was fascinating by the way). In 2005 I played Lennie Fitzroy in 'The Big Life,' the first black British musical in the West End, which won rave reviews. And recently a run of the play 'Fabulation' By Lynn Nottage at the Tricycle Theatre, and a series of short plays by various writers on the crisis in Darfur called ‘How Long is Never.’ I have just finished appearing in the musical 'The Harder they Come' at the 'Theatre Royal Stratford East'. A fun time was had by all who saw it. I will be posting all infomation on my upcoming shows and events on the events page on my website.
To visit website: www.christummings.com
Showreel
Add to My Profile | More Videos
The showreel above is still under construction; currently it features me on 'The Bill', and the movie 'Blood' directed by Kolton Lee, where I played the father of a gay boxer. Over the years I have amassed quite a bit of work that I cannot find on video or DVD, but be assured as soon as I do find them I'll put the best clips on show for all to see. I found the clip below posted on YouTube and have added it to my page, so check me out playing onstage in front of the United Nations General Assembly with half the Beatles, Billy Connolly and Eric Clapton in the 1985 film 'Water'.
The Big Life
Add to My Profile | More Videos
In January this year I did a short film for the LFB, I played firefighter Chris Galloway. I trained for a couple of weeks with the fire brigade and they made me shave off my facial hair, so although i looked like a twat i enjoyed the training, but when the time came to actually fight a real fire and do some acting in some real intense heat and smoke filled darkness, I shat myself! So here is a edited clip from the film that I've renamed 'The shit scared Fireman'.
The Fireman
Add to My Profile | More Videos
Here is another clip from the comedy show 'Get Up Stand Up'. It still makes me laugh, I really did enjoy this charactor, his name was Cornilius Benjamin, he was an intellegent rastafarian who seemed to turn up on all the television quiz shows of the day, 15 to 1, Countdown, and this one, Mastermind. Cornilius becomes rather frustrated at not knowing some of the correct answers to some very tricky and odd questions. Hope you find it as funny as I did! Sorry about the quality of the clip.
Mastermind
Add to My Profile | More Videos
I have 3 children and a grandchild, yes, I'm a grandad. I love them all very much. I had my eldest Leanne when I was 21, her Brother Craig followed a few years later and the youngest Kanysh a few years after that. we are a very loving family even though we live apart, and I am extremely proud of them, and enjoy being their father and a grandfather to little Eleni.
I have been teaching myself to play the guitar and have recently played onstage for the first time in the musical 'The harder They Come' with the great guitarist Alan Weeks. I know I have a long way to go but here's a little tune that I made up, hope you like it.
My girlfriend Kav and I took a holiday in the east of Brazil, Salvador de Bahia – check out the video. We fell in love with the place and would urge everyone to go and see for yourselves this wonderful country. Now I am into all things Brazilian and am trying to learn the language.