“It’s not just my story,” says Lee-Power. “It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong.”
These were the first words from the affable Christopher Lee-Power when I asked him about Breaking Free, his new autobiographical play. The words revealed a lot about Lee-Power, a man whose improbable journey into acting might have taken him far from the tough streets of Birkenhead he was raised on, but who’s never lost his sense of self. A man who remains eager to open the door for others through his work.
A deeply personal account of overcoming a traumatic childhood
But despite what he says, Breaking Free is very much Lee-Power’s story. The play, based on a Lee-Power’s book of the same name, is a deeply personal account of overcoming a traumatic childhood, discovering a passion, and forging a new, personal path. At times gritty, shocking and heart-breaking, Breaking Free is ultimately an optimistic story of the human spirit’s remarkable ability to overcome even the worst of adversity.
Born in 1968, Lee-Power grew up in a small flat above Abacus Taxis in Rock Ferry, Birkenhead. “It was very cold. We had no bathroom, two bedrooms – one for my brother, two sisters and me – and the other for my mum and dad. The toilet was outside.” he recalls. Meals were modest and occasionally provided for by the generosity of neighbours: “a few potatoes, beans, bread or a tin of corned beef.”
Great tragedy
Lee-Power’s early life was marred by great tragedy. “My dad and his friend were attacked at the door of our flat. My dad was stabbed in the leg, and his friend was murdered,” he shares. “It cast a shadow over us. My dad never really spoke about it.”
That shadow looms large in the early scenes of Breaking Free, as does the string of challenges that followed. Diagnosed with hyperactivity and speech problems, Lee-Power was placed in a children’s hospital in Thingwall. “It was just a terrible place for me,” he says. His parents eventually removed him after discovering he had been placed in a restraint jacket. But while there, a spark had been lit. “The only joy I got was jumping on the tables to perform.”
After a period of homeschooling, Lee-Power’s teenage years were marked by addiction, gambling, and emotional turmoil. But support arrived – through a youth worker, the church, and, crucially, a man named Ron Gittins, a fellow drama student at Lee-Power’s college.
Support from individuals meant everything
“Ron was a gentleman,” Christopher remembers. “He took me under his wing. He was well-spoken, a brilliant artist, and had a great voice. He taught me about culture, art, and drama. We’d go to the park and read aloud together. He saw something in me when others didn’t.”
With Ron’s encouragement, Lee-Power pursued drama seriously. The journey wasn’t easy. “Growing up, the dream often felt out of reach,” he says. “One drama school even told me outright: ‘Forget acting.’” But he persisted. “I couldn’t walk away from something that gave me purpose, something that lit a fire inside me.” That fire led him to earn an Oxford diploma at Richmond Drama School. “I continued, and I followed my dream. Thank God I was accepted.”
A varied and accomplished career
Since then, Lee-Power has built a varied and accomplished career – working in television and film, collaborating with BAFTA-winning director Christopher Swan, appearing in Shakespearean theatre, and now starring as Doctor Langford in the upcoming horror sequel The Death of Michael Myers. He also stars in On the Banks of the Royal Blue Mersey at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre on June 26th and 27th.
While Breaking Free is a deeply personal story, Lee-Power hopes it will serve as a larger call to action. “The creative industry needs to widen its lens and embrace the full range of voices across the UK,” he says. “We need to make space for working-class stories, characters, and performers. We deserve to be seen. We deserve to be heard.”
There is a way forward, no matter what
Breaking Free is more than a play – it’s a message of survival, creativity, and hope. As Lee-Power puts it: “No matter what background you come from, no matter how difficult your childhood, with the right support, the right mentoring, there is a way forward.”
“There is extraordinary talent in the Northwest – real, raw talent that deserves to be nurtured.”
See the play at the Wirral Theatre Festival
And Lee-Power hopes his own story will inspire not only young people from working-class backgrounds to have the confidence to express themselves, but also those in power to open doors for the next generation, regardless of their background. Audiences can catch Breaking Free as part of the Wirral Theatre Festival’s evening programme, running from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Blue Lounge in Birkenhead. One ticket grants access to all evening performances.
Tickets are now available for the evvening.
