About Claque
Claque is a theatre production company that galvanises communities through performance. Since 1979, we have been transforming the way in which people view theatre and community through large-scale and inclusive community plays.
Founders of the Community Play
In 1978, Ann Jellicoe was asked to write a play for her children’s school in Lyme Regis, Dorset. It evolved into something quite different from the usual school play. It was large-scale, included people from all sections of the town, was based upon historical research of the area by local people and was animated by a team of theatre professionals. Ann had, quite by chance, stumbled on a unique formula and in so doing had discovered what has since become known as ‘The Community Play’. The following year The Colway Theatre Trust was formed as a vehicle for exploring and developing this revolutionary style of theatre. Colway Theatre, now Claque has been under the artistic direction of Jon Oram since 1985. He has contributed to developing an international movement, transforming the way in which people view both theatre and community.
International Reputation
Claque Theatre has produced over 40 community plays, each being a premier play especially written by a leading playwright and taking two years in the making. The company has worked with the country’s leading writers included David Edgar, Arnold Wesker, Fay Weldon, Howard Barker and Nick Darke. Plays have transferred to the National Theatre. The first touring community play, Fightback, in 1998 featured the coal miners of the Kent coalfield. The company’s work has been performed the length and breadth of Britain and internationally in Europe, the United States and across Canada. Its work is emulated worldwide. In 2000, Jon Oram was given New York’s Castillo Award for Claque’s contribution to political theatre.
2019 marks Forty Years of Making Community Plays
Taking that the average play has 130 performers, the number over 40 years and 45 plays is 5,850 actors, 495,540 people volunteering, making and performing to an audience of close to 1,000,000. Volunteers and professional theatre practitioners have contributed 2,156,600 working hours or 246 years. To mark the occasion we are produce our first fully devised play for our home community in Rusthall.
International Reputation
Claque Theatre has produced over 40 community plays, each being a premier play especially written by a leading playwright and taking two years in the making. The company has worked with the country’s leading writers included David Edgar, Arnold Wesker, Fay Weldon, Howard Barker and Nick Darke. Plays have transferred to the National Theatre. The first touring community play, Fightback, in 1998 featured the coal miners of the Kent coalfield. The company’s work has been performed the length and breadth of Britain and internationally in Europe, the United States and across Canada. Its work is emulated worldwide. In 2000, Jon Oram was given New York’s Castillo Award for Claque’s contribution to political theatre.
2019 marks Forty Years of Making Community Plays
Taking that the average play has 130 performers, the number over 40 years and 45 plays is 5,850 actors, 495,540 people volunteering, making and performing to an audience of close to 1,000,000. Volunteers and professional theatre practitioners have contributed 2,156,600 working hours or 246 years. To mark the occasion we are produce our first fully devised play for our home community in Rusthall.
Jon Oram - Artistic Director
Jon Oram is an internationally known leader in the field of Community Plays. He left school, joined a circus, and then trained as a Drama Teacher and was an educational Drama Advisor for Norfolk. He trained in Mime with Marcel Marceau, Desmond Jones and others, and Improvisation with Keith Johnson and Theatre Machine. He travelled the world with his one-man shows and theatre teaching before coming to Community Plays in 1982. He has been Artistic Director of Claque since 1985 in which time he has developed the issue-based play, the concept of the Social Actor and exploring further the process of involving the community at a deeper level within the work, he is present working on a completely devised process. He brings a distinctive visual style to the productions. His reputation and experience in Community Plays is without parallel having directed or written over thirty plays across Britain, and introducing the concept of community plays to The United States, Canada and Europe
Claque’s Mission Statement
“To enable the widest possible range of people in a community to produce and participate in an original play of artistic excellence, and contemporary relevance; the process of which releases and develops the thinking, talents and strengths of individuals and the community leading towards further collective and creative activity”