Welcome
Claque are the founders and leading exponents of community plays. Since 1979 they have been transforming the way in which people view theatre and community through large-scale and inclusive community plays.
“The plays ... are very much about shared energy. It’s an old fashioned notion; a couple of hundred people come together and surprise themselves by what they can do.” Times Educational Supplement
Claque Theatre began life as the Colway Theatre Trust with the production of the Lyme Regis community Play in 1978. The Trust was formed by Ann Jellicoe as a vehicle for exploring and developing the community play as an accessible and innovative form of theatre. In 2000, Colway relocated to Kent and changed its name to Claque to reflect the South East's close proximity to Europe.
Under the direction of Jon Oram since 1985, Claque has produced 50 community plays across the United Kingdom and in Canada, the United States and Europe. The plays are always of high artistic quality which they achieve by working with leading playwrights and respected experienced directors and associates from across the theatre disciplines. Together, the production teams offer design, set and stage management services as well as creative and educational workshops, Empty Gallery installations and events.
“The plays ... are very much about shared energy. It’s an old fashioned notion; a couple of hundred people come together and surprise themselves by what they can do.” Times Educational Supplement
Claque Theatre began life as the Colway Theatre Trust with the production of the Lyme Regis community Play in 1978. The Trust was formed by Ann Jellicoe as a vehicle for exploring and developing the community play as an accessible and innovative form of theatre. In 2000, Colway relocated to Kent and changed its name to Claque to reflect the South East's close proximity to Europe.
Under the direction of Jon Oram since 1985, Claque has produced 50 community plays across the United Kingdom and in Canada, the United States and Europe. The plays are always of high artistic quality which they achieve by working with leading playwrights and respected experienced directors and associates from across the theatre disciplines. Together, the production teams offer design, set and stage management services as well as creative and educational workshops, Empty Gallery installations and events.
RECENT EVENTS
Legend of the Rocks
Celebrating Claque's 40th anniversary 2019
Claque Theatre, in association with Rusthall Community Arts presented LEGENDS OF THE ROCKS - THE HEROES JOURNEY. This fully devised play by local people celebrated the remarkable community that is Rusthall and Claque’s 40th anniversary and 50th community play. The play, was performed by a cast of 50 on and around Toad Rock and told the story of four reluctant local heroes who unexpectedly found themselves in a parallel world under the giant Toad. Here they had to endure the evil forces of King Swelter before meeting the Stone People, an ancient civilisation older than the earth itself. Led by 11-year-old Matilda our heroes took on a task to expel the malevolent King from his underworld kingdom, save the Stone People from losing their valued memories. It was a journey of discovery that showed them they have an even more pressing quest to undertake on their return home. The story was told with song, movement, puppets, and masks.
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Devising the LegendLegends of the Rocks was a community plays developed over 5 months through a series of open public devising workshops. In each workshop participants explored ideas 'on-their-feet' using theatre games and improvisation. Those who didn't want to participate physically in performance came as an audience and gave useful feedback, put forward ideas, and sent in drawings, illustrating moments in the devising workshop they felt were most potent to the developing story. People also sent in research material and poems they had written. This raw material became our source of inspiration that we explored through improvisation, masks, dance, movement, costume, design, music and so forth.
Devising is a process of discovery, we try out ideas rather than discuss them. No idea proved wrong because we invariably discovered things that were useful and always confronted us with the unexpected. Devising functions the way sketching does for a painter, creating ideas and presenting and discovering notions that may be useful for the play. The process is continuing now in rehearsal as we put together ideas we've tested and liked into a form that is repeatable, theatrical, and communicative. You can find out more about how the story of the play developed on the Legends Devising Pages |
Visit our other Project websites
The Empty Gallery
The Empty Gallery produce collaborative projects between Claque and a local community or group to create a mobile 'interactive theatre-art exhibitions' that reflect the lives, thoughts and ideas of the community who create it. The creators could be the community within a city, town, village, street, an organisation, an 'interest group' or your community or group. Each exhibition varies in content, size, scale and running time depending on the theme, community and location. We start with an empty shop, a village hall, a school, a gazebo, a bus stop, or anywhere at all. Our most recent projects have been The Aldgate Project for the City of London, and The War Time Silhouette for Rusthall Community Arts
Claqueur’s Impro
Claqueur's Impro Group are a core company of twelve who workshop regularly at 7.30pm on Monday nights at the Rusthall Club. The workshops are open to all but please enquire first through our contact page. They also have occasional extend full day and week end workshops, some of which are public introductory sessions. The workshops are led by Jon Oram, though the group collectively run their own sessions from time to time. They perform five or six times a year. The early show were performed 'games' but in recent years they have been developing long form improvisation. Presently the group is exploring more long form improvisation.
OTHER PAST EVENTS
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