Welcome to
CLAQUEUR IMPRO.
Following a Claque Theatre production of the Tunbridge Wells community play The Vanishing Elephant in 2009, I started an improvisation workshop group based in Tunbridge Wells. Around 2015 some of the core workshop group wanted to perform, so began a series of lively spontaneous evenings of sketches and games based on audience suggestions. The regular Monday evening workshops continued for those who enjoyed the workshops but had no inclination to perform. Claque Theatre impro workshops continue to maintain principles of the community play such as inclusivity. Workshops are available for all comers, performers and non performers; we create optional opportunities for anyone who wants to perform, you don’t have to but you get to. Our inclusive performance projects all involve some form and level of improvisation; they have included role plays for schools, mystery houses - three minute theatre experiences, outdoor devised plays and events; we produced two local outdoor devised community plays, Legend of The Rocks in 2019 and Happy Highways in 2021.
This year's Monday workshops are divided into three courses, Jan- April we worked on Forum Theatre, May - July we are developing skills in group improvisation building towards street performance through the summer. From Sept - December we will be using improvisation towards devising a community play about Immigration. Although performances are all inclusive, attending any of the workshops does not commit you to performing.
If you are interested or curious about improvisation we invite you to get in touch. To give you the opportunity to see what it’s all about your first workshop will be free of charge. The workshops are £7.00 a session.
I look forward to hearing from you
Jon Oram
This year's Monday workshops are divided into three courses, Jan- April we worked on Forum Theatre, May - July we are developing skills in group improvisation building towards street performance through the summer. From Sept - December we will be using improvisation towards devising a community play about Immigration. Although performances are all inclusive, attending any of the workshops does not commit you to performing.
If you are interested or curious about improvisation we invite you to get in touch. To give you the opportunity to see what it’s all about your first workshop will be free of charge. The workshops are £7.00 a session.
I look forward to hearing from you
Jon Oram
MEET THE DIRECTOR TEACHER
JON ORAM
JON ORAM - DIRECTOR, PLAYWRIGHT, THEATRE TEACHER & FACILITATOR
TRAINING. Jon trained as a teacher at Froebel, Roehampton College and received a Drama Diploma, from the Royal Academy of Music and Drama (LRAM). He was in full time teaching between 1969 and 1975 in London, Newcastle and Sunderland before taking a post as Drama Advisory Teacher for Norfolk County Council until 1980. Two influential chance meetings during that period, profoundly affected his career. The first was with Marcel Marceau at Sadlers Wells who encouraged him in the direction of mime, and the second with Dorothy Heathcote at Newcastle University who developed his interest in educational drama and led to further training in physical theatre and mime with Lindsey Kemp, Desmond Jones, Jacques LeCoq and Theatre du Movement. Later in 1975 he met Roddy Maude Roxby who introduced him to Impro, Keith Johnstone and Theatre Machine. Mime, Physical Theatre, Educational Drama and Improvisation remain at the core of Jon’s life and work. His friendship with Roddy Maude Roxby also led to meeting Ann Jellicoe at a time when she was beginning to discover and develop the potential of Community Plays
TEACHING - Educational theatre tutor for Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Projects 1969; Course Director for Youth at Cockpit Theatre, London. 1969-71; Play Coordinator for Ed Burman Theatre Projects, Playbus, 1970; Director of Youth Theatre for Group 64. London 1970-71; Director of Arts in Prison, HM Prison, Norwich 1975-80; Director for three Norfolk Educational Authority National Summer Schools; Director of National Summer School, Truro, Cornwall for South West Arts; Co-Tutor with Bill Gaskill on a professional actor’s course, St Austell Arts Centre. 1983; Director of Remedial Drama Course, Norfolk Teachers Centre; Director at Bristol University Drama Department of two Summer Schools. 1983; Co-Director with Ann Jellicoe of Colway Theatre Trust professional writer’s course. Dorset. 1984; Director of three Community Play National Summer Schools.1985-88; Director of Keith Johnson ‘Impro’ course 1986; Tutor with Mike Shepherd on Knee High Arvon Foundation writer’s course- ‘Writing for Physical Theatre’ 1986; Director of the Canadian Community Play Symposiums, Guelph University, Ontario.1991 and Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, 1993.
PERFORMING - He devised and performed ‘Seven Ages of Man’ a one-man mime which was awarded the AJ Cronin Award in 1968. This led to a world tour ‘Anything to Declare’ in which he performed a solo mime, touring New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Iran, and Malta,1970- 71. In 1979 he performed and devised ‘Lucy’ for Clowns Mime Theatre, an ensemble mime circus based on Beatles music and his one man show ‘Gobstopper’ for the Edinburgh Festival. Also toured ad hoc impro shows and worked with Theatre Machine 1978- 80. Between 1983-5 he performed in several shows with Knee High Theatre. He presntly performs Plays in the Moment with Claqueur Impro.
DIRECTOR - Jon was Director of Community Arts, Norwich Arts Centre 1980 where he founded Tie Break Theatre now east Anglia’s leading theatre in education company. From 1882 –84 He was Theatre Animator for Southwest Arts and a member of the Regional Arts Theatre Panel. He became Artistic Director of Colway Theatre Trust in 1985, taking over the helm from Ann Jellicoe. The company changed its name to Claque in 2002. Jon has directed numerous touring theatre shows for TIE Break Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol University and Knee High Theatre. In 1998 he wrote and directed ‘Fightback’ a play about and featuring the ex miners of Kent. He directed ‘Anchor Lane’ three major street reenactments for the International Festival of the Sea which attracted a million visitors. He has directed twenty-five major community plays for Colway Theatre Trust; Blyth Festival Theatre, Canada; Towngate Theatre, Basildon; Remould Theatre, Hull; Claque Theatre; Two community plays transferred to the National Theatre, London. He has directed new plays by some of this country’s leading writers including Nick Darke, Peter Terson, Arnold Wesker, David Edgar, and David Cregan. The plays have been performed in communities across Britain, America, Canada, France, Finland, and Denmark.
WRITER- Plays include; ‘Treageagle’, Fools Paradise for Knee High Theatre. Community Plays ‘Waves Against the Flames’ Gainsborough 1985. ‘The Kings Shilling’ for Shillingstone, Dorset 1987. ‘Out of the Blue’, for the Frome Valley, 1989. ‘Flying Crooked’ Minneapolis. USA 1990. ‘Vital Spark’ for Remould Theatre, Hull 1992. ‘Birds of Passage’ David Hall Arts Centre, Somerset, 1993. Adaptation of ‘The Happy Prince’ for Kent Youth Services. ‘Torbay Tempest’ for Torbay, 1994. ‘Over and Under the Earth’ Aylesham, Kent. 1996. ‘Fightback’ a national touring play about and with the ex-miners of Kent. 1998. ‘Changing Views’ environmental theatre for Chiltern Open Air Museum 1999. ‘The Floating Republic’ Isle of Sheppey. 2007 Something in Common for Groombridge and Withyham; 2009 The Vanishing Elephant Tunbridge Wells; 2011 Matters of Chance East Grinstead; 2012 Parallel Lives for Hartfield 2016; Secret of Happiness for the City of London 2018; Legends of the Rocks 2019 and Happy Highways 2021 for Rusthall and Tunbridge Wells Common . Jon has just finished a five year project writing his book Everybody's Theatre - Democratising the Art of the Community Play 2025.
FACILITATOR - Consultant, Arts in Prison programming, HM Prison, Norwich 1975; ‘Coping with Conflict’ Learning Development Aid for Middle School Years Publication 1986; Guelph University Rural Action Public Sounding, Canada.
Facilitator ‘Looking for solutions to Everyday Conflicts’ Teachers Seminar, Norwich Teachers Centre. 1980.; Future search for Eramosa Township Public Participation Campaign, Ontario, Canada. 1991; Blyth Township Evaluation, Blyth Festival Theatre 1993, Ontario, Canada; Facilitator ‘Future Search ‘Mislaid Community to Inclusive Community’ for Rural Learning Association, Toronto, Canada;
Jon is Hon President of Dorchester Community Play Association
TRAINING. Jon trained as a teacher at Froebel, Roehampton College and received a Drama Diploma, from the Royal Academy of Music and Drama (LRAM). He was in full time teaching between 1969 and 1975 in London, Newcastle and Sunderland before taking a post as Drama Advisory Teacher for Norfolk County Council until 1980. Two influential chance meetings during that period, profoundly affected his career. The first was with Marcel Marceau at Sadlers Wells who encouraged him in the direction of mime, and the second with Dorothy Heathcote at Newcastle University who developed his interest in educational drama and led to further training in physical theatre and mime with Lindsey Kemp, Desmond Jones, Jacques LeCoq and Theatre du Movement. Later in 1975 he met Roddy Maude Roxby who introduced him to Impro, Keith Johnstone and Theatre Machine. Mime, Physical Theatre, Educational Drama and Improvisation remain at the core of Jon’s life and work. His friendship with Roddy Maude Roxby also led to meeting Ann Jellicoe at a time when she was beginning to discover and develop the potential of Community Plays
TEACHING - Educational theatre tutor for Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Projects 1969; Course Director for Youth at Cockpit Theatre, London. 1969-71; Play Coordinator for Ed Burman Theatre Projects, Playbus, 1970; Director of Youth Theatre for Group 64. London 1970-71; Director of Arts in Prison, HM Prison, Norwich 1975-80; Director for three Norfolk Educational Authority National Summer Schools; Director of National Summer School, Truro, Cornwall for South West Arts; Co-Tutor with Bill Gaskill on a professional actor’s course, St Austell Arts Centre. 1983; Director of Remedial Drama Course, Norfolk Teachers Centre; Director at Bristol University Drama Department of two Summer Schools. 1983; Co-Director with Ann Jellicoe of Colway Theatre Trust professional writer’s course. Dorset. 1984; Director of three Community Play National Summer Schools.1985-88; Director of Keith Johnson ‘Impro’ course 1986; Tutor with Mike Shepherd on Knee High Arvon Foundation writer’s course- ‘Writing for Physical Theatre’ 1986; Director of the Canadian Community Play Symposiums, Guelph University, Ontario.1991 and Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, 1993.
PERFORMING - He devised and performed ‘Seven Ages of Man’ a one-man mime which was awarded the AJ Cronin Award in 1968. This led to a world tour ‘Anything to Declare’ in which he performed a solo mime, touring New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Iran, and Malta,1970- 71. In 1979 he performed and devised ‘Lucy’ for Clowns Mime Theatre, an ensemble mime circus based on Beatles music and his one man show ‘Gobstopper’ for the Edinburgh Festival. Also toured ad hoc impro shows and worked with Theatre Machine 1978- 80. Between 1983-5 he performed in several shows with Knee High Theatre. He presntly performs Plays in the Moment with Claqueur Impro.
DIRECTOR - Jon was Director of Community Arts, Norwich Arts Centre 1980 where he founded Tie Break Theatre now east Anglia’s leading theatre in education company. From 1882 –84 He was Theatre Animator for Southwest Arts and a member of the Regional Arts Theatre Panel. He became Artistic Director of Colway Theatre Trust in 1985, taking over the helm from Ann Jellicoe. The company changed its name to Claque in 2002. Jon has directed numerous touring theatre shows for TIE Break Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol University and Knee High Theatre. In 1998 he wrote and directed ‘Fightback’ a play about and featuring the ex miners of Kent. He directed ‘Anchor Lane’ three major street reenactments for the International Festival of the Sea which attracted a million visitors. He has directed twenty-five major community plays for Colway Theatre Trust; Blyth Festival Theatre, Canada; Towngate Theatre, Basildon; Remould Theatre, Hull; Claque Theatre; Two community plays transferred to the National Theatre, London. He has directed new plays by some of this country’s leading writers including Nick Darke, Peter Terson, Arnold Wesker, David Edgar, and David Cregan. The plays have been performed in communities across Britain, America, Canada, France, Finland, and Denmark.
WRITER- Plays include; ‘Treageagle’, Fools Paradise for Knee High Theatre. Community Plays ‘Waves Against the Flames’ Gainsborough 1985. ‘The Kings Shilling’ for Shillingstone, Dorset 1987. ‘Out of the Blue’, for the Frome Valley, 1989. ‘Flying Crooked’ Minneapolis. USA 1990. ‘Vital Spark’ for Remould Theatre, Hull 1992. ‘Birds of Passage’ David Hall Arts Centre, Somerset, 1993. Adaptation of ‘The Happy Prince’ for Kent Youth Services. ‘Torbay Tempest’ for Torbay, 1994. ‘Over and Under the Earth’ Aylesham, Kent. 1996. ‘Fightback’ a national touring play about and with the ex-miners of Kent. 1998. ‘Changing Views’ environmental theatre for Chiltern Open Air Museum 1999. ‘The Floating Republic’ Isle of Sheppey. 2007 Something in Common for Groombridge and Withyham; 2009 The Vanishing Elephant Tunbridge Wells; 2011 Matters of Chance East Grinstead; 2012 Parallel Lives for Hartfield 2016; Secret of Happiness for the City of London 2018; Legends of the Rocks 2019 and Happy Highways 2021 for Rusthall and Tunbridge Wells Common . Jon has just finished a five year project writing his book Everybody's Theatre - Democratising the Art of the Community Play 2025.
FACILITATOR - Consultant, Arts in Prison programming, HM Prison, Norwich 1975; ‘Coping with Conflict’ Learning Development Aid for Middle School Years Publication 1986; Guelph University Rural Action Public Sounding, Canada.
Facilitator ‘Looking for solutions to Everyday Conflicts’ Teachers Seminar, Norwich Teachers Centre. 1980.; Future search for Eramosa Township Public Participation Campaign, Ontario, Canada. 1991; Blyth Township Evaluation, Blyth Festival Theatre 1993, Ontario, Canada; Facilitator ‘Future Search ‘Mislaid Community to Inclusive Community’ for Rural Learning Association, Toronto, Canada;
Jon is Hon President of Dorchester Community Play Association
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CLAQUE THEATRE IMPRO PROJECT