Founders of the Community Play

Ann Jellicoe
Ann Jellicoe founded Colway Theatre Trust and the concept of the community play. Already well known in the fifties and sixties as the writer of such plays as The Knack and The Sport of My Mad Mother, Ann discovered the principles of the community play in the late seventies. She further developed the idea in practice. In 1978 Ann 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 Colway Theatre Trust was formed as a vehicle for exploring and developing this innovative style of theatre. Ann Jellicoe's immense contribution to community theatre, her founding principles and values remains the rock bed of the company's work today.

Claque Theatre
Colway Theatre, now Claque Theatre has been under the artistic direction of Jon Oram since 1985, and remains in the forefront of this new art form and has contributed to developing an international movement, transforming the way in which people view both theatre and community.

The Company has attracted the best of British writers including David Edgar, Arnold Wesker, Fay Weldon, Peter Terson, Howard Barker, David Cregan, John Godber and Nick Darke among many. The company's work has been performed the length and breath of Britain from Yorkshire to Kent, to Cornwall and Internationally in Finland, the United States and Canada, their plays have transferred to the National Theatre and its reputation has spread world wide. As well as plays and other community events, Claque offer instruction and guidance to professionals and communities as well as Educational programmes and Corporate Training.

A Cast of Five Thousand
The statistics are extraordinary. Taking that the average play has one hundred and fifty performers, over the past twenty five years the number of performers have amounted to almost ten thousand with a further involvement of more than sixty thousand people as makers, committee members, events organisers, musicians etc.

International Reputation
Claque has attracted the best of British writers including David Edgar, Arnold Wesker, Fay Weldon, Peter Terson, Howard Barker, David Cregan, John Godber and Nick Darke among many. Claque productions have transferred to other theatres and in 1985 the National Theatre ran two previous Community plays in the same season. The first touring community play, Fightback, went on the road in 1998 featuring the ex- coal miner of the Kent coalfield. The company's work has been performed the length and breath of Britain from Yorkshire to Kent, to Cornwall and Internationally in Europe, the United States and across Canada, and its reputation has spread world wide.

Jon Oram
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 before training as a Mime with Marcel Marceau and as an Improviser with Keith Johnson and Theatre Machine. He travelled the world both with his one-man shows and theatre teaching before coming to Community Plays in 1982. He became Artistic Director of Colway Theatre Trust in 1985 and, in that time, has developed the work extensively especially in area of the issue based play, developing the concept of the Social Actor and exploring further the process of involving the community at a deeper level within the work. He brings a distinctive visual style to the productions. He is presently writing a book 'The Social Actor' His reputation and experience in Community Plays is without parallel. He has directed or written over twenty-five community plays throughout the length and breadth of Britain, and introduced the concept of community plays to The United States, Canada and Finland.

Past Plays

Other Events

Public Testimonials

"I am lost in admiration at the degree of organisation at all stages from first contacts to each performance and, equally important at your capacity to inspire so many people to contribute so much effort. It really was a tremendous achievement."
Miss Jeanne Bisgood, Chairman. Dorset Education Authority

"We would just like you to know that we thought it was an exceptional production. The acting, lighting, special effects and overall production were marvellous, and we congratulate you and everyone who took part on achieving such a superb standard of performance."
Mr. H.W Haward, Chairman West Dorset District Council.

"I just want to say a big 'thank you' both as Mayor, formally, and as me, both equally sincerely, to you and the team for giving us all such a wonderful experience over the past few months." Mike Morton. Mayor of Sherborne

"This has been an absolutely outstanding creative and unifying experience for the Community and one which has enriched us as people".
Christopher Lea. Headmaster, Fosters School, Sherborne.

"This has been without doubt the most life changing experience of my life, you have left us all different, charged with a new creativity and hope in ourselves - saying thank you is so inadequate." Ann Bainbridge. Cast Member of 'Vital Spark'

"We came over to Aylesham last night not really knowing quite what to expect from a 'community play' and found such a treat in store. Aylesham showed that the spirit of community is not easily broken and for that we should all rejoice. Congratulations and thanks for a marvellous evening, it was a privilege to be part of Aylesham's history last night". Jean and Alan Smith - Audience Members of ' Over and Under the Earth'

"Congratulations! It is difficult to express my admiration for you and the Aylesham Community Play 'team', after being swept along by the whole atmosphere of the performance." Donna Sowerby. Arts Officer Dover District Council

And participants from various plays have said:

"A great experience and something I will never forget"

"Life enhancing and for some life changing; the experienced team enabled the rest of us to do more than we thought we were capable of. A vital life changing experience"

"We all discovered what quality direction really means."

"It was good to have such a wide range of ages and abilities working together for a common goal - An experience definitely not to be missed."

"I feel more a part of my community"

The Press

" The plays which the Colway Theatre Trust has sponsored in recent years are very much about shared energy. It's and old fashioned notion; a couple of hundred people come together and surprise themselves by what they can do". Times Educational Suppliment

" Local Theatre of this scale and quality may be the concept of the future." Plays and Players

" Amid all this pious cant talk about community drama, it's refreshing to meet something that is large scale, local, festive and good."
Michael Billington. The Guardian

"Provides marvellous scope for one community to celebrate simultaneously its musical and dramatic talents and the richness of its history". Jonathan Croal. The Times.

"The most consummate display of mass staging since Ariane Mnouchkine's 1789" The Times

"An inventive simplicity that makes it somehow a cross between Peter Brook and a large scale Bill Bryden." The Observer

"The real feeling you get emerging from a triumphant evening is that a community has been confronted with a slice of its own past; and that in the process it may have learned something vital about its turbulent and recessive present." The Guardian

The production joyfully fulfils its basic task as a communal event, with swift crowds, full throated choruses and perfectly stages scenes cropping up all over the place." The Times

"The measured term of critical appraisal won't do: this is a smashing night out." Times Educational Supplement

"A remarkable evening - it makes nonsense of the distinction between amateur & professional acting." The Guardian

"Stunning, magnificently staged - it was little short of a triumph. Arnold Wesker told me that Jon Oram, the director, spent no less than 6,000 hours rehearsing the cast during sixteen weeks to create this magnificently honed production, brilliant choral singing and wonderful chorus work reminiscent of the greatest of Greek Theatre." Amateur Stage

"The people of Hull have generated an overwhelming spirit of community, and the drama of it all is tremendous. The likes of this will never be created again - don't miss it." Yorkshire Post

"Joyous vitality which wants little in comparison with Bill Bryden's Mysteries -You get an extraordinary sense of a community coming to terms with its own past. In the age of global village (When Dynasty rules the world) it is heartening to find local culture defiantly thriving." The Guardian
"Nothing short of astounding - the sheer commitment and passion of the on stage villagers quite overwhelmed the audience. I find my heart responding to the human bridges that art has built in that little community." Toronto Globe and Mail