Photos: Richard Nicholson & Tim Nunn
“A company with the scent and texture of a distinctive musical and theatrical language firmly in its grasp.” Time Out
The Clod Ensemble is a theatre and performance company whose range of work, "defies simple classification" (The Stage).
Since its formation in 1995, the company has created a huge range of performance projects, workshops and events across the UK and internationally.
Music and movement is at the heart of all our work.
The character and make up of the ensemble changes from project to project. Collaborating with artists working in a wide range of media (theatre, performance, music, visual art, photography, film and poetry) we make performance work for traditional theatre spaces, festivals and galleries as well as creating projects and curating work in places where art does not usually or regularly happen including medical schools, day care centres and prisons.
“The Clod epitomise all that is best in devised and visual theatre – pure inspiration shot through with sheer imagination and verve” What’s On
The company
SUZY WILLSON Artistic Director
Graduated from Manchester University before studying with Jacques Lecoq in Paris. On her return she co-founded The Clod Ensemble and has directed all of their productions to date. She teaches drama and movement to students, actors, musicians and doctors. She has been teaching at Queen Mary, University of London since 1998 and is currently an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. She has worked as a movement director on productions at the Gate, Soho Theatre, BAC, with film director Arnaud Desplechin, performance poet Malaika B, and Jessica Ogden for London Fashion week. Suzy is also a Trustee of BAC.
PAUL CLARK Artistic Director/Composer
Paul has written original scores for all the company's productions to date. He has also written four chamber operas including The Weather Man (Opera North 2004/5) and liebeslied/my suicides (ICA/Genesis Foundation 2004). He has composed many concert works, notably his three Guitar Trios, which have been performed several times across the country by the London Guitar Trio. He has written dozens of scores for theatre, from the fringe to the National Theatre, for directors including Katie Mitchell, David Farr, Jonathon Holloway and Uzma Hameed. He has also written for film and TV, for directors including Arnaud Desplechin and Emily Young and collaborated with a huge range of musicians from Dangermouse to Mark E Smith. Awards include an Arts Foundation fellowship in 1999.
Sarah trained at Wimbledon School of Art and was finalist in The Linbury Prize for Stage Design. She is resident designer for the Clod Ensemble. Other designs for theatre include: Mary Stuart (Derby Playhouse), Titus Andronicus (Riverside Studios and National Tour) Volpone, Thirst, The Importance of Being Earnest and Alice, (Kaos Theatre, National Tour), Midsummer Nights Dream and The Tempest (Salisbury Playhouse), Designs for Opera include: Opera Studio Showcase 2002 (Queen Elizabeth Hall), Linda di Chamonix (English Touring Opera). Costume design for Film includes: Morvern Callar, Dir Lynne Ramsay, (Feature Film), Alpha Male (Feature Film), My Brother Tom (Feature Film), Unconditional Love (TV).
Jo read English and History of Art at Cambridge University. Upon graduating she worked in Tokyo for a bilingual organisation specialising in mounting cultural events internationally. She returned to the UK in 2003 to join the Donmar Warehouse, dealing with all areas of management of the company’s productions and promotion at the Donmar, at West End theatres and at tour venues. Since 2007 she has worked in theatre, TV, film and PR combining her administrative and communication skills as a freelance project manager, producer, writer and Japanese interpreter. She joined Clod Ensemble in 2009.
TRACY GENTLES Performance Projects Manager
Tracy graduated with a BA Hons in Performing Arts from The University of Salford where she later became lecturer in Theatre Touring. Whilst based in Manchester she had set-up and managed a small-scale theatre company, gaining artist residencies, financial backing, whilst touring both nationally and internationally 2005 - 2008. On a freelance basis, Tracy has been employed by various agencies from record companies to community groups to run workshops and assist in their events organization and creative projects.
Fuel produces fresh work for adventurous people by inspiring
artists. Founded in 2004 by Louise Blackwell, Kate McGrath and Sarah Quelch,
Fuel is a producing organisation which develops, creates and presents
new work for all ages with some of the most exciting theatre makers in
the UK. Fuel is currently producing work with Will Adamsdale, Blind Summit,
The Clod Ensemble, David Harradine, Gecko, Fevered Sleep, the Lyric Hammersmith,
Mark Murphy, NIE, Peter Reder, Sound & Fury and Uninvited Guests.
www.fueltheatre.com
We collaborate with a wide range of artists on our projects, who work in many different art forms: theatre, film, photography, visual arts, dance. (See Performing Medicine and Extravagant Acts).
The performers we collaborate with have worked for some of London's most prestigious theatres and performance companies including The National Theatre, RSC, Theatre de Complicité and Wrestling School, The Young Vic, Duckie and Shunt.
We work with a core group of musicians whose interests range from orchestral and chamber music to film scoring, avant garde improv, and new opera.
The Company
Suzy Willson
Artistic Director
Paul Clark Artistic Director/Composer
Sarah Blenkinsop Designer
Jo Allan General Manager
Tracy Gentles Performance Projects Manager
Fuel Producer
Associate Artists/Performers
Board of Trustees
Roxie Curry
Samantha McAuley
Lisa Mead
Rose Medlam
Tim Owen QC
Stephen Rooney
© Clod Ensemble 2007