'The Fire and the Quest' festival celebrating 10 years of Clive Nolan Musicals took place on September 4th and 5th, 2015. The artists of the Caamora Theatre Company performed three shows in front of the sold out venue of the Playhouse Theatre in Cheltenham, UK. Clive’s jubilee was commenced with the premiere of a brand new production of his first musical, 'She', followed by the off-West End version of 'Alchemy', both directed by Ian Baldwin. Saturday acoustic concert, hosted by Clive himself and featuring, among others, some of the original performers from both musicals, gave a chance to reminisce about the past 10 years of Clive’s musical journey. The event was a great success and fun for performers and the audience alike.
Clive: "There is no doubt that ‘The Fire and the Quest’ weekend is over, and what a fantastic weekend it was! The plethora of terrific performances, the culmination of such brilliant work and preparation, and of course the wonderful reaction of the lovely people who travelled from the corners of the world to see us in action. It’s the audience that really makes a show, and guys… you made it! I felt proud, moved and excited all in one heady mixture! This was truly a lifetime highlight!"
Watch the video HERE
Read more about 'She' HERE
Read more about 'Alchemy' HERE
Clive: "As far as the characters I played are concerned, there was a practical reason... When I started writing the songs I was cheaper than anybody else around, so it made some kind of sense that I played Leo initially in "She". But I never felt any affinity for that particular role - it didn't really suit me. But when I wrote the story of "Alchemy", I was very aware that the character of King would suit me more. So that was a much easier decision to make. These two characters are the two that I actually sang. Obviously I sing a lot of the background chorus as well and when I do the demos, I sing a lot of the material even if it becomes somebody else's part later on".
Clive: "When I was a child my parents had a radiogram. You were pulling the little doors open and there was room for albums on the sides and the record deck in the middle. Being an only child I used to have a lot of time on my own and I used to go through these records. We had a collection of albums like "South Pacific", "My Fair Lady", "The Sound of Music". At that time I did not really think consciously about the genre - I just used to listen to these albums all the time and make up my own stories, cause they did not have proper sleeves. So, I had to imagine what was going on in the story. Thus from a very early age I was listening to that kind of music and my parents used to take me to see some of the musicals in the cinema. I remember being taken to see "Oliver!" and "Scrooge the Musical" and various other ones as well. So, I was brought up on a diet of musicals to some extent."
The preparations for 'The Fire and the Quest' are now in full swing as the cast and crew of the new version of 'She' are working hard to ensure the success of the September show. This brand new production, directed by the multi-talented Ian Baldwin, features an entirely new cast as well as a new character and some new material written by Clive especially for that occasion. Whilst a very intense rehearsal schedule is being realised, the costumes are being made and the scenery built. Soon it will be time for 'Alchemy' rehearsals!
We are pleased to offer an additional attraction to make 'The Fire and the Quest' an even more exciting experience. The Ghost Walk will take place on Friday, September 4th from 11 pm to 2 am. During this exciting 3-hour-long tour through the secret nooks and corners of the haunted Cheltenham Playhouse Theatre, we will learn about the history and all the mysteries of the old theatre building. The tour will be guided by Ross Andrews, the Caamora Company excellent singer, the acclaimed TV presenter and the author of numerous books, including "Paranormal Cheltenham".