Clive Nolan is a British musician, composer and producer who has played a prominent role in the recent development of progressive and symphonic rock.
Born in Gloucestershire, he was a pupil at Wycliffe College and King's School, Gloucester. He completed his B. Mus and M. Mus degrees at London University where he studied composition, orchestration and conducting. He has been the regular keyboard player in Pendragon (1986–present), Shadowland (1992–present), Strangers on a Train (1993–1994), Arena (1995–present) and Caamora (2006–present) as well as writing music and lyrics for Arena, Shadowland, Caamora and numerous other projects.
Nolan is the founder member of The Caamora Theatre Company formed to produce and perform the musicals of Clive Nolan. The premiere of 'She' took place in Katowice Wyspianski Theatre in Poland in October 2007. Subsequently, full theatrical performances of 'She' were performed in January 2010 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, followed by the eight-man 'She in Concert' variation in Holland in September 2011. In February 2012 theatrical version of 'She' debuted in the UK in Cheltenham Playhouse Theatre. Recently, the revived theatre shows were performed at the Cheltenham Playhouse in September 2015 during the anniversary event, "The Fire and the Quest" and again in Cheltenham in 2016. 'She in Concert" was also performed in Germany in 2015 and Holland in 2016.
He was voted Best Keyboard Player by Classic Rock Society in the years: 1995, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2010 the Bolivian government awarded him with the title of Honorary Visitor to Santa Cruz, Bolivia for his theatre work in the city of Santa Cruz. In 2013 he was awarded with the Polish MLWZ "Golden Lexicon Award" for Outstanding Achievements in Music for his musical 'Alchemy'.
Nolan released his second musical 'Alchemy', with libretto based on the composer's original story, early in 2013. In February 2013 the live show was recorded for the DVD at the famous Wyspianski Theatre in Katowice, Poland. The full theatrical shows of 'Alchemy' were performed by the Caamora Theatre Company at the Cheltenham Playhouse Theatre in September 2013. In 2013 and 2014 the concert version of 'Alchemy' headlined musical and theatre events in the UK and Holland. In August 2014 'Alchemy' was performed over a week at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the London Off-West End. In november 2014, 'Alchemy' returned in a concert version to be performed in Reichenbach, Germany. The musical was once more performed at the Cheltenham Playhouse as part of "The Fire and the Quest" festival in 2015, and during "The Fire and the Quest 2" in 2017.
In 2016 the Norwegian branch of Caamora was formed from the initiative of the founder members of 'Hurum Prog', Morten L. Clason and Ingar Diskerud. Caamora Norway "Alchemy" shows featuring Clive Nolan and the all-Norwegian cast were performed in Norway in 2017. The Show in the Høytorp Fort in Mysen will be releasd on DVD.
In October 2016 Clive performed a series of concerts in Uruguay and Norway accompanied by the best opera and musical theatre artists. The Norwegian show 'An Evening with Clive Nolan and Friends' was released on DVD in 2017.
Clive's third musical 'King's Ransom' was released on CD and premiered on stage at the Cheltenham Playhouse in September 2017. Live DVD will be released in the near future.
In 2018 Clive signed both ‘Alchemy' and ‘King’s Ransom’ to a film company with a view to bringing these musicals to the silver screen. "The Professor King Chronicles" are planned to be released in cinemas in 2020 and 2021.
Clive is currently working on his new project "Song of the Wildlands".
Career
1. Music - bands and selected releases:
Caamora: Closer (EP 2006), Walk on Water (EP 2007), Embrace (EP 2008), Journey's End – an Acoustic Anthology (2008), She (cd/dvd 2008)
Casino: Casino (1992)
Clive Nolan: Skeletons in the Cupboard – Archive vol.1 (2003)
Clive Nolan & Oliver Wakeman: Jabberwocky (1999), The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002)
Clive Nolan with China Zorrilla and Noel Calcaterra: Otra Vida (2011)
Neo: Broadcast (dvd 2007)
Nolan and Barrett: A Rush of Adrenaline (dvd 2006)
Pendragon: 9:15 Live (1986), Kowtow (1988), The World (1991), The Very Very Bootleg (1994), The Window of Life (1993), Utrecht... the Final Frontier (1995), The Masquerade Overture (1996), Live in Krakow (1996), Not of this World (2001), Acoustically Challenged (2002), Believe (2005), Past and Presence (dvd 2007), Pure (2008), Concerto Maximo (dvd 2009), Passion (2011), Out of Order Comes Chaos (dvd 2012), Men Who Climb Mountains (2014), Masquerade 20 (cd, dvd 2017), The First 40 Years (2019), Love Over Fear (2020)
Shadowland: Ring of Roses (1992), Through the Looking Glass (1994), Mad as a Hatter (1996), A Matter of Perspective (2009), Edge of Night (dvd 2009), Cautionary Tales (dvd/cds box set 2009)
Strangers on a Train: The Key Part One: The Prophecy (1990), The Key Part Two: The Labyrinth (1993)
Clive Nolan 'Alchemy the Musical' (2013) (cd/dvd/ box set)
2. Theatre:
In 2006 Nolan formed his new project, Caamora, designed to specialise in rock opera and musical theatre. The premiere of Nolan's first rock opera, ‘She’, a musical version of the 19th-century novel under the same title by H. Rider Haggard, took place in Katowice Wyspianski Theatre in Poland in October 2007. The event was followed by the release of 'She' both on DVD and CD in 2008.
Full theatrical performances of ‘She’ were performed in January 2010 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia featuring Bolivian chorus, dancers and Chilean and Bolivian guest musicians next to the original European cast.
In 2010 The Caamora Theatre Company was formed to perform full theatrical versions of Clive Nolan musicals.
The concert version of ‘She’ was performed on numerous European stages, including Poland, Holland and Germany.
In February 2012, 'She' in its full theatrical version was performed over four nights in The Playhouse, Cheltenham, England. The new revieved theatre productions were brought back to the Cheltenham in 2015 as part of "The Fire and the Quest" anniversary festival and again in 2016.
Nolan released his second musical, 'Alchemy', with libretto based on the composer's original story, in early 2013. In February 2013 the live show was recorded for the DVD at the famous Wyspianski Theatre in Katowice, Poland.
The full theatrical shows of 'Alchemy' were performed by the Caamora Theatre Company at the Cheltenham Playhouse Theatre in September 2013, 2015 and 2017. In 2013, 2014 the concert version of 'Alchemy' headlined musical and theatre events in the UK and Holland.
In August 2014 'Alchemy' was performed over a week at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the London Off-West End, where it received enthusiastic reviews from critics and theatregoers.
In 2016 the Norwegian branch of Caamora was formed from the initiative of the founder members of 'Hurum Prog', Morten L. Clason and Ingar Diskerud. Caamora Norway "Alchemy" shows featuring Clive Nolan and the all-Norwegian cast were performed in Norway in 2017. The Show in the Høytorp Fort in Mysen will be releasd on DVD.
Clive's third musical 'King's Ransom' was released on CD and premiered on stage at the Cheltenham Playhouse in September 2017. Live DVD will be released in the near future.
In 2018 Clive signed both ‘Alchemy' and ‘King’s Ransom’ to a film company with a view to bringing these musicals to the silver screen. "The Professor King Chronicles" are planned to be released in cinemas in 2020 and 2021.
3. Writing:
In 2005, Nolan wrote a novel called ‘Mephisto Bridge’ which is as yet unpublished and is currently being shopped for a deal.
Learn more about...
Clive's Bands and Projects:
ARENA, PENDRAGON
Clive's Musicals:
'SHE - The Musical', 'ALCHEMY - the Musical', 'KING'S RANSOM - the Musical'
Caamora Norway:
Clive's Cinema Project:
'The Professor King Chronicles'