Ann Jellicoe
Encyclopedia
Ann Jellicoe is a British
actor
, theatre director and playwright
. Although her work has covered many areas of theatre and film, she is best known for "pushing the envelope" of the stage play, devising new forms which challenge and delight unconventional audiences. As a result her dramatic career is, in many ways, unique in the twentieth century.
, Yorkshire in England in 1927 and from childhood
showed an interest and an aptitude
for the theatre
. She attended Polam Hall School and Queen Margaret's School, York
and studied performing arts at the Central School of Speech and Drama
. This was followed by experience in repertory and fringe theatre.
In 1949 she was commissioned to undertake an investigative study into the relationship between acting and theatre architecture
; the finding of this study led her to the Open stage. Jellicoe established a Sunday Theatre Club (Cockpit Theatre Club) where she produced and directed a number of plays exploring the possibilities of this form of Open stage theatre, including a one-act of her own.
Thereafter, Jellicoe used many of her plays to further explore her innovative ideas on theatre. In 1956 The Observer
set-up a playwright’s competition to find new talent. Jellico submitted The Sport of My Mad Mother, which won a prize in the competition. In writing this play Jellicoe applied many of the ideas she had learnt in her early years at Central School. The play was subsequently staged by the Royal Court Theatre
and directed by George Devine
and Jellicoe. Although originally a commercial failure, the play was later performed all over the world in many different languages. Set in a cockney neighborhood of London, it combines realism, mysticism, music, dance, and ritual to create a powerful, feminist myth about modern civilization. Jellicoe revised the original 1958 version in 1962 to create a better play.
The play's title derives from a Hindu religious saying: "All creation is the sport of my mad mother Kali (a Hindu goddess)." However, as most Londoners know, "the sport of me mad mother" is also a cockney expression implying something highly unusual.
But it was the Royal Court's production of Jellicoe’s The Knack in 1962 that won her the most notoriety. A major hit, the play was filmed and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes
. The film's director was Richard Lester
, who also directed movies for the Beatles; the cast included a very young, non-singing Michael Crawford
and Rita Tushingham
, who was then at the height of her popularity. In it a group of young, London adults clash and commiserate about how to get "the knack" with the opposite sex. The film is shown today as an example of the "British New Wave." Jellicoe has also written plays for children.
In 1962, she married photographer - Roger Mayne
.
One of Jellicoe's most interesting works is a brief essay entitled, "Some Unconscious Influences in the Theatre." In a space of about thirty pages, she devises a number of complex yet common-sense theories which account for the reasons why audiences react to stage and screen as they do.
Colway Theatre Trust are the founders of the Community Play genre. A community play as practiced by Colway is the result of no less than 18 months work. They are original plays written for and about a specific community. The writer generally works with a community research team. Plays are traditionally performed in a promenade style where the audience and cast share the same space with action happening on stages around the edge of that space and in the body of the standing audience. In 2000, Colway Theatre relocated to Kent in the South East of England and changed its name to Claque. Today the company is of international standing, run by Jon Oram who has written, produced or directed over 30 productions.
Community Plays: Writer, Director & Producer:
1978 "The Reckoning" Lyme Regis
1980 "The Tide" Axe Valley
1988 "Mark og Mont" (Money & Land) Holbaek. Denmark 1989
1989 " Under the God" Dorchester
1992 "Changing Places" Woking
Community Plays by other writers:Director and/or Producer including: Howard Barker
, David Edgar (playwright)
, Charles Wood, John Downie, Sheila Yeger, Andrew Dickson, Arnold Wesker
, David Cregan, Nick Darke
, Peter Terson
and Jon Oram
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, theatre director and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. Although her work has covered many areas of theatre and film, she is best known for "pushing the envelope" of the stage play, devising new forms which challenge and delight unconventional audiences. As a result her dramatic career is, in many ways, unique in the twentieth century.
Biography
Jellicoe was born in MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Yorkshire in England in 1927 and from childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
showed an interest and an aptitude
Aptitude
An aptitude is an innate component of a competency to do a certain kind of work at a certain level. Aptitudes may be physical or mental...
for the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. She attended Polam Hall School and Queen Margaret's School, York
Queen Margaret's School, York
Queen Margaret's, York is an independent day and boarding school for girls age 11–18 in Escrick Park near York. The school was named after Queen Margaret the Queen of Scotland from c.1070–1093.-History:...
and studied performing arts at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
. This was followed by experience in repertory and fringe theatre.
In 1949 she was commissioned to undertake an investigative study into the relationship between acting and theatre architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
; the finding of this study led her to the Open stage. Jellicoe established a Sunday Theatre Club (Cockpit Theatre Club) where she produced and directed a number of plays exploring the possibilities of this form of Open stage theatre, including a one-act of her own.
Thereafter, Jellicoe used many of her plays to further explore her innovative ideas on theatre. In 1956 The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
set-up a playwright’s competition to find new talent. Jellico submitted The Sport of My Mad Mother, which won a prize in the competition. In writing this play Jellicoe applied many of the ideas she had learnt in her early years at Central School. The play was subsequently staged by the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
and directed by George Devine
George Devine
George Alexander Cassady Devine CBE was an extremely influential theatrical manager, director, teacher and actor in London from the late 1940s until his death. He also worked in the media of TV and film.-Biography:...
and Jellicoe. Although originally a commercial failure, the play was later performed all over the world in many different languages. Set in a cockney neighborhood of London, it combines realism, mysticism, music, dance, and ritual to create a powerful, feminist myth about modern civilization. Jellicoe revised the original 1958 version in 1962 to create a better play.
The play's title derives from a Hindu religious saying: "All creation is the sport of my mad mother Kali (a Hindu goddess)." However, as most Londoners know, "the sport of me mad mother" is also a cockney expression implying something highly unusual.
But it was the Royal Court's production of Jellicoe’s The Knack in 1962 that won her the most notoriety. A major hit, the play was filmed and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
. The film's director was Richard Lester
Richard Lester
Richard Lester is an American film director based in Britain. Lester is notable for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s and his work on the Superman film series in the 1980s.-Early years and television:...
, who also directed movies for the Beatles; the cast included a very young, non-singing Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
and Rita Tushingham
Rita Tushingham
-Career:Born in Liverpool, Tushingham began her career as a stage actress at the Liverpool Playhouse. Her screen debut was in A Taste of Honey...
, who was then at the height of her popularity. In it a group of young, London adults clash and commiserate about how to get "the knack" with the opposite sex. The film is shown today as an example of the "British New Wave." Jellicoe has also written plays for children.
In 1962, she married photographer - Roger Mayne
Roger Mayne
Roger Mayne is an English photographer, most famous for his documentation of the children of Southam Street, London.-Life and work:...
.
One of Jellicoe's most interesting works is a brief essay entitled, "Some Unconscious Influences in the Theatre." In a space of about thirty pages, she devises a number of complex yet common-sense theories which account for the reasons why audiences react to stage and screen as they do.
The Colway Theatre Trust
In 1978, Jellicoe set up the Colway Theatre Trust to explore the concept of Community Plays: pioneering work which she continued to develop over the next ten years. Jon Oram became artistic director of Colway Theatre in 1985 - now called Claque Theatre.Colway Theatre Trust are the founders of the Community Play genre. A community play as practiced by Colway is the result of no less than 18 months work. They are original plays written for and about a specific community. The writer generally works with a community research team. Plays are traditionally performed in a promenade style where the audience and cast share the same space with action happening on stages around the edge of that space and in the body of the standing audience. In 2000, Colway Theatre relocated to Kent in the South East of England and changed its name to Claque. Today the company is of international standing, run by Jon Oram who has written, produced or directed over 30 productions.
Selected works
Following list from Whos Who- The Knack: A Comedy in Three Acts. London: Encore, 1962; New York: French, 1962.
- The Sport of My Mad Mother. Revised version. London: Faber, 1964; New York: Dell, 1964. Originally published in The Observer Plays, London: Faber & Faber, 1958.
- Shelley; or, The Idealist. London: Faber & Faber, 1966; New York: Grove Press, 1966.
- Some Unconscious Influences in the Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967. The Judith Wilson Lecture, 1967.
- The Giveaway: A Comedy. London: Faber & Faber, 1970.
- The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, translated by Jellicoe & Adriadne Nicolaeff. New York: Avon, 1975.
- Three Jelliplays. London: Faber & Faber, 1975. Contains You’ll Never Guess; Clever Elsie, Smiling John, Silent Peter, and A Good Thing or a Bad Thing.
- Devon, by Jellicoe and Roger Mayne London: Faber & Faber, 1975. A Shell Guide.
- Community Plays: How to Put Them On. London: Methuer, 1987.
Community Plays: Writer, Director & Producer:
1978 "The Reckoning" Lyme Regis
1980 "The Tide" Axe Valley
1988 "Mark og Mont" (Money & Land) Holbaek. Denmark 1989
1989 " Under the God" Dorchester
1992 "Changing Places" Woking
Community Plays by other writers:Director and/or Producer including: Howard Barker
Howard Barker
Howard E. Barker is a British playwright.-The Theatre of Catastrophe :Barker has coined the term "Theatre of Catastrophe" to describe his work...
, David Edgar (playwright)
David Edgar (playwright)
David Edgar is a British playwright and author who has had more than sixty of his plays published and performed on stage, radio and television around the world, making him one of the most prolific dramatists of the post-1960s generation in Great Britain.He was resident playwright at the Birmingham...
, Charles Wood, John Downie, Sheila Yeger, Andrew Dickson, Arnold Wesker
Arnold Wesker
Sir Arnold Wesker is a prolific British dramatist known for his contributions to kitchen sink drama. He is the author of 42 plays, 4 volumes of short stories, 2 volumes of essays, a book on journalism, a children's book, extensive journalism, poetry and other assorted writings...
, David Cregan, Nick Darke
Nick Darke
Nick Darke born Nicholas Temperley Watson Darke was best known as playwright but was also a writer, poet, lobster fisherman, environmentalist, beachcomber, politician, broadcaster, film-maker and chairman of St Eval Parish Council.-Life and writings:Nick Darke was born at St Eval, near Padstow in...
, Peter Terson
Peter Terson
Peter Terson is a British playwright whose plays have been produced for stage, television and radio. His early work in the 1960s focused on growing up in the dead-end working-class culture of industrial England. He was born as Peter Patterson. He was a schoolteacher for 10 years before writing...
and Jon Oram
External links
- Claque Theatre (formerly the Colway Trust).