Home Up Chapter One Alan Clay Reviews

 

Alan Clay               

Alan was born in 1954 in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland. He attended a Clown School in Sweden in 1977, and has since taught and performed extensively in Scandinavia, England, Australia and New Zealand.

Alan has lived in Sydney since 1992, where he has been running Playspace Studio, a physical theatre training centre in Newtown, which has been gaining international recognition in recent years for a uniquely irreverent Australian approach to clown.

Alan's first novel, Moontan, is the story of a couple of clowns, set against the occupation of a theatre by a collective of artists in Auckland. It was well received at its launch at the Wellington Fringe Festival in New Zealand, and in Australia at the Warrana Writers Festival in Brisbane in 1994.

Alan's second novel Dance Sisters is set in Sydney and tells the story of a female song and dance trio which threatens to self-destruct on the brink of fame, when its leader becomes involved with a manipulative cult, touting sex, astrology and virtual dreaming. It was launched at the Melbourne Writers Festival in 1997.

Dance Sisters gained particular attention when it was released in May 2000 as an eBook in a format which was packaged to enhance the reading experience on a computer with sound and visuals.

The State Library of NSW recently purchased the manuscripts and associated papers to both Dance Sisters and Moontan, to be held in the Mitchell Reference Library, together with a set of 12 archive videos from the work at Playspace Studio.

In Alan's third novel, Believers in Love, a father and daughter team of sand-sculptors embark on a crazy adventure which takes them from Sydney's Bondi Beach, to a magic mountain in New Zealand, in which they explore the transient nature of art and life, and discover that dreams are real.

American reviews of 'Believers in Love' have been so good, that author, Alan Clay, toured literary festivals in the USA and Canada in 2003.

Books

wpeB.jpg (4125 bytes)In Alan's third novel, Believers in Love, a father and daughter team of sand-sculptors embark on a crazy adventure which takes them from Sydney's Bondi Beach, to a magic mountain in New Zealand, in which they   explore the transient nature of art and life, and discover that dreams are real.

  "Believers in Love, the third offering by quirky Australian novelist, Alan Clay, is about love, laughter and life. This is not just a story; it is an exploration of emotion and philosophy. A novel of journey and self-discovery."  www.aussiereviews.com

  "From time to time I review books that are not fanatsy or SF genre and this time I have a gentle and enlightening story by Alan Clay. This simple story of discovery, wanders through the reality of making dreams true and exploring the world around us through art. The story follows the crazy adventures of a team of sand sculptors from Bondi to NZ. Interesting and entertaining. Alan writes with a clean clarity that allows the reader to contemplate what they are reading as the story unfolds. Nice little book, one the family would enjoy." Altair Australia

Order Believers in Love now from bookshops worldwide, or from online stores like www.amazon.com

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Dance Sisters, e-book download in Microsoft Reader formatAlan's second novel Dance Sisters is available in paperback through on-line stores like amazon.com

"Alan Clay has created a world so real that it seems only a matter of time before a similar cult looks set to spring upon us. Its convincing character portrayal and sharp analysis give special insight to Eva and friends, and his quirky style adds to the richness of the text. Provoking emotions throughout, Clay has crafted a true gem that is truly an event to experience."      

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Alan's first novel, Moontan is available in paperback from the Australian online Bookshop

"Moontan, which describes the occupation of the Civic Theatre in Auckland by a collective of artists, is simple but well-told. The novel is enjoyable, the characters are convincingly portrayed, and the city of Auckland is sketched in with a deft touch." Otago Daily Times

This book has recently been made into a motion picture, and you can check it out at www.artmedia.net.nz

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Clown loveandchaos6.jpg (2838 bytes)Classes

Training at Playspace Studio is unique, because of the blending of acting techniques and physical training - aerial work, acrobatics, juggling, balance and tightrope skills - and our passion for a more open and irreverent form of clown." Check a couple of articles on the clown training on the Media Reports page.

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Last updated 10 June 2010