John Clements – Pass It On

Memory: Michael Howe (Actor)

I had the greatest pleasure of starting my career at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1966 playing the Milkman’s Son in The Fighting Cock [that transferred to the West end later that year] and also playing Son of Macduff in Macbeth. John Clements took the title role and it was his first year as Artisic Director after Laurence Olivier stepped down. There is photograph of myself taken in production with Zena Walker who played Lady Macduff [Page 34 in The Miracle Theatre by Leslie Evershed-Martin, see above] I have since played The Theatre, last time taking the role of Mr Arthur Jingle in Pickwick in 1993.

Fantastic space to work! Inspiring.

From: Michael Howe

Memory: The Magistrate (1969)

John Clement’s superlative production of Pinero’s farce was the showcase for Alastair Sim’s greatest onstage performance ever, as Aeneas Posket. His tour de force included an unscripted sequence where he spent several minutes simply washing his face – getting soap in his eyes, losing his towel, etc – in itself a class act in comedy. Add to this Patricia Routledge’s performance as Agatha Posket, her star then in the ascendancy, in the first of her many Chichester appearances. The Chichester run was followed by a highly successful run at the Cambridge Theatre in London. Surely one of Chichester’s greatest.

From: Laurie Slade

Memory: Treasure Island (1973)

I remember this Christmas production, starring John Clements, had very stirring music. It was very good. There was also a real parrot in the production and I can still remember the parrot auditions now!

From: Anon