CLICK BELOW to listen to my soundscape for 'Mind Trees of the Urban Forest' film, performance, and exhibition, 2019, © all about how connections to nature support positive mental wellbeing.
Written and produced under the moniker Phloxwn, in association with Caldew Press, with support from Tolivar Productions, Patchwork Opera, Carlisle Collective Fringe and Cumbria County Council.
Exploring the breaths and silence we need and the cathartic process of re-connecting with oneself once back out in nature, this eerie pieces uses field recordings of nature as well as my vocals.
Netflix Song a comedy song written by Clare Louise Roberts (Little Strings). The music video was developed in collaboration with the wonderful director Callum Macbeth of Macbeth Media.
Click on images and scroll down to see samples of my work, read my goals and TL;DR sections too!
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Clare Louise Roberts is a freelance musician, actor and writer from North Wales with a degree in Drama and Musical Theatre.
She writes original songs under the moniker Little Strings and has written songs for theatre, to briefs and for events such as Funny Women's Alternative Interviews. She loves to collaborate with other artists on productions and shows, including her long-term collaborations with Gwendolyn Fitz, creating live streamed, digital musical shows. Clare works as an actress (Clare Roberts) for theatre and film and as a writer with a blog on this website. She wrote #LikeForLike (renamed On The Line) a social media themed comedy play which premiered at the Carlisle Fringe Festival 2018. She has a personal essay published in the 3rd issue of the BODIES zine curated by Ragna Amling and satirical pieces for online magazine, Quaranzine. She is releasing new music – some pretty, some ridiculous – later this year. 
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RUNNER-UP WINNERCompetitor in Wooden Arrow's script competition for stories about 'class' for my comedic monologue The Chip Butty Delicacy. Download your copy here:
Or click here to download a pdf of The Chip Butty Delicacy.
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#LikeForLike - by Clare Louise Roberts
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A full length comedy play about how our ways of communicating in real life and understanding each other has changed due to becoming engrossed in social media. #LikeForLike (renamed On The Line as part of my re-launch plan!) was produced and performed at West Walls Theatre as part of the Carlisle Collective Fringe 2018. 'It's all fun and games until you accidentally press the 'like' button.' But for Mia the fun and games have just begun when she’s poring over Killian’s profile, much to the critique of her best friend Harper. But what do you do when you meet in real life? Watch how one innocent ‘like’ spirals for these two hapless selfie takers in this one-hour comedy at West Walls Theatre, where there’s so many privacy risks and not nearly enough hashtags. TL;DR? An accidental like but you can't click undo in real life.
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Ease Of A Murder - digital theatre developed in collaboration with Gwendolyn Fitz.
A 1920s themed, murder mystery, dark-comedy, ukulele musical! (Possibly the first of it's kind??)
One of the many ukulele musical shows made with Gwendolyn Fitz, specifically to be live streamed. Our short shows include big costumes and minimal sets. We utilise the comment sections online to interact with our audiences during our online gigs and shows. Ease Of A Murder has been accepted to the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival this May!
We have also collaborated on an online fundraising event to raise fund for Bloody Big Brunch, tackling period poverty. We coordinated musicians from Germany, the UK and U.S. to perform for an all day, live streaming on YouTube. So we had British brunch and finished just in time for New York's brunch! Over 100 people tuned in over the course of the day and we're planning another one for next October.
As we live in different countries (I'm UK based and Gwendolyn is U.S. based) rehearsals and our plot and melody discussions are always done online. We have both become self-proclaimed experts in digital rehearsals and theatre.
Our next show is a murder mystery ukulele musical which will be live streamed on YouTube 25thApril 2021.
The WC Hotel - by Clare Louise RobertsWhen theatre pieces focus on 'class' as a theme, it so often bemoans the lot of working-class people. The WC Hotel tells the stories of the ordinary lives of complex characters; Welsh and Polish women who live in Wales and are part of the vibrant working class of Wales. Their stories are not often told, are they? Our all-female cast play characters who work together at a hotel in a popular Welsh seaside resort, where all of the action takes place. I seek to break the stereotypes and give a fair representation of working-class women in my work. The creative process will give long-term, equal opportunities for low income, working-class artists such as myself by creating a space for disadvantaged artists to have access to take part as collaborators. TL;DR? It's alright to be working-class ya know. Here's the women to prove it.
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TRAIN PLAY - by Clare Louise RobertsInspired by surrealism and absurdist theatre, Train Play is a short comedy play that tackles the systemic oppressions of classism and misogyny. The cultural class systems of the UK are embodied in the class systems on a British train. I write about class system issues in a surrealist, comedic way to empower those in socio-economic disadvantages by telling their story in a format that the middle and upper class will see. CLICK HERE to read the full synopsis for TRAIN PLAY. CLICK HERE to read an excerpt from TRAIN PLAY. TL;DR? No seats in the poor carriage but the posh carriage is pretty empty. Let's rebel then.
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Read an excerpt below of Kasia and Harri talking to a guest in The WC Hotel:
MRS
THOMPSON: What does WC stand for?
KASIA: Welsh cake.
MRS
THOMPSON: Oh, because we’re in Wales?
KASIA: Yes... After the Welsh.
HARRI: Well they’re not naming it after its workers or the people who actually live here.
MRS
THOMPSON: That's quite, um, quaint?
HARRI: (MUMBLES LOUDLY OVER HER MUG) Well - Lower class. No, that needs an L...
KASIA: (TO MRS THOMPSON) It’s welsh cake.
MRS
THOMPSON: No, really? It isn’t. Is it?
HARRI: (LOUDLY TO THE WHOLE ROOM) Well what else do you normally think of when you see the words WC written on a door eh? Fine dining or fine sh-
KASIA: - In front of the guests Harri!
(PAUSE)
MRS
THOMPSON: So…. What does it really stand for then?
Zelda's Song
- as part of Songs Inspired By Strong Women, a digital show developed in collaboration with Gwendolyn Fitz.
A show celebrating women from history for Women's History Month.
We gathered a bunch of female identifying artists to answer the brief in their own creative ways and live streamed the show on YouTube.
I wrote a poetic pop/jazz/folk song about the life of Zelda Fitzgerald who is an artist I admire greatly.
Click the video below to head straight to my set:
Goals
I am determined to build a sustainable career route for myself and others as a multi-disciplined artist.
- I’m involved in open mic nights and comedy nights that’s all about bringing people together because I want my art to bring people together.
- My writing discusses relatable, difficult topics, often articulated in humour, Laugh at me instead and we can laugh together.
- I was a job coach for adults with learning disabilities, some of whom were in drama and dance groups. I would love to write plays that are inclusive to all.
- I write characters which can hopefully be played by any race or gender and I want to get better at this.
My vision for the future of theatre:
- collaborative process embracing digital and live performance
- speaking truth whilst healing through humour
- unity in communities through theatre, music and art
I want to continue bringing theatre to the working-class, especially in North Wales where I am from.
Long-term work plans:
- to co-produce a tour with a smaller theatre, employing an inclusive group of actors
- teach writing (lyrics, music, plays....) and producing to young people from economically disadvantaged communities; to give those from working-class and low income communities the skillset to not just perform but to orchestrate the execution of their own work.
TL;DR???
In the words of the brilliant writer, comedian and performer, Kristen Wig; ‘Help me, I’m poor.’
In the words of the brilliant writer, comedian and performer, Kristen Wig; ‘Help me, I’m poor.’
