Artwork

Puppetry Teaching

Film making

Scriptwriting

Short Stories
 Marcus Clarke FRSA
Actor and Puppeteer CV/Resume
Straightforward Spotlight listing can be found here CV
Agent Peter Charlesworth and Associates. tel 00 44 207 792 4600
Contact
Advancing Kids TV, Puppetry and Contemporary Art.
Marcus Clarke is Bookaboo in the Citv Kids Bafta 2011 and 2009 winning Kids TV Series, Bookaboo.


Thanks to
 Bob West


Live Shows


Awards


Extreme TV Puppeteering Showreel Press Q&A 

Marcus Clarke is an Artist and Artiste. Born in Forest Gate, East London he spent several years in Canada, Care and Orphanages (NCH) before being settled in West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire. He could always Draw and initially wanted to be a Cartoonist, an Animator, but he left Art School to begin a career in the Theatre instead. Working backstage at the Nottingham Playhouse and elsewhere before becoming a West End Theatre Stage Manager. It was he says, "the right move for me".

Bookaboo wins 2011 Best Kids Pre-school live action BAFTA
Pictured. Lucy Goodman, Marcus Clarke, Ian Emes.
Marcus Clarke in the West End Stage Show of Little Shop of Horrors Marcus began his Puppeteering career performing the Puppet Plant, Audrey II, in the West End production of the Musical, Little Shop of Horrors. Gaining a Principal Puppeteering part in the subsequent Film. He began his Television Pupeteering career by auditioning for and successfully completing Jim Henson's 'Puppeteering for Television Workshop.' A sort of mid 80's puppeteering 'Pop Idol.' Jim Henson found Marcus's puppet character creations so funny, he actually "rolled around on the floor with laughter watching them" according to Sesame Street's Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash.
"He knows how to use a puppet" Jim Henson comments.
stJim then cast Marcus in some of his own Productions. Directing Marcus as a Puppet Devil in The Storyteller opposite Bob Peck and John Hurt. In Monster Maker a TV Film starring Harry Dean Stanton. These were great  opportunities to learn and over subsequent years Marcus had additional Puppeteering tuition from the ever generous Brian Henson.
Marcus Clarke and Myleene Klass on Bookaboo What is TV Puppeteering? 
Myleene Klass, a guest on Series II of Bookaboo says,
"I have never actually seen how puppetry is carried out for 'on screen', its unreal. The puppeteer literally has to be a contortionist, a mind reader and have a good sense of timing (lying on the floor looking at a screen/monitor whilst reading scripts, improvising and coordinating himself and the puppet is no mean feat.)  Really enjoyed it" 
Excellently explained Myleene. Thank You. ref http://twitter.com/#!/klassmyleene

Recent improvised Puppeteering
performance.
Puppet Making and Hands Up Puppets
Marcus and Kemi in The Christmas Milkshake Show
Marcus Clarke Puppeteering Green ScreenJim Henson encouraged Marcus when he decided that he wanted to create his own Puppet characters and Marcus founded 'Hands Up Puppets' in 1989 to  "Create Puppet characters for Television". Teaching himself how to make  the Puppets.
Marcus knows he was very lucky to meet Jim Henson who remains a constant inspiration to him.
It was Jim Henson that got Marcus into the whole 'Illusion of Life' thing and he is mindful of Jim's Philosophy to always  'celebrate life'. Hands Up Puppets have subsequently created over sixty wonderful Puppet characters for a wide range of Television programme makers and continue to do so today.
left Puppeteering on The Christmas Milkshake right Action Annie Superhero.
Script Writing
Through his Puppetry Marcus has developed as a Scriptwriter and has written for many Children's TV Series including The Softies ref 1
He's also been BAFTA Nominated for his Script Editing work. ref 2






Awards

Over the past six years Marcus has been involved with eight BAFTA winning or nominated Kids TV Series.
From gaining an individual nomination for his Script editing work for
Pj's Storytime in 2004 ref 2
To being Bookaboo in the best Kids BAFTA winning TV Series, Bookaboo.
Kids BAFTA 2011 Best Pre-School  Live Action Award Winner Bookaboo. ref
Kids BAFTA 2009 Best Pre-School  Live Action Award Winner Bookaboo. ref 3
Producer Lucy Goodman writes, “I have worked with Marcus on several productions, the latest being Bookaboo, whom he puppeteers with such talent, sensitivity, timing, humour and craft.
He is uniquely gifted and I know of few other puppeteers  (if any) in the UK to equal to him.” 
see    happy films      citv      bafta
Bookaboo also wins.
Best Children's Programme Award Broadcast 2010  http://www.broadcastawards.co.uk/
2010 Prix Jeunesse International Festival Bookaboo Won its category.  http://www.prixjeunesse.de/
Bookaboo also nominated for an RTS Award ref 5

Other BAFTA Awards are.
Ways Of Talking 2011 ref
 Milkshake Show 2008 ref
Milkshake Summer 2006 ref
The Christmas Milkshake Show2009 ref
Milkshake Channel 2010 ref 4

'Clayfields House' is Marcus's Short Puppet based Film. The Cast won Koestler Awards.
Credits
Judge JennyTV Puppeteering.
Puppetry Advocacy.
Consultancy and other credits.

The Milkshake Show Series 3 Puppeteer to Milky 2011
London Metroplitan University Puppetry Consultant.
Nestle Commercial. Director Ian Emes. Puppetry Consultant. 2011
Gamelab London Metroplitan University Enterprises. Ways of Talking. Commissioned by BBC. Judge Jenny CGI animation series. Puppetry Consultant. 2010 BAFTA Nominated 2011 Learning-Primary.
Bookaboo Series II 2010 Happy Films CiTV Puppeteer and Voice of Bookaboo. BAFTA nominated 2011Pre-School Live Action.
An Audience with Marcus Clarke Adult Stand Up Comedy with Puppets Buxon Festival 2009
Milkshake Monkey Actor 'Salty Ticketmaster' Five tv 2009 
Clayfields House Film Director/Procucer and Puppeteer to 'Filfy'. Koestler Award Winner, Writers in Prison Network, Under 18's Special Award and Film.
Bookaboo Live on 'This Morning' ITV Daytime Puppeteer and Voice of Bookaboo also 'Minder' 2009
Bookaboo Happy Films CiTV Puppeteer and Voice of Bookaboo BAFTA Winner Children's Live Action 2009
The Christmas Milkshake Show Puppeteer to 'Milky Cat' BAFTA Nominated Children's Live Action 2009
The Milky and Shake Show 3D Animation Five TV Voice of Milky 2008
The Milkshake Show Series 2 Puppeteer to  'Milky Cat' BAFTA Nominated Children's Live Action 2008 Production Company: Milkshake Production Broadcaster: Five
Marcus Clarke is 'The Puppet Maker  Adult Stand up Comedy Show at 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Worms Barny the Worm for Nickelodeon UK
Tickle Patch & Friends   Series 11 Milkshake Links puppeteer to Patch 2007
The Milkshake Show Series 1 Puppet Milky Five TV
Jim Henson's Puppet Improv   Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006. Performer.
Sandy and Mr. Flapper Puppeteer to Mr. Flapper Five TV 2006
Ant and Dec's Saturday night takeaway Puppeteer.

A Milkshake Summer in which I performed 'Mr. Flapper' BAFTA Nominated Children's Live Action 2006 Production Company: Five Broadcaster: Five Nominee The Production Team.
A Christmas Milkshake  2006 8 x 30 min Christmas Specials, Channel Five. Puppeteer to Puppet character Patch

PJ's Storytime 6 x 5 min, Disney Playhouse 2004 Puppeteer to PJ Mole. Produced by Lucy Goodman. BAFTA Marcus Clarke Nominated 2004.
PJ's Bedtime   20 x 60 min programmes, Disney Playhouse, Puppeteer to PJ Mole
A House just like yours  35x30min Children's Series for Five TV. Puppeteer to Dusty Mouse. 2002
The Softies 80x5min Series for Five TV Co-Created programme idea. Co-Produced Series. Puppeteer to Cosy 2002
Before I die BBC Entertainment Comedy, Myfanwy Moore Comedy Sitcom tryout.
Puppeteer and provided 2 puppet characters.
Smarteenies Children’s BBC/ CBBC Production 65x15 min‘Created & performed Doogy Dog. 2002
The Tenth Kingdom TV film. Carnival Films/Halmark Entertainment Pinewood Studio’s.
The Big Bag  Children's Television Workshop NYC/ Yorkshire Television for CITV Puppeteered Bag. 26 x 10 min.
Legoland Puppetry Consultant
Dotty & Buzz  Religious Education 6 x 10 min. Channel 4 Schools 2000. RTS Award nominee.
Tickle Patch and Friends  Series 1 to10 2001-2007
Hotdog Thames  TV
Tricky business  BBC/CBBC 
The Great Bong Ultimate Animates  HTV
The Children's Channel On air presentation, interstition's and continuity with various of our comedy puppet character creations, robots, androids, aliens, penguins, gherkins and chimpanzees all having great fun with human presenters like Mark Speight, Konnie Huq, Tommy Boyd and Gaz Top.
Ratkan Zoo Live Saturday morning 2hr Show
Ratkan on the road  a Live Roadshow featuring various puppet characters and presenters from Alton Towers, Blackpool etc.
Ike & Webbers Camcorder Cities   more comedy sketches and TV Station interstition's for TCC.
Havakazoo Series 2 and 3 78 X 30 min. TV Series, Meridian TV Production for C5. Puppeteered Watchdog.
Top Banana TVAM
It's Droibee Time 165x30 min. for TCC.
Treasure Box Thames TV
Playbox  Ragdoll production for Central T.V. 26x10min
Dappledown Farm 166 x 30 min. Puppeteer to Dapple the Horse and Millie the Moorehen.

Film credits.
Monster Maker TVS/Jim Henson's Production
Storyteller  TVS/Jim Henson's Production
The Tenth Kingdom   Carnival/Hallmark
Little Shop of Horrors Feature Film
Who Framed Roger Rabbit Feature Film
Muppets Treasure Island Feature Film
Muppets Christmas Carol Feature Film

Directed and Produced Short Films. Clayfields House and Bill Beaver.

Commercial Credits
Disney Playhouse 2004 Commercial/Promo
Qantas Koala Bear Commercial
Quorn Commercial
Applejack Cider Commercial

West End Musicals
Song & Dance
Marilyn the Musical
Little Shop of Horrors
Follies the Musical
Working in Stage and Production Management.

TV Puppeteers working with straight and reverse scan monitors what's the difference?

Computer Animation.

Venus on the Hard Drive   Performance Animator, Face, ‘Venus’ Sitcom Pilot 20th Century Fox tv L.A. Medialab C.G.PA System.    
NBC TV  Performance Animator  Face   NBC's Johnny Chimes Peacock logo character  Burbank L.A.
               
Demonstrating the Medialab performance animation system at;
The Medialab Studio L.A; (5 months) The IBC Amsterdam, the Pasadena Animation Festival, CG Osaka  and for Sony Japan in Tokyo. Training performance animators in USA & Japan.     
Bookaboo further information
Check out the Official website bookaboo

Booktrust and Bookaboo partnership
Booktrust is pleased to be the charity partner of Bookaboo, CITV’s new children’s TV series highlighting the pleasure of sharing picture books.
As part of the partnership, 13,000 books will be donated to children across the UK – 1,000 books for every episode of the series. Booktrust will liaise with publishers and local authorities to help distribute the books to children under the age of six years and in care.

Each episode, a famous face goes back stage to share a story with Bookaboo on his Bookabus – "a story a day or he just can’t play!" Bojo restored, this puppy can play and cheered on by his celebrity guest, he wows us all with the best canine drum solo ever heard.


Bookaboo on Citv. Marcus Clarke is Bookaboo
The thirteen celebrities of Bookaboo Series 2.
Johnny Vegas
Lorraine Kelly
Samia Smith
Adam Garcia
Myleene Klass
Keith Allen
Emilia Fox
Omid Djalili
Bernard Cribbins
Maisie Smith
Tamsin Egerton
Lethal Bizzle
Ricky Hatton


The thirteen celebrities of Bookaboo Series 1:
 Meatloaf – The Lamb Who Came for Dinner
 Amanda Holden – That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
 AL Murray – Pooh! Is That You Bertie?
 Mel C – No Matter What
 Kym Marsh – The Cow That Laid An Egg
 Alesha Dixon – More Pants
 Ben Shepherd – Splat the Cat
 Fern Britton – A Mummy For Owen
 Kelly Holmes – Norma Snows
 Julian Clary – The Hairy Toe
 Robson Green – Class Two at the Zoo
 Michael Rosen – The Night Pirates
 David Seaman – Whatever



BAFTA 2009 Best Pre-SchoolLive Action Award Winner Bookaboo. Video from the day.


Marcus Clarke  Ian Emes Lucy Goodman
 Dick and Dom  Marcus Clarke  Lucy Goodman  Ian Emes  Will Paulter

Marcus is proud to have worked for UK Kids TV's finest Talent, Nick Wilson for over 20 years.





Marcus Clarke FRSA Teaching CV email marcus@handsuppuppets.com Arts Award Adviser.
CRB Checked GCSE O Level in English, Economics, History, Art.  GCSE A Level in Art.

My Education. Early Career, Training and Teaching Information.
1972 to 1974 West Bridgford Comprehensive School. Day release for two years to West Bridgford College of FE to Study Electrical Engineering. Attained equivalent of early stages of ONC Electrical Engineering.

1974 1978 Nottingham Playhouse and Nottingham Theatre Royal Stage Electrician and Follow Spot Operator.

1977 3yr Graphic and Fashion Design Vocational course at West Nottinghamshire College, then Mansfield College of Art.
I completed the first year only, (pull of the Theatre,) gaining these qualifications.
GCSE O Level in English, Economics, History, Art.  GCSE A Level in Art.

1978 to 1979 Theatre Grand Theatre Wolverhampton Deputy Chief Electrician                     

1980 to 1982 Fort Regent Theatre and Entertainment Complex Jersey CI.
Deputy Chief Theatre and Concert Stage Technician.

West End Theatre Stage Management Career
1982 to 1983 Song and Dance the Musical Palace Theatre Shaftsbury Avenue London W1 Technical assistant stage manager with special responsibility for Computer controlled projected scenery. Programmer and operator.

1983 Marilyn The Musical at the Royal Adelphi Theatre the Strand London W1 Technical Assistant Stage Manager with special responsibility for Computer controlled projected scenery. Computer programmer and operator.

1983 to 1985 Little Shop of Horrors the Musical Comedy Theatre London W1
Technical assistant Stage Manager with special responsibility for the Puppet Plant Audrey 2. Became Understudy and Puppeteer of Audrey 2.

Film and TV. Training and Teaching
1983 Dreamchild Feature Film Elstree Studios Production Runner with special responsibility for Jim Hensons’ Puppets.

1985 to 1986 Little Shop of Horrors Feature Film Pinewood Studios
Principal Puppeteer.

1986 to 1988 Private regular tuition in Puppetry, character creation and performance from Puppeteer, TV and Film Producer and Director, Brian Henson.
Parliament Hill, Hampstead London.

1987 Successfully auditioned for and Completed Jim Hensons Puppeteering for Television Workshop. Downshire Hill Hampstead London.

1987 to 1988 Puppeteer to Jim Henson Productions
The Storyteller
The Monster Maker
EFL (English as a Foreign Language became the Hoobs)

1988 Cat and Dog Kids TV Series. Anne Wood’s RagDoll Productions and Citv. Puppeteer.

1988 Hotdog Kids TV Series for Citv Thames TV Devised Series, designed and made Puppets and was Puppeteer to Hotdog himself.

1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Puppeteer and Object Manipulator.

1989 Founded Hands Up Puppets with Helena Smee relocated to Nottingham. Created, made and performed, over sixty Puppets for Television. Devised many TV Series and credited and un-credited Scriptwriter for many of them also.
This work continues today. Please see separate CV. http://www.handsuppuppets.com

Puppetry Teaching CV
Several of the UK’s Leading TV Puppeteers including sisters Helena and Kath Smee have been trained by Marcus Clarke. Others have had an early start and leg up.

1995 Eo Telefis Spiddal, Galway, Eire Devised and ran a training course to teach Gaelic Speakers to Puppeteer and Produce their own Award winning Gaelic Children’s Puppet TV Series.

1997 Medialab Paris, Rue de la President Kennedy,Paris.
I was Trained in Clovis 2 Real Time Performance animation system.

1997 to 1998 Medialab Studio LA Burbank, California USA Auditioned and trained twenty performers to Operate and Perform Clovis digital real time performance animation system and to then mentored students to perform it in Fox Studio Pilot TV Series. Venus on the Hardrive.

1998 Sony Digital Imaging Tokyo Japan Trained Traditional Kabuki Performers to Operate and Perform Clovis digital real time performance animation system.

2008 Rufford Abbey Nottinghamshire Puppeteering for TV 1 day Workshop. Students from Redhill Secondary School

2008 Dec Middlesex University Scriptwriting for Kids TV Lunchtime Lecture.

2009 Jan-March Clayfields House Puppeteering Course. Taught young people to Puppeteer and Film Making Skills and then made an award winning film with them.

2009 Jan Clarendon New College Nottingham Combined 1 day TV Puppetry Lecture and TV Puppeteering Workshop.

2009 Feb Rufford Abbey Nottinghamshire Combined 1 day TV Puppetry Lecture and TV Puppeteering Workshop for Adults.

2009 Feb Loughborough University Combined 1 day TV Puppetry Lecture and TV Puppeteering Workshop for Adults.

2009 March Bath TV Puppetry Combined 1 day TV Puppetry Lecture and TV Puppeteering Workshop for Adults.

2009 March University of Derby. Combined 1 day TV Puppetry Lecture and TV Puppeteering Workshop.

2009 March Whatton Village Youth Group, Rushcliffe. Inspirational talk and TV Puppetry lecture.

2009 March-June  Morvern Park Primary School Creative Partnerships Project. Taught every year to Puppeteer and made a short Film with them and their Puppets.

2009 July Buxton Puppet Festival TV Puppetry Lecture

2009 Nov Bredon Hill Middle School A Design Technology Day. Taught 160 year 6 students to make a TV Puppet Shark.

2009 Nov All Saints Church Stockton on Tees. 1 day TV Puppeteering Workshop.

2010 Jan-May Murray Park Secondary School Derby. Creative Partnerships Project. Taught yrs 7,8,9 to make Puppets and Puppeteer them for the Screen. Each Student making a Short Puppet Performance based Film. Also Mask Making and Object manipulation to Yr9 with again each student making a short Film.

2010 Feb-April Maplewell Hall School Leicestershire Creative Partnerships Project. Taught yrs 9 to make Puppets and Puppeteer them for the Screen. Each Student making a Short Puppet Performance based Film.

2010 March Rufford Abbey Nottinghamshire. I day Puppet Making for TV Workshop

2010 May Rufford Abbey Nottinghamshire. I day Puppet Making for TV Workshop

2010 30th July Buxton Puppet Festival, University of Derby Dome Buxton. Taught adults to make Puppets and to Puppeteer them for the Screen. Making a short Film.

2010 Nov Loughborough University Combined TV Puppeteering Workshop for Adults. (Undergraduates)

2011 Warwick Prep School. Puppetry for the Screen. Sock Puppet making and Puppeteering Workshop.

Additional information.
My Spotlight Performance
CV http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/0697-6725-0688
My online Performance CV http://www.handsuppuppets.com/html/CV.html
About my Partnership work with Hands Up Puppets is here
http://www.handsuppuppets.com/html/about.html
My Educational Services online page is here
http://www.handsuppuppets.com/html/Puppetry_Arts_Education.html

Professional Memberships
Fellow of the Royal Society of Artists, Member of Bafta, Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of Great Britain, British Equity Unima, PUK, I am a Family man. Married  with two young Boys who keep me very active.

BAFTA Nominated in 2004 Pre-School Live Action for PJ’s Storytime
Recipient of two Individual Arts Council England Grants for the Arts.