Sally Pomme Clayton
“Some people are born to entertain – Sally Pomme Clayton has that magic in plenty, she is a dream-weaver, a spell-binder.” The Londonist
Sally Pomme Clayton (please call her Pomme!) is a pioneering storyteller and writer creating unique performances and publications. With sparkling words, playful humour and haunting images she performs fairytales, romances, fragments of forgotten myths, witty folktales, mysterious legends and wild epics. She creates dark and gleaming stories set in strange worlds that seem strangely close. Her performances are captivating, tender, elegantly crafted and shot through with songs and unusual musical sounds.
Pomme creates and performs stories for everyone, from: Soho Theatre to Northern Stage; Totally Thames to Bloomsbury Festival; The London Gypsy Orchestra to The London Philharmonic Orchestra; Royal Shakespeare Company to The Royal Opera House; Hakaya Storytelling Festival, Jordan to Beyond the Border Festival, Wales; Dhaka Lit Fest to Edinburgh Literature Festival; The Swedenborg Society to The Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Centre; The Crick Crack Club to The Cutty Sark; The British Council to The British Museum; Apples and Snakes to Athens Storytelling Festival. She has a vast knowledge of fairytales and their cultural meanings, and a passion for stories where girls and women are the protagonists of the adventures. She is an associate artist at Omnibus Theatre. She co-founded The Company of Storytellers with Ben Haggarty and Hugh Lupton in 1985, spearheading storytelling in the UK. Together they created ground-breaking performances, especially for adult audiences, and because of their work storytelling is now a flourishing art form.
Pomme is a published writer. Her latest book is for adults ‘The Mighty Goddess – world myths’ illustrated by her long term collaborator Sophie Herxheimer (The History Press 2023). She has published 16 children’s books, the latest are: ‘Violet and the Sea Giant’ (Autin Dance Theatre 2022); The King with Dirty Feet’ (Otter-Barry Books 2021 / 2018) winner of The Oxford Book Award ‘Best Picture Book 2019’. ‘The Phoenix of Persia’ (Tiny Owl Books 2019) nominated for the Greenaway Award 2020 and the UKLA award 2020. Many of her books focus on female heroines: ‘Persephone’ (Frances Lincoln 2009); ‘Amazons – women warriors of the world’ (Frances Lincoln 2008); ‘Tales of Amazing Maidens’ (Orchard Books 1995). ‘Tales Told in Tents – stories of Central Asia’ (Frances Lincoln 2004) is still used in schools to study the cultural heritage of Central Asia. During 2019 she wrote five star reviewed ‘The Little Prince’ (based on the book by Saint-Exupéry) for Omnibus Theatre. She also writes texts for composers and musicians, among them: David Bruce; Gundula Gruen; Panos Ghikas; Joglaresa; Dario Marianelli.
She is an experienced and inspiring educator and mentor, teaching practical and creative workshops in writing and performance, and has worked with: Chelsea Physic Garden; RAF Museum; Age UK; London Libraries; The National Trust; Apples and Snakes; The Prince’s Trust; The Horniman Museum; East 15. She lectured on World oral traditions at Middlesex University (1992 – 2008). And in Theatre Studies Rose Bruford College (2009 – 2015).
“Sally Pomme Clayton is a gifted storyteller who can bring the wonder of the most powerful stories from the past to life for audiences of any ages.” The Guardian
