Beyond the wise-cracking television persona: Clive James the songwriter.
Working with composer Pete Atkin, Clive James wrote some of the most distinctive and unexpected songs of his generation — witty, tender and deeply human.
While little heard, these are songs you’ll wish you’d known sooner. They’re brought close-up with a warm, lived-in baritone and jazz-tinged piano.
“Songs that are funny, sad, beautiful and true.” — Stephen Fry
Catching the Light is a cabaret-style show — part live music gig, part memoir — built around a personal selection of these songs. Even if you’ve never encountered Clive or Pete before, their songs feel like a friend opening up: sharing joys, regrets, frustrations and earthy observations of everyday life.
I bring this treasure trove to life with jazz-tinged piano arrangements by leading UK musical director Simon Wallace, who joins me at most performances and is an acknowledged expert in the James–Atkin repertoire.
Between songs, I fill in Clive’s backstory — the journey of a brash Australian “kid from Kogarah” who took the plunge and moved to 1960s Britain, eventually becoming a familiar face through his columns and programmes such as Clive James on Television.
You’ll come away impressed by a talent Clive modestly described as “turning a phrase until it catches the light.”
Compact and self-contained, Catching the Light is ideal for arts centres, cabaret rooms, small theatres, libraries, literary festivals and private events — anywhere audiences enjoy thoughtful, characterful songs in an intimate setting.
Watch the trailer
Clive James image: Shutterstock (Rex/ITV)
Tim Benton Sings 