Clive Elliott

September 01, 2018

Clive Elliott

Service Details

Clive Elliott – theatre artist, beloved educator, and friend – made his final exit from the world on September 1, 2018 at Fountain West Health Care Center in West Des Moines. He was 82. Clive was born May 19, 1936 to British parents living in Bilbao and spent much of his childhood in northern Spain. He was 11 when his family returned to England. As a schoolboy, he fell in love with the theatre and determined to have a career as an actor, graduating with honors from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1957, he began his professional career, working as an actor, director, writer, and choreographer in regional theatre and on the London stage. He also acted in small roles in British television and films. In the 1970’s he found new joy as a teacher at the Guildford School of Acting.

Clive first came to Iowa in 1981 at the invitation of the Iowa Arts Council. As he toured the state, performing and teaching in countless schools and communities, he fell in love with Iowa and was happy to return whenever he was asked. In 1982, he began an association with the Theatre Department at Drake University as a visiting director and performer. He officially joined the Drake faculty full-time in 1990 as the Daniel B. Goldberg Artist in Residence. He remained for nearly 23 years, teaching, directing, and occasionally performing in productions before retiring in 2012. Clive touched the lives of countless students at Drake; his performance of the Lewis Carrol poem “Jabberwocky” (from Alice in Wonderland) was a perennial favorite at the orientation assembly for new students. Clive also shared his talents with the community by directing Shakespeare plays, performing character roles in ballet productions, and adjudicating student performances for the Iowa High School Speech Association’s annual competitions.

Clive had a passion for classical music, art, and poetry. His guilty pleasures were coffee, kids movies, and anything chocolate. He was a voracious reader and he had a wonderful gift for storytelling. Clive didn’t keep scrapbooks. He never wrote a memoir of his remarkable life, although many of his friends urged him to do so. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his students, whether they followed his footsteps into professional theatre or found success elsewhere. They are his true legacy.

Following the death of his beloved life-partner in 2013, Clive’s health began to decline. He entered long-term hospice care in December of 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Constance, his brother, Jeremy, and his partner Daniel Kucera. He is survived by his adopted son, Evan Kucera, Evan’s wife, Reagan, and their son, Connor. Those who wish may donate in Clive’s memory to the Drake University Theatre Department or Hospice of Central Iowa. A celebration of his life will be held later this fall - date and location to be determined.

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