Imogen Sage brings Camille Claudel to life with help from famous Australian sculptor

The haunting life of Parisian sculptor Camille Claudel is being brought to life in a thrilling new production that will leave you questioning the notions of genius versus madness.

Tragic Parisian sculptor Camille Claudel will be brought to life at the Sydney Opera House this month, with actor Imogen Sage having enlisted the help of the artist whose twin soldiers stand sentinel on the Anzac Bridge.

Surrounded by equine sculptures in Alan Somerville’s St Peters studio, and in lessons she took at Sydney’s Tom Bass Sculpture School, Sage literally came to grips with the lead role in

Australian writer Wendy Beckett’s play, Claudel.

She kneaded lots of clay and made the inner part of a sculpture called an armature.

She’s obviously no expert, Sage admits. But she believes her studio experience will help her to honour Claudel’s pitiable life, which ended in an insane asylum in 1943.

Actor Imogen Sage will play the role of Camille Claudel. Picture: David Swift.

The sheer compulsiveness of sculptors to make things is one of the things Sage particularly noticed.

“Alan had a bunch of clay in his hands, and I was: ‘what are you doing?’,” she says.

“He was doing a portrait of my face. I think he can’t help himself. Second nature just comes in.”

Beckett believes the full tragedy of Claudel’s story has been buried by art historians eager to preserve the reputation of the great Auguste Rodin, Claudel’s teacher and lover played by Christopher Stollery, whose most feted sculptures include The Burghers of Calais, The Kiss and The Thinker.

Beckett is determined to “reveal the injustice of Claudel’s incarceration” in an asylum, where she was forced to live for the last 30 years of her life.

Beckett is a trained psychologist and her research included reading Claudel’s medical reports. She concludes that Claudel suffered a breakdown after her father’s death and her split with Rodin. But the breakdown was “treatable”.

Sculptor Alan Somerville whose twin soldiers stand sentinel on the Anzac Bridge.

Beckett believes the artist was “abandoned” in an asylum by her deeply religious family including her mother, played by Tara Morice, who were shocked and mortified by her affair with Rodin who was 25 years older and already had a live-in partner.

“The family didn’t approve,” Beckett says.

“She had abortions to Rodin and that’s significant and very dangerous at the time.

“They used it as an excuse that she was mentally ill.”

Beckett visited Claudel’s grave in Avignon.

“They dumped her in an unmarked grave over the cemetery fence,” Beckett says.

She considers Claudel to be one of the most gifted sculptors ever. Sadly, in her moments of distress, Claudel destroyed a lot of her sculptures. Much of what remains can be admired in the Musee Camille Claudel, which opened in 2017 in Nogent-sur-Seine.

Beckett can’t forgive Rodin, who allowed Claudel to “rot” while he enjoyed his growing fame and wealth.

Leading Australian choreographer Meryl Tankard has collaborated with Beckett in the play. Sage says dancers including Kip Gamblin evoke the presence of sculptures in the studio.

As a sculptor, perhaps Alan Somerville has a unique insight into Rodin’s life.

“Old Rodin’s ego was paramount,” Somerville says.

“He obviously realised Camille’s talent. I don’t think he praised her the way she should have been. She might have been a threat.”

* Claudel, Sydney Opera House Playhouse, from April 23, sydneyoperahouse.com