Welcome to markclark.com.au

Singer Songwriter and Author

About me

I taught secondary Drama and English in Sydney high schools for 42 years, but I am now retired.

Over the years I have also been involved in many interesting projects. In the earlier part of my life I was particularly active in performing live, but now I spend more time on literary works and song writing.

As a high school student I was fortunate enough to be cast as 'Pip' in the 1973 ABC version of Ethel Turner's classic 'Seven Little Australians' and many other roles in television and radio. Later, as a singing bass player, I formed my own rock band ‘Your System’ and played in others and I performed many of my songs on television.

On this site is free backing music; stage plays for high schools and amateur societies; lots of songs; links to my eBooks and audiobooks; screenplays; educational material; radio plays; podcasts and some voice work.

If you want to perform any of my plays, contact me on this site. The message will come to my email.

In the ‘Books’ Section the DNA and I.Q. Trilogies are now available as individual novels as print books, E-pubs and audiobooks.

Plus there is a new release of the I.Q. Trilogy already available as an E-pub and soon to be released also as a print and audiobook.

From YouTube

Every so often I showcase a piece or two of content from my collection of works. For more, click ‘VIDEOS’ above.

You can stream my songs on Spotify etcetera.

Songs from the Bunker - A musical comedy

Between 1995 and 2001 Windsor High School presented 8 musical comedy plays I wrote. The 4th play, the first in our new school hall, was called: ‘Songs from the Bunker’. Thanks to Nick and Evelyn Hoogenboom, who filmed all of these shows out of the goodness of their hearts, with have records of all of the plays. Unfortunately, the sound was not always audible in the big, boomy hall, so I’ve added subtitles. I wrote and recorded all of the music, and some of the backing tracks also contain backup vocals by Jessica Zamprogno, but the rest of the vocals are all live.

I am keen to talk to any high schools or musical societies who would like to put the show on. We can negotiate terms. Just contact me throughthis website.

This was the program description for the show.

We are in the bunker, in Berlin, it’s April 29th, 1945, and the allies are going to break down the door at any time. What better reason for song and merriment? After all, it was good enough for Julie Andrews. So where is Adolf? Probably in Argentina. So who’s gonna take the fall for the Fuhrer? You’ll have to wait and see. Is the show historically correct? What’s with all the questions? Listen, all I know is that Himmler and Goering weren’t really in the bunker, but they are in the show, so that should tell you something! Yeah, but there’s gotta be some historical facts; some edifying aspect to the production? Hey, listen, what d’ya want for a few bucks? It wouldn’t buy you a bag o Matzo, pal. Yeah, but . . . Alright! Alright already! Yes, there are some semi-historical gags for the adults as well as mindless visual gags for the kids. Plenty of colour; catchy songs and you get to yell out a lot at the actors. Happy? Not really. I could be at home watching someone get evicted from something on TV. So stay at home. Do you see me twisting your arm? Anything else I should know? Two things: 1 – if Hitler were still alive today he’d be dead and 2 – one thing is for sure - after this show you will never see ‘The Sound of Music’ in the same light again. If we as a cast can achieve one thing, let it be this.

Here we go:

Here is a song about young love. A few people wrote to me and said that they liked this song, so I had my first attempt at AI and updated the clip.

I was thinking about the quote: 'A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men' from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The quote is originally attributed to Horace. So I wrote this song.

I wrote the next song after I purchased a beautiful 12 String guitar.

Clarky’s Closet - A Podcast

‘Clarky’s Closet’ is a podcast where I talk about my songs, how they came about, when they were written and any related stories. There are five or six songs in each show. The first three seasons have ten episodes. You can listen to any episode on the various platforms, or here:

37 podcasts in all, 5 or 6 songs in each podcast with the stories behind them.

This last show has no music. It is simply my recollections as Pip.

50 years ago, when I was 14, I was fortunate enough to be cast in the role of 'Pip' in the 1973, ABC production of Ethel Turner's: '7 Little Australians'.

This podcast is about my memories of that time.

In 2004 there was a reunion for the show. I have included some pictures from that in the Seven Little Australians section. The two black and white shots are one of Anna Hruby and I at the 7 Little A’s after party, and one of me in 1974 filming a show called, ‘Where did all the Magic Go’.

Click below for a variety of songs, background music, radio plays and screenplays.