Comedians, theatre-makers and actors including Rachel Weisz, Sally Phillips and Simon Munnery recall the late teacher’s alarming lessons
Philippe Gaulier, clown guru, dies aged 82
Louise Brealey
Philippe taught me to laugh at myself. He had an understanding of people’s darkness, fears and flaws – and their shiny bits as well. He described me as “a Protestant church-mouse, sex-mad Brownie”. I felt seen! His theory was everyone has a clown. For example, David Mitchell, who I worked with on Back, has an angry clown. When David is cross and he rants, it’s hilarious. Without Philippe, I don’t think I could have done Cass in Back, Deb in Such Brave Girls or Muriel in Woman in Mind, because he gave me permission to be an idiot. I can take the piss out of myself and it doesn’t hurt.
The only moment I ever saw Philippe break into a smile at anything I did was when I was dressed top to toe in leather, hitting everyone with a stick and doing Lady Macbeth in a German accent. I don’t know what that says about my clown: she’s a very confused dominatrix. I think my clown is probably an idiot.
