‘Utterly hilarious’: Simon McBurney on how the great clown Philippe Gaulier changed his life

The Complicité founder remembers his teacher’s wicked laughter, provocative demands and infinite generosity• Philippe Gaulier dies aged 82Many speak of a teacher in their childhood who changed them, someone who reveals knowledge about the world they ca…

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Comedians pick on me for my loud laugh – but nothing will make me stop | Jane Howard

It’s the part of myself I’m most frequently embarrassed by – but as comedy festival season approaches, I’m prepared for the worstI thought Daniel Kitson was just about ready to kick me out of the comedy room. He had already picked on me several times …

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Philippe Gaulier had a huge impact on theatre – but his ‘embrace the ridiculous’ lesson is one for us all

The master clown helped generations of performers be more alive in the moment – and not take themselves too seriously. His teachings were for life as well as the stage• Philippe Gaulier, clown guru and mentor to theatre and comedy greats, dies aged 82W…

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Philippe Gaulier had a huge impact on theatre – but his ‘embrace the ridiculous’ lesson is one for us all

The master clown helped generations of performers be more alive in the moment – and not take themselves too seriously. His teachings were for life as well as the stage• Philippe Gaulier, clown guru and mentor to theatre and comedy greats, dies aged 82W…

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Philippe Gaulier, clown guru and mentor to theatre and comedy greats, dies aged 82

Teacher who ran school outside Paris was a formative influence on generations of comedians and actors including Helena Bonham Carter and Emma ThompsonMaster clown Philippe Gaulier, the influential founder of France’s École Philippe Gaulier, has died ag…

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Philippe Gaulier, clown guru and mentor to theatre and comedy greats, dies aged 82

Teacher who ran school outside Paris was a formative influence on generations of comedians and actors including Helena Bonham Carter and Emma ThompsonMaster clown Philippe Gaulier, the influential founder of France’s École Philippe Gaulier, has died ag…

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Four decades after we wrote Yes Minister, politics is still reduced to the pleasure of power | Jonathan Lynn

Our sitcom character Jim Hacker continues to cling on – as he takes to the West End stage, nothing has really changedWhen people praised Tony Jay and me for Yes Minister’s prescience, we accepted the compliments graciously. But the reason the TV series…

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The Eternal Shame of Sue Perkins review – a Bake Off star basks in self-abasement

Darlington HippodromePerkins’ return to live comedy features some lurid stories of her personal and professional ineptitude, and jaunty tales about vacuum cleaners and a drug-addled trip to a shamanShame is what Sue Perkins promises us in this return t…

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Men Behaving Badly: The Play review – boorish flatmates prattle like it’s 1999

Barn theatre, CirencesterSimon Nye brings back the characters from his hit TV series for a misconceived comedy set on millennium eveIn a nervy theatre economy, with familiar material most likely to sell tickets, nights out often feel nostalgic for nigh…

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The Rat Trap review – teenage Noël Coward’s jaundiced marital portrait

Park theatre, LondonBill Rosenfield reimagines the playwright’s early work about the souring relationship between newlywed artistsHell is other people – especially if you’re married to them. Noël Coward’s characters often struggle to fit their romantic…

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