‘New Zealanders are inventive by necessity’: how the master clown Philippe Gaulier shaped NZ theatre

Hannah Joyce Banks

doi:10.64628/AA.yk7w5p7m4

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‘New Zealanders are inventive by necessity’: how the master clown Philippe Gaulier shaped NZ theatre

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‘New Zealanders are inventive by necessity’: how the master clown Philippe Gaulier shaped NZ theatre

Hannah Joyce Banks

The Conversation, Vol.11 February 2026

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64628/AA.yk7w5p7m4

Appears in The Conversation

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Abstract

New Zealand

theatre

obituary

clowns

clowining

theatre and performance

Master clown and French theatre guru Philippe Gaulier has passed away aged 82, but his influence will live on around the world – particularly in Aotearoa New Zealand. The performance style inspired by Gaulier can be traced throughout New Zealand theatre since the 1970s, often centring around Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. Nola Millar, the first director of Toi Whakaari in 1970, said École Jacques Lecoq – where Gaulier trained and taught, before starting his own school – was one of the best theatre schools she had ever seen. The influence of Gaulier is significant: several of his graduates went on to teach at Toi Whakaari, including Tom McCrory (Head of Movement, 1998–2013), Christian Penny (Director, 2011–18) and award-winning director Nina Nawalowalo. In 2002, Nawalowalo and McCrory co-founded The Conch, a theatre company focused on Pasifika stories using visual and physical theatre forms. McCory said Gaulier’s style builds resilience and independence and has been so popular in Aotearoa because “New Zealanders are inventive by necessity”.

Details

Title: ‘New Zealanders are inventive by necessity’: how the master clown Philippe Gaulier shaped NZ theatre
Authors: Hannah Joyce Banks - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Publication details: The Conversation, Vol.11 February 2026
Publisher: Conversation Media Group
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.64628/AA.yk7w5p7m4
ISSN: 2201-5639
Copyright note: © The Conversation Media Group. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries; Healthy Ageing Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991209780602621
Output Type: Magazine article

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