In 1980 the École Philippe Gaulier opened its doors in Paris to help performers find and celebrate their “inner idiot”. The school quickly became the prime destination for clown training, attracting theatre students, actors and curious others from around the world. Philippe, who has died aged 82 following a Read more…
Dear friends, It is with deep sadness that I inform you that Philippe Gaulier passed away on February 9, 2026, at 21:30, due to complications from a lung infection. In his final moments, he was peaceful and beautiful. He did not suffer; he simply fell into an eternal sleep. It Read more…
Philippe Gaulier’s book TORMENTER has been translated into Chinese and published in Taiwan. I appreciate the work of the translators, Anthony Wong and Alvin Chiam. A big thank you also to Olivia Yang and Ling Tang for their valuable help. I appreciate the delicate work put into this translation, and Read more…
Major and Minor On stage, there’s always someone who directs the scene; they are in “major.” That means they’ll speak very loudly, be a great actor and be visible. He’ll direct the game and the other actor who is in “minor”. During rehearsals, you say, “Ah yes, this one’s strong, Read more…
Have you ever met an actor who would admit to being ugly? There aren’t any. Even when playing an ugly character, an actor must portray the role through their own beauty. An actor is always somehow beautiful, because you can see the child they were, mixed with their pleasure of Read more…
To avoid being boring, you have to have a smile in your eyes, even laughter in your eyes. That means your eyes are having fun. When someone tells a joke, they are happy, they build suspense and for sure we’re going to have fun. You must always have jokes in Read more…
When I got the call that Hillary Clinton wanted to visit Philippe, I thought it was a very bad joke. But when I realized it was real, I thought it could be the best joke of 2022. Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea Clinton have a film project called GUTSY Read more…
An Interview with Philippe Gaulier Christian Hendricksen, a very tall guy who Philippe called “double meter,” came to interview Philippe for three days. It was around the end of last summer. He is a polite and friendly Englishman and was a great listener from beginning to end. Thanks to this, Read more…
“Masked Play “24/01 / 2022-11 / 02/2022 change the subject to VAUDEVILLE Due to the Covid-19, the mask cannot be shared with others, and the masks we use are very delicate and made of special paper or leather, and disinfection will damage the masks. We are very sorry but Read more…
Our school has been open, with strict COVID measures in place, since OCT 2020. This is thanks to the great cooperation and efforts of all the students. The situation is still unpredictable, but we would appreciate your cooperation so that we can all have a wonderful time for your discovery Read more…
Dear Friends,
We like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended Philippe’s memorial gathering, as well as to those who have sent messages, flowers, and love from all over the world.
It was so beautiful.
On 18 February 2026 at 14:30, accompanied by a great and warm round of applause from all in attendance, Philippe’s coffin was carried to the crematorium for his final farewell.
His cremated remains are scheduled to return home on 26 February. Then, in mid-April, in accordance with his wishes, we plan to scatter his ashes in the sea off the coast of Brittany — a place he loved deeply and regarded as a spiritual homeland for anarchists.
For those who would like to watch Philippe’s documentary, here is the link to École Philippe Gaulier’s YouTube channel. The film can be freely downloaded as his last present: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B_b2JX4wH8
The title of the film, “The Man Who Waits for Freedom,” was given by Philippe himself, and he was quite proud of it.
Philippe would surely have been very happy to receive such heartfelt applause in his final moments.
We extend our deepest thanks for the kindness and support you showed him throughout his life.
19 FEB 2026
MICHIKO, BALTHAZAR, SAMUEL GAULIER