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”.

Gaulier was trained by Jacques Lecoq (1921–99) at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, founded in 1956.........

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