Francine Côté

Francine Côté is the founder of the Clown & Comedy School and the artistic director from 2002 to 2019. Based on her years of experience as a performer and her training, she has elaborated her own method of teaching the art of clown. Her passion has always been the truthfulness of the character and the dynamics between clown partners.

Francine is a clown/teacher/director with training in physical theatre, clown, bouffon (2 years with Philippe Gaulier and Monica Pagneux) and 45 years experience in the creation and performance of comic, physical and clown characters. She played on the international scene (Circus, Cabaret, Variety’s and Festivals), taught in a diverse range of schools (National Theatre School of Canada, National Circus School in Montreal and the School of Circus in Quebec City, École de l ‘Humour (Just for Laughs) and UQAM. She worked in collaboration with companies (Cirque Éloize, L’Aubergine, En Piste, Marie Chouinard (dance) and Gros Orteil.

In 1985, Francine toured with Le Cirque du Soleil in the clown troupe "La Ratatouille", with her clown "Adrénaline". She was also a bouffon with Bouffon de Bullion, an actor/acrobat for Dynamo Théâtre and an actor for Quebec TV shows (Passe Partout, Robin & Stella). In 1990 Francine returned to Le Cirque du Soleil in London, where she met her life and clown partner, James Keylon. This was the beginning of an international career as the duo "Alfredo et Adrénaline".

Pushing in the direction of the modern clown, but inspired by the traditional European clown. These two lovable characters in the throes of their own "Battle of the Sexes" have touched tens of thousands of spectators around the world. The duo has played in circus: Cirkus Knie (Switzerland), Cirque du Soleil (Mystère, Las Vegas; Cirque Réinventé, London, Paris) Cirkus Benneweis (Denmark), Weishnachts Zirkus (Freiburg, Germany". Cabaret/Theatre: Wintergarten (Berlin), Apollo (Düsseldorf), Teatro Zinzanni (Seatle, San Francisco), GOP Variety (Hannover, Essen), Polygon (Zurich), Casino (Locarno), Freidrichsbau (Stuttgart), Luna Cabaret (Dortmund). They have also participated in various Festivals and Events: Festival du Cirque de Monte Carlo, Festival de Verona (Prix de Festival), G7 Conference (Halifax), Festival of Clown (Barcelona)...and in 1998 they received the "Golden Noses Award" given to them by the family of Charlie Rivel in Copenhagen, Denmark.

From 2001 to 2008, she was the artistic director of Dr. Clown, a company of professional artists working as therapeutic clowns in hospitals and elderly homes. She continued to collaborate till 2019, offering the base of the artistic training.

Since 2000, she has directed several shows, clown numbers and cabarets (Toxique Trottoir, Espace Forain (Pique-Nique), Greta, EXIT, Bunheads and Friends, Cabaret Nightclub, Bossbotte, Les Parfaits Inconnu, l’Aubergine, Circocomedia...etc.)