Biography - Francine Côté and her collaborators

With 43 years of experience, Jean Saucier is reviving the Clown and Comedy School.

Jean Saucier has been performing since the age of 11, graduated the National Circus School in 1986 and began his professional career with Cirque du Soleil at age 18 in 1985. Jean passionately studies the art of clown and circus with a variety of masters since 1978. Jean has created his own clown shows which have toured across the world and ran his own corporate circus agency for over a decade in Montreal.

In 2021, Jean’s dedication for the clownesque art has driven him to revive The Clown and Comedy School, which was created by Francine Côté and in operation from 2002 to 2018. Currently, Francine Côté is training Jean in her theatrical clown teaching methodology.

Jean is the new director of The Clown and Comedy School and, along with his team of professional artists, will be here to support all who are interested in the art of clown to help this noble profession continue to grow and evolve.

To learn more about Jean Saucier, please review his CV by clicking here

photo - James Douglas

Last Year of teaching of Francine Côté
2023 will be Francine Côté’s final year of teaching at the school. She is the founder and creator of the Clown and Comedy school and has developed the Francine Côté Method. This year will allow us to finalize the transmission of the Method to Jean Saucier, our director. This complex transfer will have lasted 3 years. Therefore, this is your last chance to directly benefit from Francine’s expertise. In collaboration with Jean, she will be teaching several clown workshops of different levels offered throughout the year at the school. It’s time to embark or to continue the great adventure of the art of clown.

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.)

photo - James Douglas

He is the co-writer of "Kooza" for le Cirque du Soleil and works regularly as a coach and consultant. Between the years 2009 to 2019, James produced, wrote and played in many cabarets in Montreal. He was the initiator of the Clown Cabaret and directed the shows of the Clown Laboratory with Francine since the beginning. In collaboration with Roch Jutras, he developed and taught stages in Slapstick Comedy for professional artists. He taught mime the physical theatre for more than 15 years.

James has more than 40 years experience in the world of entertainment. He left the states for France and followed the classes at the l’École du Mime de Marcel Marceau and Étienne Decroux as well as a formation in physical theatre and clown with Philippe Gaulier and Monica Pagneux in Paris. During his studies, he performed on the street with artists from around the world. Arriving in Canada, he worked 4 years in Vancouver with La Ratatouille (theatre clown company) directed by Michel Dallaire (1980-84) and he was the co-founder of the company BASTA! with Gina Bastone (1985-88). He toured with the company Axis Mime (1986) and was co-artistic director of the Festival of Fools in Vancouver (1985).

From 1988 to 1990, James rejoined le Cirque du Soleil as ringmaster (white clown) for a tour of North America and Europe with his partner Wayne Hronek (Benny LeGrand).

In 1990, he meets Francine Côté for le Cirque du Soleil and the duo "Alfredo et Adrénaline" begin their international career. Pushing in the direction of the modern clown, but inspired by the traditional clown, these two lovable characters in the throes of the 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.

For 15 years, he created, wrote and directed clown numbers for different artists with international reputations (les Parfaits Inconnu, Circocomedia, Bourask, Les 3 Garçons, CloWN 2011 and 2012, EXIT, Les Bunhjeads, Caravonica, Les Clown Cabarets...etc.).

photo - James Douglas

Geneviève St-Denis’ passion for performing started at a young age when she started training in mime with her father, Claude St-Denis. She trained in ballet, jazz, theatrical mask, clown and bouffon. She graduated from both the Grands Ballets Canadiens and the National Circus School. She has toured the world on theatrical stages and at busker festivals in the clown duo “Gino et Chili” with Daniel Lo Giudice. In 1999 she taught social circus with the Cirque du Monde and Nomadic Arts program of Cirque du Soleil. Geneviève has worked with Oxfam-Québec for 3 years offering programming in Brazil and Cameroon. She is also a resource teacher for the Montreal School Services Center's Educational and Pedagogical Resource Center.

Geneviève St-Denis co-founded the Clown and Comedy School with Francine Côté in 2003. She was the educational coordinator and responsible for registrations with the school. Francine mentored Geneviève in her methodologies for 5 years to become a clown instructor. She was responsible for teaching the Initiation to Clown part 1 and 2 and physical theater at the Clown and Comedy School and is now a consultant for the new director, Jean Saucier.

To learn more about Geneviève St-Denis, please review her CV by clicking here

photo - Serge Morneau

Roch has played onstage, in the circus ring, on television and in films. After winning the "Student of the Year" Award at the National Circus School in 1985, he joined le Cirque du Soleil for the production of "La Magie Continue", and "Cirque Réinventé" in 1987. In 1992 he toured with Cirkus Knie in Switzerland. The season of 1994-95 he became Cirque Éloize's original clown. In 1998 he worked for Cirque du Monde in Chile teaching young street kids circus skills. In 1999-2001 he was the Artistic Coordinator and toured with le Cirque du Soleil's production of "Dralion".

In 2002, Roch returned to Cirque Éloize as an assistant to the Artistic Director. He also, assisted director Daniele Finzi Pasca from Théâtre Sunil, for the production of "Nomade, la nuit le ciel est plus grand" and "Rain, comme une pluie dans tes yeux". He worked as the Artistic Director on the Cirque Éloize production "TYPO" starring Jamie Atkins.

Since 2003 Roch has worked with clown partner James Keylon in the duo "Alfredo et Rocco". In 2004, the duo worked in the Cabaret "Ganymée on Water" in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 2005 also in collaboration with James Keylon, he designed a new cabaret which played in November and December under the name of "Cabaret du côté Est" and was brought back to life the following year. 2006 brought the announcement of his return to the stage with the troupe L'Aubergine from Quebec City in the role of Rocco the technician for the show "Aaatchoum!" Roch recently returned from Japan where he played the role of the Clown in the Soleil production of Kooza. He is also a consultant for le Cirque who trains the clowns before they go off to their shows. Roch is a trained acrobat and clown, teaches the Slapstick Workshop with James Keylon.

To learn more about Rock Jutras, please review his CV by clicking here

photo - Stephan Landry