A tribute to Philippe

Here i will give a tribute to Philippe Gaulier who passed away last week. Philippe was one of the teachers who most inspired my life as a creative Artist. So what to say?? where to begin? I went to Philippe's school wanting more of clown and theatre training. I had no ambition at that point to become an actor. I went to the school because the people who met who had studied there all said the same thing.. "Wow it was very hard, It changed my life" .. It's touching to see the floods of tributes flowing these days from ex students whose life was also shifted by this mans vision. Hard, and clear "There is one rule in theatre" i remember him saying on the first days "It cannot be boring!" I had the pleasure to study the full program with him 13 years back and then to return a couple of times as an assistant teacher, teaching along side him. Sitting in his chair, banging his drum. I remember his eagle eyes, through those glasses.. over that drum. Sharp and rigorously watching. Not letting us get away with anything that wasn't Fantastic. I remember watching as he worked with people on stage, guiding them to moments of stillness, beauty, power that i had never seen before. I remember laughing, so often as he enjoyed to challenge, disarm, deny and insult a thousand improvisations and their performers. Calling for something better, more human. I remember slowly taking steps getting closer, listening very well to his feedbacks, moving towards finding what he would name 'freedom on stage' I remember people flourishing and i remember people struggling. Being pushed into 'The Shit' He believed on the other side of that dark tunnel was something people needed to find. And his didn't hold back. He pushed them into the dark. I remember being so inspired by those poetic fraises of what we are looking for. The beauty, the spirit. The humanity. The pleasure of life. It made sense. We saw it. And we hunted it. Now years have passed i have trained with many others and my views have broadened. But what do i still hold close? what do i still carry? I carry that feeling of pleasure, that tingle in my belly. That hunt of the game, the joy, that pleasure that guides me and all i do. To know what will play, where i will flourish in freedom. I still hold that sensitivity. I carry that pleasure of the idiot. That look in the eye. I carry that hunt for brilliant theatre, where the audience are on the edge of their seats. ... So thank you dear Philippe, I discovered a lot. Im full with appreciation I stand on your shoulders. Rest well Richard .. (Here are some pictures from that school and that stage)