Episode
John Towsen on 50 Years of Physical Comedy
- Podcast
- The comedians paradise
- Published
- Mar 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3940
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://instant-laughs.com/john-towsen
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Summary
In this episode of The Comedian’s Paradise, Marvin McCarthy interviews the "Beast of Physical comedy" himself, John Towsen, for an in-depth exploration of the mechanics of funny. John breaks down the relationship between clowning and physical comedy, moving beyond typical red-nose tropes to look at the spirit of the performer. We compare American and European styles, discuss the legendary impact of Philippe Gaulier, and examine why so few people are teaching physical comedy correctly today. Crucially for the stand-up community, John deconstructs gag structures, explaining exactly how a physical gag differs from a verbal joke and how you can use these frameworks to build more dynamic material. Whether you are a seasoned pro or "clown curious", this episode offers a masterclass in the technical craft of comedy. Episode Timestamps: [[00:00 ]] My introduction to clowning, the relationship between clown and physical comedy [[06:50]] [[06:50]] American vs European style of clowning, why I teach gag structures, how does a physical gag differ to a standup joke [[19:19]] [[19:19]] Philippe gaulliers impact on the world my first clown course with Beverly Crusher [[27:42]] [[28:40]] Using gag structure to create material and who most people in the clown workshops are [[32:00]] [[32:00]] Not many people are teaching physical comedy the right way [[44:20]] [[01:00:00]] My advice to performers [[01:05:39]] #clowning #physicalcomedy #standupcomedy #gagstructure #comedymasterclass #johntowsen #thecomediansparadise #comedypodcast #performanceart #theatrestudies #gaulier #comedywriting #professionalclown If you would like to know more about John, you can join his workshop in London:https://shorturl.at/E30HA, follow his bog:https://physicalcomedy.blogspot.com/ or buy his book on amazon:h…