An acting graduate from The Northern School of Art has been has been reflecting on his “brutal but brilliant” residency at the school founded by the renowned clown teacher and performer who trained Sacha Baron Cohen, Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter amongst others.

Joseph Casling, who graduated from The Northern School of Art’s BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen degree in 2022 and the School’s MA in Directing & Theatre Making in 2023, attended a masterclass in early 2024 at the École Philippe Gaulier, founded by Philippe Gaulier, considered by many to be the world’s last master clown.

Described by the New York Times as the ‘Dumbledore of Clowning’, Joseph first heard of Gaulier during an acting class whilst studying for his degree at the School’s Hartlepool university-level campus.

“Our lecturer said never go to this school because it’s brutal,” said Joseph. “But I decided that I wanted to rise to the challenge and attend.”

The fortnight-long residency at the school in Étampes, outside Paris, included intensive acrobatic training every morning. “Within a week or so I was walking on my hands,” Joseph added.

“By the end of the course I felt the most physically fit I have been in my life.”

The afternoon classes involved performing in front of fellow students and the teacher. “Negative feedback formed the basis of the classes and there was a 26 seat ranking system for the class,” he explained.

“Feedback was given via a drum system: one bang on the drum indicated that the teacher was bored, two was a final warning and three meant ‘get off the stage’. I was worst twice and best once.”

He added: “I was able to attend thanks to support from Arts Council England’s Develop Your Creative Practice fund and I went over to France in person to apply and audition, rather than submit a tape, and was offered a place.

“It was a brilliant but very intense experience and I have been using what I learned in so many different ways since I returned.”

In his final undergraduate year Joseph was awarded the ARC Award for Best Solo Show for his play Conked Out. Exploring loneliness, self-worth and burnout, it was inspired by his time as a mental health inpatient when he was younger, where he was diagnosed with bipolar and an eating disorder and left wanting to make theatre for people that don’t think it is for them.

“I wrote the show as a graduate and when I returned from France I rewrote it to represent who I am now as a performer. It’s almost there now and three venues have said they want it.”

Joseph, lived in Durham before starting his degree and still lives in the north east as “it’s my home, I didn’t want to leave.”

Alongside his theatre work, directing and regular appearances in theatre and film productions across the region, he also works as a part-time lecturer on the School’s Acting degree course and as a Learning Support Assistant at the FE campus in Middlesbrough with neuro-divergent students.

“I’ve conducted workshops for my undergraduate students since coming back from the residency using some of the same techniques which have gone really well. I’ve spared them the brutal negative feedback techniques that the Gaulier course is well-known for though!”

Joseph Casling can be found on Instagram at @josephcasling and on Spotlight at www.spotlight.com/8616-5615-3875

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