Lawrence Smythe

Lawrence Smythe is a Canadian clown that has performed and traveled all over the world. He is a rubber faced prankster with a number of different characters and entrees that he can perform. From mewling baby to over-strict Canadian Mounty to obtuse caveman, Lawrence approaches all of his characters with an earnestness that wins audiences over. Lawrence likes to think of his clown character as a mix between a poet and an orangutan.

Lawrence grew up in a large Irish/Catholic Canadian military family, and his love of comedy was evident from an early age. Lawrence began his career in the theatre in 1978, and has studied extensively with a wide range of eclectic artists. He has held a variety of jobs as well, including, bus driver, baker, door-maker, car washer, waiter, janitor, tree planter etc. Parallel with these jobs he began his world travels, from France to Greece, on through Afghanistan to India and back to Mexico and Hawaii, on and on from here to there. His comedy heroes are the silent film classics– Keaton, Chaplin, and Laurel and Hardy.

From 1999-2006, Lawrence toured with Canadian circus artiste Jean Saucier in a show titled Circo Comedia. Saucier & Smythe were a great and classic circus team– Saucier playing the elegant white faced clown and equilibrist and Smythe the Auguste orangutan. In 2006 Lawrence set off on his own to tour his solo show The Caretaker, which will feature an amalgamation of illusion, mask, puppetry, music, clowning, and audience participation.

To find out more about Lawrence’s work, please visit his website listed below:
http://smythecomedy.com/