In this episode, we sit down with the hilarious Damien Warren-Smith about the art of Clown and his character, Garry Starr. Damien is currently touring his latest production, Garry Starr: Greece Lightning which is coming to Darwin, the International Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Sydney Comedy Festival over the next two months. Damien shares the ins and outs of this unique form of theatre, his training at the École Philippe Gaulier, the creation of a Plague of Idiots, and how performers find their 'clown'. About Damien: Since graduating ACA’s 2.5 year program in 2004, Damien has been making a massive name for himself in his sell-out one-man shows, under the comedic alter-ego GARY STARR, touring England and the world. As well as this, Damien landed the role of ‘James’ in hit Aussie TV series Love My Way, in which he worked alongside Asher Keddie and Claudia Karvan, as well as working consistently in London and across the UK, on UK’s hit TV shows Law & Order: UK, and the BBC’s The Persuasionists. Warren made his professional stage debut in a production of Ladies Down Under for the Hull Truck Theatre Company, which led him to being cast in director Sue McCormick’s highly acclaimed production of Hamlet at Lancaster Castle. The production was shortlisted for a Peter Brook Empty Space Award in 2008. Damien continued to further his training in 2013 with legendary clown teacher Philippe Gaulier, and then formed the comedy troupe ‘Plague of Idiots’, which toured to theatre festivals around the world and eventually Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets for Garry Starr: Greece Lightning at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival are on sale now via comedyfestival.com.au Tickets for the two Sydney productions at the Sydney Comedy Festival can be booked via sydneycomedyfest.com.au You can follow all things Garry Starr on Instagram by following @garrythestarr or follow Damien's journey by following @damiencreative ARE YOU LOOKING TO SEE MORE THEATRE IN 2022? Why not join our team of reviewers? We're currently on the lookout for Sydney and Melbourne theatre lovers to join our expanding team of writers at Theatre Thoughts. You'll gain experience in writing and sharing your thoughts on theatre, plus you get to see shows on us! If this sounds like you, email us at theatrethoughtsteam@outlook.com or by filling in the form on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices