Date: Monday 14 September – Friday 18 September 2026
Time: 10.30am – 4.30 pm
Cost: CAD $950
Venue: 911 Rue Jean-Talon E. #220 Montréal, QC H2R 1V5
Led by: Aitor Basauri, Spymonkey Co-Artistic Director
Suitable for all levels of experience, from novice to seasoned professional.
Please note, we need a minimum of 14 people to run the course.
The Zani Clown & Comedy School is thrilled to collaborate with the outrageously funny Aitor Basauri, of Spymonkey fame, bringing this one-day workshop to Montreal area actors, performers, and clowns!
Aitor is a master teacher, specializing in clown, improvisation, and the creation of original work. He is one of the most sought after clowning teachers in the world. He has a unique talent for pushing his students to be honest and vulnerable, embrace their true comedic potentials, and claim their inner fools.
Participants will be asked to bring their hearts and imaginations – open, willing, and curious – into a series of games that are designed to shine a light on their most authentic comedic potential. In class, there will be failure: glorious failure, painful failure, bewildering failure, messy failure, boring failure, hysterical failure, risky failure, tearful failure, vibrant failure, hilarious failure, and big, huge flop failure.
And sometimes there will be sweet, sweet, success. No matter which, the delicate world of the clown teaches each performer to be courageous, make a generous proposal, risk everything, and embrace their inner fool.
This is class is not only designed for comedic performers, but dramatic actors and performers of all backgrounds. If you want to connect with the deeply vulnerable side of yourself and perhaps stumble into some richly comedic territory, join us!
Come play, and discover the gorgeous idiot you didn’t know you were!
For more information about our bursaries, please click here.
Founder, co-creator and performer of all Spymonkey shows to date. Performed in The Servant of Two Masters at Sheffield Crucible (1996), Axomate at the Seville Expo (1992), Eulenspiegel (1991) and in Karl’s Kuhne Gassenchau’s Grand Paradis and Stau in Zurich (1997 and 1998). Director of Little Prince for Donkey Productions (1997), Un Vento Impetuoso for La Canoppia (1996) and Meci Y Me Fui for Pez Enraya ( 1997). In 1999 he appeared in Circus Knie, the Swiss State Circus, and in 2000 formed his own company Punto Fijo, based in Bilbao. Appeared in Cirque Images’ 2003 series Solstrom for Bravo Cable Network. Appeared in Bertold Brecht’s Senor Carrera’s Rifles at the Young Vic, directed by Paul Hunter (2007).
Directing credits include: ‘Lily & Marlene’ for La Dinamica (Spain 2015); ’Looking for Duende’ for Teatro Entre Escombros (Spain 2015); ’Hondycops’ for Squadra Sua (Czech Republic 2015); ’Ferucchio Peru is Extraordinaire’ for Leebo Luby (UK 2015); Manifest Destiny (New York 2015); Fabulous Bäckström Brothers (Finland 2014); Entre Escobros ‘600 Teatro’ (Spain 2014); ‘Gloriator’ for Skipstick Productions (London 2013); ‘NMIIDP’ Simone Riccio, (London 2013); ‘Herr Ist Immer Der Natur’ for Die Drei Auf Den Baum (Berlin 2012); ‘Discombobulated’ for Publick Transport (Bristol & UK tour, 2011); ‘Ramshackadelicious’ (Bristol 2011); ‘Shake’ for The Last Baguette (Switzerland 2010). Director of physical comedy for Chichester Festival Theatre’s ‘Mack & Mabel’ (2015) starring Michael Ball. Co-director of Orpheus in the Underworld at Vienna Volksoper operahouse which opens in 2023.
Aitor is an acclaimed teacher of clown, regularly leading Spymonkey training in London, New York, Maine, Los Angeles and around the world, and for the Clown Doctors organisation in Germany, Austria and France.