John Turner (he/him)

JOHN TURNER has been performing, teaching, and directing theatre for the past 34 years. He is best known as the “Smoot” half of the award-winning Canadian clown duo Mump & Smoot. He is also the founder and Artistic Director of The Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance (MCCP – a.k.a. The Clown Farm).

He attended three universities but was never inspired to finish. He had jobs as an oil rig roughneck, orderly, painter, construction worker, frying pan salesman, and bartender. John studied clown, mask, and movement with Richard Pochinko, Ian Wallace, and Fiona Griffiths, bouffon with Philippe Gaulier, physical comedy with John Towsen, and improv at Second City.

John is currently teaching primarily online, and by request, after 19 incredible years teaching on the farm and at Laurentian University. Prior teaching credits include The Mump & Smoot studio in Toronto, The S.P.A.C.E. (5 years), Equity Showcase (7 years), the Workman Theatre Project(3 years), The Centre for Indigenous Theatre (5 years) and at The Debajehmujig Theatre Group (18 years). His directing includes Justin Miller’s Pearle Harbour in “Distant Early Warning”, Jennifer Dallas’ award-winning “Kittly-Bender” and “Known”, Karen Hines’ award-winning Citizen Pochsy, Michael Kennard’s Puzzle Me Red, Sandrine Lafond’s Little Lady, and De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre’s A Trickster Tale, The Gulch, and numerous other pieces.

johnwturner.ca The Clown Farm Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia www.mumpandsmoot.com