John Turner

John Turner is best known as the "Smoot" half of Mump & Smoot, along with Michael Kennard ("Mump"). This award winning Canadian clown duo has delighted audiences throughout North America for the past 24 years. In 2010 Mump & Smoot presented their newest show “Cracked” at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and as part of the Magnetic North Festival to outstanding audience response and critical acclaim. It has gone on to successful runs at Theatre Network in Edmonton and at Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary in April/May 2011. After three sold out Fringe Festival tours in 1989, 1990, and 1992, Mump & Smoot went on to play regional theatres across the continent with great success. These theatres include the Astor Place Theater (Off Broadway), Yale Repertory Theater, the La Jolla Playhouse, the Dallas Theater Center, the American Repertory Theater (Boston), Baltimore Center Stage, the Canadian Stage in Toronto, Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre to name but a few. John has been recognized for his work with a Dora award, a Canadian Comedy award, a Boston Theatre award and a Drama Logue award (California). John began teaching the Pochinko style of clown in 1991 at Equity Showcase in Toronto. He taught there for 7 years before opening his own studio, The SPACE, with Michael Kennard where he continued to teach, direct, and work on Mump & Smoot shows for the next 6 years. He currently teaches primarily at Laurentian University and throughout the summer on his farm, The Clown Farm, on Manitoulin Island. He also has had ongoing teaching gigs at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (6 years) and the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig.

Shows participated in:
Little Lady (2012 - 13) Director