About
Mission
Creation and production of physical comedy performances for the stage, the street, and the screen.
Founded in Montreal in 2022, Empire Pagaille is a non-profit organization dedicated to the creation and production of physical comedy theatre for adult audiences, both nationally and internationally.
Empire Pagaille contributes to the vitality, visibility, and development of contemporary Quebec clowning through its original productions, the organization of community-building events, and by offering training opportunities for both professional and emerging artists.
Empire Pagaille 2026. Tous droits réservés.
History
At the heart of Empire Pagaille lies a desire to stage the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, to reveal our contradictions, and to question the systems in which we operate. Through laughter, physical comedy, and contemporary clowning, the company offers a perspective that is both critical and deeply human, reflecting on our time.
This artistic vision gave rise to Empire Pagaille. Founded in 2022, during the height of the pandemic, by artist Évelyne Laniel, the company was created with the intention of making physical comedy theatre more widely known and recognized among adult audiences. Since then, it has developed several original works and events that have reached thousands of spectators, sold out performances on multiple occasions, and toured across Canada.
The company’s artistic roots go back several years earlier. In 2018, Évelyne Laniel presented an early version of Mme Brûlé at the Festival Fringe Saint-Ambroise in Montreal. This physical comedy, featuring a teacher confronted with the absurdities of the school system, received the award for Best Francophone Production and marked the beginning of an important touring trajectory. Developed in collaboration with Canadian director Jed Tomlinson, the work continued to evolve and was awarded the Audience Favorite prize at the OUF! – Festival OFF Casteliers in 2019. Since then, Mme Brûlé has been presented in Montreal’s Maisons de la culture, as part of ROSEQ, Réseau Ontario, RADARTS, at TOHU, as well as at several festivals across the country.
In parallel with its creation activities, Empire Pagaille develops spaces for encounter and experimentation that contribute to the vitality of the field. In 2023, the company produced Cabaret de la Pagaille, a series of evenings bringing together more than fifty artists. That same year saw the launch of Soirée Impro Clown, a unique concept in Quebec presented monthly at the Gesù and consistently sold out since its creation.
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The company also contributes to the development of clown practice through CCF Gym, a training space for professional artists designed to explore, experiment, and continue their artistic development between productions.
Today, Empire Pagaille continues its journey with the belief that laughter can be both unifying and revealing. The company is currently developing a new creation that further explores the relationships between individuals, the systems they inhabit, and the absurdities of everyday life.
Policy
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