Clown Doctors

Jude Bishop (aka Dr. Leanora Who)
has spent 24 years involved in theatre in education as a performer, puppeteer, designer, prop maker and tutor. She is the founding member and co-artistic director of Theatre Frontier. She spent 11 years touring schools nationwide in New Zealand. She has been involved in developing performances with strong environmental themes in a collaborative partnership with The Edge and The Auckland Regional Council. Jude worked for 3 years as a puppeteer with the New Zealand Puppet Theatre and 9 years with Auckland Playback Theatre.
Jude has a Diploma in Drama from Auckland University and also trained as a primary school teacher. She is also involved in implementing alongside fellow co-worker, Toby the puppet, a personal safety programme for young children and their caregivers, "We Can Keep Safe" through Auckland Sexual Abuse Help Foundation. Jude is currently a tutor in drama at The Performing Arts School in Auckland.

Aaron Ward (aka Dr. Funny Bone)
started clowning as "Cheeseburger the Clown" when he was 18 and continued to make use of his skills to help pay his way through drama school he graduate in 1996. With his second clown “Elvo” (the letters of love jumbled up), he spent 2 months in Montenegro and Kosovo entertaining the displaced people during the Balkan war in 1999. Supported by World Vision, Aaron shifted arenas to spread joy and bring some relief through laughter in refugee camps, orphanages, hospitals and other initiatives.

Aaron expended his tour of duty in collaboration with the UN, Unicef and World Vision teaching children about the dangers of landmines, booby traps and UXOs. He returned to Kosovo in 2000 to film a documentary with TVNZ and then went on to perform at the refugee camps of Bosnia and the World Expo in Germany. In 2005 he was based in Banda Aceh in Indonesia for 2 months following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami for which he was awarded the Special Service Medal by the New Zealand Government.
In 2006 he performed for the people in Lebanon following the bombing from Israel. In 2007 Aaron was New Zealand’s nomination for the JCI (TOYP) The Outstanding Young Persons of the World Program in which he finished in the top 30.

Over the years Aaron has also been a guest speaker at World Vision Conferences around the country. Although his acting for TV, Film, Theatre and corporate work has taken precedent over his clowning in recent years, Aaron has been wanting to be able to give again through clowning and he has been able to do this by being part of the Clown Doctors New Zealand team.

Zack McCracken  (aka Dr. Cracker)

has an Honours Degree in Drama from the University of East Anglia, UK and in 1991 a Diploma in Physical Theatre from the Lecoq Theatre School in Paris. She is also a Registered General Nurse who divides her time between freelance acting, directing, teaching and delivering community health programmes.

Ruth Dudding (aka Dr. Priscilla Pick Me Up)
has worked in theatre, television and video production for over 20 years as an actor, director, field producer, and camera operator. Ruth graduated from The New Zealand Drama School (Toi Whakaari) in 1983 and studied physical theatre and clowning at Ecole Jacques Le Coq in Paris in 1985. She has performed in professional theatre since 1984 both in Wellington and Auckland and has appeared in a number of NZ produced television dramas.
Ruth directs theatre and film and is a competent camera operator and editor, working on a contract basis for Television New Zealand, Maori Television and TV3. She manages her own video production business creating corporate videos and producing short films for National competitions and local councils. She is a drama and yoga tutor at the South Seas Film School in Auckland.
Ruth is passionate about her work as a Clown Doctor at Auckland’s Starship Hospital, finding it challenging and rewarding in equal measures. Along with making a documentary about Clown Doctor International finally being welcomed into New Zealand hospitals, Ruth is writing her first feature film script.

Rowan Ford Dawson (aka Dr. D.C.)
is an artist who loves to battle gravity on his unicycle. Already in the age of 5 Rowan discovered his passion to be performing artist. He graduate at CPIT CircoArts in Christchurch and has been also acting as assistant tutor. Rowan now lives in Auckland where he teaching kids circus class in acrobatics, clowning and object balancing at Riverside community centre. He is also a relieving teacher at Waitakere Gymnastics School. He does children's entertainment and performance gig's around New Zealand.

Pala Fisher (aka Dr. Loola Doolaly)
has been exploring and studying clown, improvisation, physical theatre, dance and creative therapies for over 16 years. She holds a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts in Contemporary Dance and has a background in education. Her many teachers have included Al Wunder, Lisa Brickell, Alan Clay, Stephen Hollins, every person she has had the pleasure of performing /playing with or for, and every child she has been blessed to know. In addition to her clown doctor life, she juggles many 'other lives' as an early childhood educator, storyteller, writer, artist and dancer. Pala’s first love is the art of PLAY, for its ability to empower both young and old to learn, heal and grow.

Hannah Mc Quilkan (aka Dr. Strut–Her-Stuff)
has performed as long as she can remember, inspired by her mother who is a drama teacher. She was involved in theatre productions and television throughout childhood and received her Trinity College Speech and Drama diploma as a teenager in 1998.
Her interest in health and her desire to help people lead her to study Naturopathy at Wellpark College from 2002-2005. Hannah went on to work at Waiheke Natural Health Centre for several years as a practising Naturopath. More recently her main focus has been on acting. She has worked on various TV productions including 'Legend of the Seeker' and currently works as an improvisational actor for Theatresports troupe ConArtists.
Hannah is thrilled and passionate about being part of the role it plays in inspiring and uplifting patients, their families and hospital workers. Helping people through performance as a Clown Doctor is a dream come true for Hannah.

Stephen Hollins  (aka Dr. P.P. Roni)
has Diploma of Drama, Auckland University; Theatre Corporate, Auckland; The John Bolton Physical Theatre School, Melbourne and Al Wunder's Improvisational Theatre Studio, Melbourne.
In a career spanning 26 years he has worked as an as an actor in a variety of performing styles and genres for Film & TV, Theatre, Opera, Street Theatre, Corporate Theatre and Improvisational Theatre.
Stephen has directed, acted and produced shows and acts for theatre, corporate events and arts festivals. As an International performance artist he performed in arts festivals and events and was noted by Hong Kong press (1998) as being one of Australasia’s leading clowns and mime artists. He has taught theatre skills and run workshops in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Auckland.
In 2000 Stephen returned from Melbourne and established Living Theatre, offering Auckland performers a platform to create, explore and develop their own content and theatrical expression through Open Form Improvisational Theatre.

Lisa Wingfield (aka Dr. Love Joy Blue Bottle)
has been a professional clown for over 20 years, performing throughout New Zealand and overseas. She is well known and loved as 'Pickle the Clown' from the popular and dynamic duo: 'Carrot and Pickle'.  Lisa is a versatile physical comic artist with a vast experience in a myriad of disciplines. She has a background in dance, gymnastics, mime and theatre and training in clown and circus skills from internationally respected teachers. As well as performing for countless family events and festivals, Lisa has written, devised and directed comic sketches and theatre for corporate events and educational presentations. Lisa was a co-founder of the CPIT circus school and has taught clowning there over the last 14 years. She is also Clown Doctors training coordinator for South Island.

Chris Carrow (Dr. Brooom)
a Canadian born artist has been a  professional clown for 25 years. He travelled the world performing his clown, Canada, USA, Fiji, UK, Australia, Dubai, Holland, Germany to name a few. Settling in New Zealand in 1988 Chris started his own company 'Sillicon Planet Theatre Co' with his partner Lisa Wingfield, working as clowns Carrot & Pickle. Together they have performed throughout New Zealand.
Chris also directs many circus and physical comedy productions. In 1994 he co-founded 'CircoArts', New Zealand's only tertiary circus school where Chris is a core tutor, facilitating and directing student shows and teaching clowning, character creation, and comic techniques.
Chris is a key member of the 'Christchurch Community Circus Trust', an organisation that works to provide circus opportunities to the community. Chris has been key to setting up workshops and circus based projects, teaching skills and comic performance.

Ollivia – Olli Ricken (Dr. Schmuckenpops)
started performing as a clown and circus performer in 1992. In- service Clown training in Germany 1997/8 while studying for her masters degree in Psychology and Educational Science, which she completed in 2001 before coming to New Zealand to do further Circus training and completing her diploma in Circus Arts in Christchurch.
Olli is also a Circus tutor at CPIT and freelance performer as well as Circus/clown Tutor.

Louise Kerr (aka Dr. Betty Bling)
left teaching to pursue a career in performing arts.  Trained at Christchurch Polytechnic’s Circo Arts, Louise graduated with a diploma in circus arts in 2008.  She has also studied Red Nose Clown with Italian tutor and performer Giovanni Fusetti. Louise specialises in clowning/character and comedy work.  She is skilled in unicycling, juggling, object manipulation, balloon modeling, and static trapeze. Louise has performed in such events as, The World Buskers Festival, Whangarei and Waimate Busking Festivals, Akaroa French Festival, Circus Proms, The Royal New Zealand Show, Leeds Civic Hall England, Unicycling on Ice and the Festival of Flowers. Louise works as a regular MC in Christchurch and as a freelance circus performer.

Kerry McCammon (Dr. Sausage)
is an experience Clown who has been very successfully entertaining the audience with various Puppets, original stories and a huge number of songs since 1982. Kerry performed  at schools and kindergartens, numerous of festivals and community celebrations of all kinds all trough New Zealand but also in England and Japan. Kerry is a founding member of Natural Magic Theatre Coy.

Thomas Petschner (aka Dr. Exami Nation)

• Jen McArthur (Nurse Springbottom)
• Daniel Hales (aka Dr. Dan Dandy) is a graduate of the CPIT, CircoArts school in Christchurch, and specializes in straps, mime and clown. He was keen on theatre from a young age and performed in many productions before starting street performing in 2008. Dan thrives on variety and spontaneity so he travelled around New Zealand performing in the Circus in 2009 and 2010.
  Daniel also worked 6 years with and alongside people in need of special care, creating work and day programs depending on their needs. He has also studied various Martial Arts and has a teaching diploma for Yoga.