Jos Houben

Born on 5 March 1939 in Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium, Jos Houben is a director, teacher and actor. The Belgian is internationally acclaimed in the field of comedy and Physical Theatre. Houben has trained at L’École Jacques Lecoq and is also a founding member of Complicité. For the past 30 years, Jos has worked with prominent international organisations and artists, including-Peter Brook, Ecole Jacques Lecoq, The Right Size, Georges Aperghis, Theatre de Complicite- Simon Mc Burney, Ragdoll Ltd, Theatre London, Thames TV, Opera North, Centre National Des Arts Du Cirque, British Council and Opéra Comique. For his work, Houben has received Perrier Comedy Award (1986, Theatre de Complicite) and Olivier Award for Best Entertainment (1999, The Right Size).

If we talk about his work in cinema, Jos co-created and performed in A Minute Too Late and collaborated on many other projects with Annabel Arden, Simon Mc Burney and Liso Bauer. He was also a director and co-writer of the cult comedy troupe The Right Size (which won Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment 1999 and Best New Comedy 2002), playing in the West End and Off-Broadway., He created and performed Mr Fixit, a silent slapstick TV comedy for children. He was also involved as a creative director and associate producer for Ragdoll TV’s Brum – The Magical Little Car. He performed Quatre Mains, a theatre piece for four hands with Andrew Dawson. On several shows in Paris, including Commentaires, Zwielicht, and Paysage sous Surveillance, He collaborated with Greek contemporary music composer Georges Aperghis.

His one-man show, The Art of Laughter, has toured the world many times. Jos Houben is also a teacher, director, advisor and consultant with comedy groups, opera companies, circus schools, workshop festivals, dance schools, universities and magicians worldwide. In 2016, he did comedy directing for the hit West End musical Girls and toured extensively with Marcel’s comedy duo.Houben also led Czech Physical Theatre Company Squadra Sua’s new hit show Crossings, opened in Prague in May 2019. Currently, he is preparing two Operas for the Opéra Rennes and Opera Caen, as well as a new movement-based show with contemporary dancer Raphaelle Delaunay.