Clowning around in Walcha

A very special doctor who prescribes laughter as the best medicine will be paying a visit to Walcha MPS on 3 October.

The Sydney Humour Foundation Clown Doctors are finishing their Australia-wide tour in Walcha where the visit will be experienced not only by hospital patients but also the community.

Between 9am and 10.30am Doctor B Looney will visit Walcha MPS before moving on to the retirement village and a public performance for the community in the evening.

Clown Doctors are professional performers, trained to work in sensitive hospital settings. They prescribe doses of humour and administer it through improvisational play and music.

The team, which comprises 55 laughter specialists, makes a difference to 85,000 patients a year across Australia.

The Clown Doctors parody hospital routines to help children and adult patients adapt to an unfamiliar environment, and distract children during painful or distressing procedures.

Co-Founder and Creative Director of The Humour Foundation, Jean-Paul Bell (Dr B Looney) selects and trains the Clown Doctors and often speaks to health professionals and community groups. In 2000 he was one of three Clown Doctors to visit East Timor and in 2002 was part of the International Patchwork for Peace mission visiting Afghanistan.     

“When people see the Clown Doctors dispensing doses of fun and laughter in hospitals, they may not realise that Clown Doctors are highly skilled professional performers who have undergone an audition process and initial training to work in the sensitive hospital environment,” Mr Bell said.

“They also continue training with a regular on-going professional development program.”

Contact: Tamaryn Curry

Phone: 4921 4801