Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out 197. Natalie Palamides: Wisdom from a Modern Clown
Dec 22, 2025
Natalie Palamides, a trailblazer in avant-garde physical comedy and creator of standout shows like Laid and Nate, shares insights into her unique craft. She explores the stark contrast between birthday and theatrical clowns, highlighting the essence of vulnerability in comedy. Natalie reflects on her personal fears and the challenges of performing risky crowd work, including some wild wrestling tales. With a mix of humor and thoughtful critique, she dives into the physicality of her performances and the imaginative use of props that bring her characters to life.
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Clowning Is Deliberate Physical Vulnerability
- Clowning is about joyfully embracing being an idiot and using the body as the primary medium for comedy.
- Although it appears simple, clown training is extremely hard because it requires intentional failure and vulnerability.
Endurance Eggs In Laid
- In Laid Natalie performed an endurance piece eating raw eggs repeatedly until full, sometimes doing the cycle over ten times.
- She wiped UK eggs with baby wipes later due to salmonella concerns but never got sick.
Wrestling Bit Nearly Went Wrong
- Early versions of Nate included unsafely wrestling audience members on concrete before a wrestling mat was used.
- One friend actually flipped and threw Natalie hard enough that the audience thought she broke her neck.