Comical putting make-up on bear (9)
I believe the answer is:
slapstick
'comical' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'make-up on bear' is the wordplay.
'make-up' becomes 'slap' (informal term for make-up).
'on' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'bear' becomes 'stick' (to stick with something is to bear it).
'slap'+'stick'='SLAPSTICK'
'putting' is the link.
(Other definitions for slapstick that I've seen before include "unsophisticated humour" , "Boisterous comedy based on actions rather than words" , "That's laughable" , "Comedy with physical antics" , "Simple comic act" .)