‘Hello, Muse! I’ve got a bit of a problem! I’m trying to write an article about clowns for my blog.’
‘That shouldn’t be too difficult! I mean, the clown has been around since the time of Ancient Greece and Rome.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes! In those days they were secondary figures in plays and parodied the actions of the more serious characters. Mind you, sometimes their comedy was extremely savage. It is said that more than one Christian died at the hands of a clown.’
‘What! Oh yeah! I can hear the crowds in the Coliseum shouting, “Throw them to the clowns! Throw them to the clowns!” I bet a lot of Christians died laughing!’
‘Mmm, I don’t think so, somehow! In Roman times, more often than not, the clown was the target for all the tricks and abuse of his fellow actors.’
‘So, were they called “clowns” in those days?’
‘No. the word “clown” is German and means “country dweller” or “peasant”.’
‘Oh! Something like a country bumpkin, a Devonshire dumpling? A village idiot, perhaps?’
‘You’ve got the right idea! They were the buffoons or the Vice character in the mystery or miracle plays of the Middle Ages, pranksters who could deceive even the Devil. They wore caps and bells, brightly coloured costumes and sometimes had donkey’s ears sewn into the top of their hats.’
‘Ah! Like Bottom in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’
‘That’s right! Among the first professional stage clowns in England were William Kempe and Robert Armin who were leading members of William Shakespeare’s company of travelling players. Did you know that William Kempe once performed a nine-day Morris dance from London to Norwich?’
‘No! Good heavens! Some people would do anything to win one of Delia Smith’s early cookery books. You know, I can’t think of the names of any famous clowns.’
‘Come on! You’ve probably heard of Joseph Grimaldi. He was one of the earliest true circus clowns in this country and first performed in one of his father’s shows as a little clown when he was barely two years old. “Joey” Grimaldi became the greatest and best-loved performers in the history of British pantomime. Slapstick routines devised by him are known as “Joey-Joeys” and are still used today.’
‘Yes, I have heard of him. Thanks for reminding me.’
‘Then there was Grock (or Adrien Wettach) who was a famous white-faced clown, and Emmett Kelly, who was an American character clown.
‘I’ve never heard of them!’
‘And then, in more recent times there was Nicolai Poliakoff…’
‘Who?’
‘Come on! You remember him! He used to work for Bertram Mills Circus during the 1960s.’
‘I remember watching Bertram Mills Circus when I was a kid. But I don’t remember Nicolai Polia… whatsit.’
‘Coco the Clown?’
‘Now! I remember him!’
‘That was Nicolai Poliakoff.’
‘Oh! Why didn’t you say so?’
“Strictly speaking, Coco was an “auguste” clown.’
‘I know he was august! He was a awarded a medal by the Queen for his road-safety work.’
‘No! No! an “augoost”!
‘A what?’
‘An auguste. You see, there are three types of clown. There is the white-faced clown, who plays the straight man in the comedy routines. The auguste plays the funny man who messes up the tricks, causes general mayhem and who delivers the punch-line or “blow-off” at the expense of his white-faced partner.’
‘Oh! And the third type?’
‘The third type of clown is the character clown, who dresses as a tramp, a policeman, a woman or a baby.’
‘Well, I never, Muse, you’re a mine of information.’
‘That’s what muses are for!’
‘Ah! But can you make me laugh? I fancy a bit of a-muse-ment!’
‘Unfortunately, I don’t know any clown jokes, but I suppose I could always find some…’
