| Collection | David Drummond Pantomime Collection |
| Description | Contains materials such as correspondence, flyers, playbills, programmes, prints and illustrations, and objects relating to Joseph Grimaldi.
Joseph Grimaldi, an undisputed star of early pantomime, is best known for his character of Clown. Born into an acting dynasty in 1788, Grimaldi followed in the footsteps of his father Giuseppe, a dancing master and successful Pantaloon in 18th century pantomime.
Grimaldi launched his clown in a pantomime called Peter Wilkins; or, Harlequin in the flying world, which was performed at Sadler’s Wells in 1800. His character was called ‘Guzzle the drinking clown’ and was paired in a comic double act with another clown, ‘Gobble the eating clown’. There’s something Falstaffian about these characters’ names; and much of the Regency clown’s humour would derive from skulduggery and vulgarity. As such, one could argue that this clown had more in common with Commedia dell’Arte’s Arlecchino than the Harlequin he devolved into.
Some of the sketches and songs Grimaldi devised in pantomime became so famous that they were frequently offered as bonus content in an evening of theatrical entertainment. Besides his clown persona, Grimaldi was also known for his drag roles such as Queen Rondabellyana in Harlequin and the Red Dwarf [1812], Dame Cecily Suet in Harlequin Whittington, Lord Mayor of London [1814] and Baroness Pomposini in Harlequin and Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper [1820]. However, Grimaldi was also known for performing roles inflected with contemporary racism such as the ‘noble savage’ and ‘wild man’ stereotypes and sometimes using blackface. He impersonated Chinese, Persian, Caribbean and native American characters that were created to make racial otherness the butt of the joke, and was variously billed as ‘Munchikow, a very gifted Eater, Drinker, & afterwards Clown ‘, ‘Cayfacattadhri, the Persian Cook’, ‘Friday a Young Carib’, and ‘Ravin, the Rival Indian’.
Grimaldi enjoyed at least two decades as the undisputed star of the London stage – in some of the pantomimes written at this time, the romantic plot was entirely superseded by the harlequinade so that audiences could experience his entire portfolio of innovative jokes and transformations.
The physical nature of Grimaldi’s performances took a toll on his health and in later years his son, J.S. Grimaldi, stepped in as his understudy. Grimaldi’s death in 1837, aged 58, left a vacuum in British theatre and the harlequinades he dominated would eventually be excised from pantomime in the 19th century. To this day, professional clowns (otherwise known as 'Joeys') flock to Hackney every February for a Grimaldi memorial service. |