Send in the Clowns
- Paulie
- Apr 18, 2023
- 6 min read
Joey, Pierre and Ronald walk into a bar...
Approximately 11 minutes walk from Kings Cross station in London, there is a public park. Joseph Grimaldi Park. Once the burial grounds for St James’s Anglican Chapel, tombstones in the centre now lean against the fencing for a colourful basketball court. Nearby, two coffin shaped “graves” in the ground produce music when you step on them, an artwork by Henry Krokatsis introduced in 2010 to honour one of the most influential performers of the nineteenth century and the parks namesake - Joseph Grimaldi. Grimaldi’s own final resting place is close-by, adorned with the masks of theatre.
Born in 1778 London as the son of Italian immigrants and entertainers, Grimaldi made a reputation for himself early on as a performer in London’s theatres, initially taking minor roles as monkeys, imps, fairies and demons - the four genders of theatre - with pure gumption folks! During one performance as a monkey, Joseph’s father swung him around by a chain, until the chain snapped and Joey went flying into the orchestra pit below the stage. Such were the vibes for young J-dog. In the years that followed, Grimaldi would take on the guise of a clown in various productions, from pantomimes to Punch (Judy’s husband) but the clown we are most interested in my friends…is Joey.
Depicted above and above again, Grimaldi developed the look of Joey the Clown in 1802 for an Easter pantomime at Sadler’s Wells theatre. The all-over white face paint, red blush on the cheeks and lips became the most iconic clown serve of the century, and one that endures to this day as a popular choice for clown performers. By the end of 1802, Grimaldi was the sole clown at Sadler’s Wells and a fan favourite. The rest is a long, very interesting history. A history that culminates in economic and physical ruin for our boy, who then attempted suicide with his wife by drinking poison, resulting in non-fatal stomach cramps. A truly clown-like exit from life, Joey would later get absolutely wasted at a party and die in his bed. The coroner would record that he died “from a visitation by God”. Grimaldi died in 1837 and went to clown heaven, which was fairly empty at the time but has since become a buzzing spot, probably?
