Joseph Grimaldi, the First Modern Clown

Sep 25, 2023

Guest Joseph Grimaldi, one of England's most famous Regency-era entertainers and the first modern clown, discusses his life and contributions to clowning. The podcast explores his father's influence, family hardships, and his intense performances. It also covers his rise to fame, struggles with theater managers, and the decline of his style. The hosts also discuss listener updates, mental health facility renaming, and potential future episode topics.

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Introduction

00:00 • 5min

The Life and Legacy of Giuseppe Grimaldi

04:55 • 7min

Family hardships and a brother's disappearance

12:23 • 2min

The Life and Career of Joe Grimaldi

14:11 • 9min

Joseph Grimaldi's Debut and Intense Performances

23:19 • 5min

The Rise and Fall of Joseph Grimaldi

28:44 • 12min

Listener Updates, Mental Health Facility Renaming, and Future Episode Topic Suggestions

41:10 • 5min

Joseph Grimaldi was one of England’s most famous Regency-era entertainers. Sometimes he’s described as the first modern clown, because he established a lot of the hallmarks of clowning that still exist today.

Research:

Boyle, Laura. “Joseph Grimaldi, King of Clowns.” Jane Austen Centre. 4/14/2014. https://janeausten.co.uk/blogs/uncategorized/joseph-grimaldi-king-clowns
Grimaldi, Joseph. “Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi.” Edited by Charles Dickens (“Boz”), illustrated by George Cruikshank. London, George Routledge and Sons. 1838.
Kaplan, Charles. “The Only Native British Art Form.” The Antioch Review , Summer, 1984, Vol. 42, No. 3, "Divine Goalie" Sport and Religion (Summer, 1984). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/461136
Moody, Jane. "Grimaldi, Joseph [Joe] (1778–1837), actor and pantomimist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. May 29, 2014. Oxford University Press. Date of access 7 Sep. 2023, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-11630
Read, Leslie du S. "Grimaldi, Joseph [Giuseppe] (1709x16?–1788), dancer and dentist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 7 Sep. 2023, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-64341
Simon, Ed. “Here We Are Again!—How Joseph Grimaldi Invented the Creepy Clown.” JSTOR Daily. 5/4/2022. https://daily.jstor.org/here-we-are-again-how-joseph-grimaldi-invented-the-creepy-clown/
Stott, Andrew McConnell. “Clowns on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown: Dickens, Coulrophobia, and the Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi.” Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Fall 2012). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26899534
Stott, Andrew McConnell. “The Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi.” The Public Domain Review. 11/14/2011. https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-memoirs-of-joseph-grimaldi/
Stott, Andrew McConnell. “The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi: Laughter, Madness and the Story of Britain’s Greatest Comedian.” Canongate. 2010.
Woods, Leigh. “The Curse of Performance: Inscripting the ‘Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi’ into the Life of Charles Dickens.” Biography , Spring 1991, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Spring 1991). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23539893

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