Clowns -- Great Britain -- Biography; Grimaldi, Joseph, 1779-1837
[73] Sadler's Wells opened under the management of Mr. Howard Payne
on Easter Monday, April 3, 1820, with the best playing company ever
assembled within its walls. The stage business was arranged by
Grimaldi; and in the first piece, the pantomime of "Goody Two Shoes,"
Bologna played Harlequin; Grimaldi, Clown; Barnes, Pantaloon; Farmer,
with a song, Mr. Wood, the husband of Miss Paton, afterwards Lady
Lennox; Columbine, Miss Vallancey. On Whit Monday, May 22, was produced
a splendid Persian Pantomime, entitled "The Yellow Dwarf; or, Harlequin
King of the Golden Mines;" Harlequin, Mr. Bologna; Columbine, Miss
Vallancey; Pantaloon, Mr. Barnes; Grim, afterwards Clown, with a song,
"London Cheats, or there never was such Times," by Grimaldi: the Yellow
Dwarf, afterwards Yellow Harlequin, Mr. Guerint; Ubrino, his attendant
Genie, afterwards Yellow Clown, Mr. Grimaldi, Junior, his first
appearance this season. On July 3, was revived the pantomime of "Don
Juan;" Don Juan, Mr. Bologna; Scaramouch, Mr. Grimaldi, with the song
of "Tippitywitchet;" Donna Anna, Miss Vallancey. Grimaldi's benefit,
Thursday, July 27th, presented a crowded house: the entertainments
were, "Kaloc; or, the Slave Pirate;" Kaloc, by Mr. Grimaldi; "Ko and
Zoa," in which Bologna played Ko, Grimaldi, Ravin; and the "Yellow
Dwarf;" and the applause with which they were received induced a
repetition on the two following nights. "Raymond and Agnes" was revived
on August 7, when Grimaldi played Robert the Bandit.
[74] On Howard Payne's night, October 5th, after T. Dibdin's melodrama
of "Douglas," followed a harlequinade, compiled by Grimaldi from the
best scenes of the last popular pantomimes, entitled "Scraps; or, Fun
for the Gallery." Bologna, Guerint, Grimaldi, Young Grimaldi, Barnes,
and Miss Vallancey performed the parts; and the bills stated that, on
this occasion, Mr. Grimaldi would appear for the last time this season,
and introduce one of his most celebrated comic songs, and with Mr.
Bologna a grotesque dance, the Pas-de-Deux from "Mother Goose." C. M.
Westmacott, who was scene-painter and composer of the pantomimes this
season at Sadler's Wells, had also a benefit on October 11th, the bills
for which invitingly asked the reader, "Will you come for nothing?" the
prices of admission were as usual; but to every person in the boxes and
pit was presented an excellent portrait of Grimaldi, engraved after
Wageman's drawing, by Blood; and to every person in the gallery a book
of the songs of the evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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