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                                                                                                 Is Joey Becoming Extinct?

Clowns have existed at most places and times since recorded history. The first recorded clown was a pygmy presiding as a court fool at the court of Pharoah Dadkeri-Aki, four and a half thousand years ago in Egypt. From the pantomimes of ancient Greece to the present day. Faraway native American tribes have made extensive use of clowns in teaching and even in religious ceremonies. They have celebrated the art of the prankster and a healing belief in the power of laughter. West Indian clowns have worn jumpsuits and carried horsewhips to mock the slave-traders. But with the extensive embrace of television and the internet, with the decline in circuses, is there room for clowns in today's world?

In most cultures since the twentieth century, clowns have had some role to provide ridicule and folly, with the development of travelling carnivals and circuses creating a lot of job opportunities for clowns. Circuses may have had up to half a dozen permanent clowns who would have been supplemented by other performers with particular skills  who would make up and dress to include routines such as acrobatics, feats of strength or agility, impersonating policemen or firemen.

Circus clowns have largely, traditionally worked as pairs, or ensembles. Roles played include the 'whiteface' or 'Joey'. Joey was first popularised by 'the father' of modern clowning, Joey Grimaldi. He would make-up and dress to make fun of his audience, ridiculing any self-importance or authority that he saw in the audience. He exaggerated his make-up as he was working at a distance and needed to highlight his facial movements. The white face and 'beauty spots' were to make fun of the 'posh' women in his audience who wore beauty spots to hide smallpox disfigurement. A red nose for drinkers and blackened teeth for village idiots.

Joey often works with a 'redface' who is often an anarchist who spends his time deflating Joey. Although clever the redface has lower status and often trouble following instructions, perhaps deliberately, perhaps accidentally. They both may be accompanied by another character with less status than Joey but more than redface. They may play a mediator or a second-in-command. The whiteface to be damned.

These days outside of the rarity of circus, clowns provide childrens shows, private parties, shopping centres and townshows. Ensemble routines are much less due to lack of rehearsal facilities. Clowning is more about magical conjuring tricks and juggling. Grimaldi's presentation of folly was more physical and hazardous, in fact leading to his early retirement. His act had been too physical.

A current urban myth is that a research project interviewed two hundred and fifty children in a north England hospital on how they felt about clowns, they could collectively have been assessed as suffering from coulrophobia as they have been reported as all being afraid of clowns. The survey was only about the pictures of clowns on the hospital walls, none of whom they had actually met. A current character role for clowns is often Dr Clown.

Even the Nazi's had clowns. Charlie Rivel who some consider to be one of the greatest twentieth century clowns is still controversial within his own family for years during the war working in Germany. Although originally a very acrobatic clown working with other family members, his act developed to a very existential point where he only needed a chair and a guitar. His act may be seen on 'you tube'. There are statues of him at different places in Europe.

Gerry Cottle who ran away from home at fifteen years of age to join the circus, has done as much as anyone in Britain to promote the role of clowns as a circus master and manager. Gerry Cottle runs the Wookey Hole Clown Centre. There is the egg collection where clowns establish their made-up faces, memoriabl and clowns costumes. He has been involved to international standard and more lately with the Circus of Horrors. This is a return to the Carnival/Freakshow style of the past and is not without controversy as many of the clown fraternity feel that it excludes children and innocence. However, a lot of american films and videos have used deranged clowns as a theme or characterisation.For audiences who feel that watching performers do unspeakable things with wild animals is unthinkable then perhaps the future is to watch performers do inimitable things? Perhaps clowns are evolving!

On the first sunday in february at Holy Trinity Church in Hackney there is a service where clowns commemorate Joseph Grimaldi. This is followed by a show for children.

Charie Rivel- “Every human being is a clown but only a few have the courage to show it!”

(c) 2010 Peter Watt Wattartmedia