Great Lives

Frank Turner on Joseph Grimaldi


Listen Later

Frank Turner chooses Joseph Grimaldi, the first celebrity of Pantomime who changed the face of Clowning forever. Matthew Parris presents, and Mattie Faint is the expert.

Grimaldi was born into a theatrical family, making his stage debut aged two dressed as a monkey and being flung around the stage on the end of a chain by his tyrannical father. The chain snapped but Grimaldi survived, making the papers and turning Grimaldi into a little celebrity. His performances as 'Clown', combining acrobatics, satire and music, made him a big draw for the crowds, and his role in 'Mother Goose' turned him into a huge star.
He developed the make-up we now associate with clowns but behind this iconic look was a man suffering from depression, extreme physical disintegration and a series of personal tragedies.
Frank Turner, former punk and now folk singer-songwriter, sees himself primarily as an entertainer and has developed an interest in Pantomime and Music Hall. For him, Grimaldi gave everything to his audiences and physically destroyed himself in the process - something he sees as honourable. He describes Grimaldi's farewell speech as one of the most beautiful eulogies to the business of being a performer.

Producer: Toby Field

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Great LivesBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2
  • 4.2

4.2

465 ratings


More shows like Great Lives

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,827 Listeners

The Archers by BBC Radio 4

The Archers

1,114 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

894 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,074 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,488 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,819 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,881 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

614 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

304 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,842 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,058 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,064 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

109 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

46 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

230 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

126 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

163 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

242 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

43 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,214 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

770 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,046 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

117 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

40 Listeners