The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi: Laughter, Madness and the Story of Britain's Greatest Comedian ****UNC PROOF***

Canongate, 2009. Soft Cover. Fine. UNCORRECTED BOOK PROOF. Book in FINE unread condition. Due publication 6 August 2009. Product Description: The son of Italian Immigrants, Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837) was the most celebrated of English clowns. He created the 'Joey' look associated with clowns ever since, and completely transformed the role of the Clown in the Harlequinade. He was as recognizable as Chaplin's tramp or Tommy Cooper's magician. He became one of the first celebrities, enjoying the company of Byron and his memoirs were later edited, and in fact mostly written by, Charles Dickens. But underneath the stage paint, Grimaldi struggled with depression and his life was blighted with tragedy. His first wife died in childbirth and his son would go on to drink himself to death. The extreme physicality of his performances meant that he was disabled and in considerable pain in later life. The outward joy and tomfoolery of his performances masked his grim and difficult personal life and instituted the modern figure of the glum comedian. Drawing on a wealth of source material, and highly nuanced, Andy Stott has written the definitive biography of Grimaldi and a fascinating portrait of Georgian theatre in London, when there were frequent riots at Drury Lane and arch rivals Sadlers Wells resorted to flooding the stage to recreate Admiral Nelson's sea battles at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. He argues that Grimaldi left an indelible mark on the English theater and the performing arts, but that his legacy is of human struggle, battling his demons and giving it his all in the face of adversity.