Clowning is a "Serious Business": Circus
A brief on their history, code of conduct, among other interesting events on Circus.
The oldest record of a clown dates back to 2500 BC, from Egypt. They entertained the Pharaohs. However the Roman civilization is credited with creating the first circuses. It were rather grisly affairs, as it featured chariot races, exotic animals and duels to the death between gladiators and animals.
Yu Sze was a Chinese clown who performed as a court jester. He was considered the national hero of China as he was the only one who dared to criticize the Emperor’s idea to paint the entire stretch of Great Wall of China. He convinced the Emperor to abandon the plan, thus saving lives of many.
Philip Astley is credited with building the first permanent circus and also invented the ‘circus ring’. He discovered that a ring diameter of 42 feet was the ideal size as it it provided a centrifugal force that helped the performers with their show. It also provided in audience with the best and closest view of the show.
Dan Rice was an extremely popular clown and was the main model for ‘Uncle Sam’. He ran for President of the United States in 1868 besides starring in various parodies of Shakespeare’s plays. Mark Twain paid tribute to him in a description of a circus in his novel- The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn.
Jules Leotard was first to do a ‘flying trapeze’ act. The act consisted of him ‘flying’ from one bar to another. He performed it at the Cirque Napoleon, Paris in 1869. A year later another person, the ‘catcher’ was added to the act.
There are eight commandments in the clown’s ‘Code of Ethics’. They have to change into street clothes as soon as possible, so as not to be associated with any incident which may ruin the image of a clown. They also have to try to maintain the best clown standards of make up, costume & comedy.
‘The Big Top’ is the name given to the tent like structure that some travelling circuses still use. Interestingly the author Jules Verne, built and operated ‘Cirque Municipal’ in 1874. At that time it was the largest circus in France.
The Blue colour face paint is considered unlucky among clowns. A common superstition among clowns is that ‘Blue face paint’ brings bad luck. Additionally clowns do not wish each other ‘Good Luck’ before a performance. Instead they use expressions like ‘Knock em dead’ or ‘Bump a nose’.
Alistair Maclean the spy and adventure writer published a book called ‘Circus’ in 1975 – a spy story about a circus company touring Eastern Europe. In circus parlance a tightrope walker is called a ‘Funabulist’.
‘Clown Alley’ is a term used to refer an area set aside for clowns before the show. One theory about the origin of this is based upon the functions of the clown. When the clowns were required the Performance Director would yell ‘Clowns Allez’ which meant ‘Clowns Go’. Eventually the group of clowns and the place where they waited between acts were known as ‘Clown Alley’.
“ The circus is the only fun you can buy that is good for you”- Ernest Hemingway