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In the 1700’s, to keep down the number of street performers and to add dignity to the acting profession, laws were created to restrict street performances. The laws prohibited unauthorized street performances but said nothing about silent acting. Thus began pantomime often called mime, acting without words.  |
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In 1768, near London, Philip Astley presented a show which combined the comedic and acrobatic skills of the clown with the precision of military horsemanship. Immediately popular giving birth to what we now call the “circus”. The term circus was not used by Astley. The modern circus received its name a few years later in 1782 when one of Astley’s former horseman, Charles Hughes, founded the Royal Circus. |
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The clowns were more character type clowns, wearing very little makeup. One such character was Jean Gaspard Deburau. His character, “Pierrot” was styled after the English clown. His costume was
. “Pierrot” is credited with being the first true whiteface clown. He made an elegant clown. This elegant style, named after “Pierrot”, is still seen today. |
In the late 1700s,
the streets of France were filled with entertainers of all sorts:
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| Pierrot Clown | Pierrot & Harlequin Clown |
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