A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. The art of performing as a clown is known as clowning or buffoonery, and the term "clown" may be used synonymously with predecessors like jester, joker, buffoon, fool, or harlequin. Clowns have a diverse tradition with significant variations in costume and performance. The most recognisable clowns are those that commonly perform in the circus, characterized by colorful wigs, red noses, and oversized shoes. However, clowns have also played roles in theater and folklore, like the court jesters of the Middle Ages and the jesters and ritual clowns of various indigenous cultures. Their performances can elicit a range of emotions, from humor and laughter to fear and discomfort, reflecting complex societal and psychological dimensions. Through the centuries, clowns have continued to play significant roles in society, evolving alongside changing cultural norms and artistic expressions.
Emmett Leo Kelly was an American circus performer, who created the clown character "Weary Willie", based on the hobos of the Great Depression in the 1930s.
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclists as well as other object manipulation and stunt-oriented artists. The term circus also describes the field of performance, training and community which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Although not the inventor of the medium, Newcastle-under-Lyme born Philip Astley is credited as the father of the modern circus.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling, is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Earth. It and its predecessor have run shows from 1871, with a hiatus from 2017 to 2023. They operate as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. The circus started in 1919 when the Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth, a circus created by P. T. Barnum and James Anthony Bailey, was merged with the Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows. The Ringling brothers purchased Barnum & Bailey Ltd. in 1907 following Bailey's death in 1906, but ran the circuses separately until they were merged in 1919.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College was an American circus school which trained around 1,400 clowns in the "Ringling style" from its founding in 1968 until its closure in 1997.
La Nouba was a Cirque du Soleil show that ran for 19 years in a custom-built, freestanding theater at Disney Springs' West Side at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It was a contemporary circus performance featuring acrobats, gymnasts, and other skilled performers. The show's creation was directed by Franco Dragone, who also directed many of Cirque du Soleil's earlier shows. Its title derives from the French phrase faire la nouba, meaning "to party" or "to live it up".
Cigar box juggling is the juggling of rectangular props that resemble cigar boxes. Wood block manipulation was thought to have started by Japanese prisoners who were given small wood blocks as head rests for sleeping. Cigar box manipulation was developed as a vaudeville act in the United States between the 1880s and 1920s, and was popularized by W. C. Fields. Originally, performers would take actual boxes that cigars were stored in and nail them shut to create their juggling props. Today, cigar boxes for juggling are typically purpose-built, hollow wooden or plastic blocks with suede or foam rubber padding attached to the sides.
Circus clowns are a sub-genre of clowns. They typically perform at circuses and are meant to amuse, entertain and make guests laugh.
The clown alley in a circus is a backstage area, usually very near the animal pens, where clowns change into their costumes and apply makeup. Generally, the clowns' personal props, costumes, and other items are stored in this area as well. Clown alley was usually very close to the Big Top tents, along the side like an alley, so the clowns could get in and out quickly. If the circus show had some problem with a performance, the ringmaster could yell out "Clowns Allez" meaning “Clowns Go!” Today, most clowns do not use tents for dressing and make up, as travel trailer or motor homes are used. The term has also come to mean any professional grouping of clowns, in general, regardless of whether or not they are affiliated with a circus or carnival.
Greg and Karen DeSanto are professional circus clowns who performed as a husband-and-wife duo for three decades. Greg DeSanto is the Executive Director of the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Johann Ludwig Jacob, professionally known as Lou Jacobs, was a German-born American auguste clown who performed for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for more than 60 years. He was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1989. He is credited with popularizing the clown car, which has been a staple of circus clown acts ever since. He is also often cited as the originator of the red rubber ball nose, which is used by many clowns today. He was the first living person to have his portrait appear on an American postage stamp.
Seaside Special is a European light entertainment show broadcast from 1975. It was an outside broadcast based at a big top around numerous British seaside resorts. Originally the big top belonged to various circuses, but in later seasons, the BBC bought its own to be the venue. The programme was developed by producer Michael Hurll. The series was developed after a short-lived, 6 part 'trial' aired on BBC2 in 1973, under the title Show of the Week: The Young Generation Big Top, starring the dance troupe The Young Generation and hosted by various personalities. The series was broadcast from various Pontin's Holiday Camps around the UK under the Gerry Cottle Big Top. The first show, airing on 6 August 1973, was hosted by Clodagh Rodgers. While this show was originally made in the United Kingdom, it was also co-produced in France, Switzerland and Belgium.
George Carl was a vaudevillian style comic, clown and eccentric dancer. Carl was born in Ohio, and he started his comedy career traveling with a variety of circuses during his teenage years. In time, Carl became internationally famous as a clown and visual comedian. Johnny Carson, a fan of Carl's, invited him to appear on The Tonight Show on March 21, 1985, when Carl was 69. His appearance was so well received that he was asked back within weeks for a second appearance which also received raves from viewers. He appeared again on May 27, 1986, doing essentially his same act and received great laughter from an obviously appreciative audience.
George Savalla Gomes, better known as Carequinha or Baldy the Clown, was a Brazilian clown and actor, born in a circus to a circus family. He had a thick head of hair, but wore a bald wig, starting from five years old – he was a clown in Circus Ocidental until the age of twelve. He was the first Brazilian clown to have his own TV show – Circo Bombril, later called Circo Carequinha ran for 16 years.
Frank Oliver Wiziarde (1916–1987) was an American actor and television personality who was known primarily for his performances as Whizzo the Clown in the Kansas-Missouri area from the 1950s through the 1980s
Clown Coaster is a children's steel coaster manufactured by Pinfari that opened at Wicksteed Park in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in October 2011. It previously operated in the Beaver Creek section of Pleasure Beach Blackpool from 1995 to 2008 as Circus Clown. The theming of the ride was a ride through a circus with Morgan the Clown. Prior to relocating to Pleasure Beach, Circus Clown operated for a season at Harbour Park.
Glen Gordon "Frosty" Little was a circus clown who served with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for over 20 years. He was one of only four clowns ever to have been given the title "Master Clown" by the Ringling organization.
Psycho Clown is the ring name of a Mexican luchadorenmascarado, or masked professional wrestler, currently signed to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). Psycho Clown's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from wrestling fans. Part of the Alvarado wrestling family, he is the son of José Alvarado Nieves, who wrestled under the ring name Brazo de Plata, and has previously worked as Brazo de Plata Jr. in tribute to his father. His siblings, Máximo, Goya Kong, Andros de Plata, and Muñeca de Plata are also professional wrestlers
Frankie Saluto was an American clown. Standing at just 3'10, he was known as "King of the Midget Clowns". His career spanned 46 years as a professional clown, starting in 1928, although he did not appear in guides until 1931. Saluto spent most of his career with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus. He retired in 1974 and was inducted into the Clown Hall of Fame in 1991.
