The fears of a clown

J S Mackley

Research output: Contribution to ConferencePaper

Abstract

Clowns are often seen as a source of terror, and this fear may be traced back to the film "Poltergeist" or Stephen King's novel "It". This paper traces the roots of clown performance, from their ability to speak to both commoners and royalty in Shakespeares plays, to the characters of Harlequin, Pierrot and Clown in the Harlequinade plays, and the violence of Mr Punch. This paper also considers more recent creations, particularly the "Northampton Clown" and the effect that this pranks had on the clowning business.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2 Dec 2016
EventThe Dark Fantastic: Sixth Annual Joint Fantasy Symposium - The University of Northampton
Duration: 2 Dec 2016 → …
https://www.richmond.ac.uk/universities-of-northampton-and-richmond-hold-sixth-joint-fantasy-symposium/

Conference

ConferenceThe Dark Fantastic: Sixth Annual Joint Fantasy Symposium
Period2/12/16 → …
Internet address

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