Clowns tramp to east London on annual pilgrimage
The streets of east London erupted with slapstick humor on
Sunday as clowns from all over gathered for the annual memorial of the
legendary Joseph Grimaldi.
"King of clowns" Grimaldi was a 19th-century
English stage performer, credited with inventing the white-faced, curly haired,
red-nosed look that came to define the role of a clown.
Scores of devotees traveled by plane, by car and on foot --
wearing oversized shoes -- to the All Saints Church in Haggerston for the
service, which has been held annually since 1947.
"We have people flying in from Canada, Ireland, from
France, people coming down from Scotland" for the "funny reverential
service remembering the legend," said organizer Bibbledy Bob.
Balloons and bunting hung above the normally somber pews,
which were taken over by wags wearing tiny hats, huge bowties and novelty
flowers in honor of the English actor and comedian, who lived from 1778 to
1837.
Unicycles rolled down the aisles, while other fans sat
holding custard pies throughout the service.
"There's circus clowns, theatrical clowns, party
clowns, tramp clowns -- there's lots of genres of clowning," said Bibbledy
Bob, a party clown.
"There's many ways to become a clown, you only have to
look at the Houses of Parliament," he joked.
The unusual gathering attracted puzzled looks and
enthusiastic fans.
"People stop you for autographs," Bibbledy Bob
remarked.
"If I told you that David Beckham was coming today,
you'd totally believe me, there's paparazzi from all over the world."
Grimaldi became the most popular entertainer of the Regency
era of the early 1800s, performing in pantomimes, notably in London's West End.