Episode 5
Grimaldi is determined to fill the family's pockets with a final farewell performance; so, on 28th June 1828, he staggers on to the stage of a packed Drury Lane Theatre.
Kenneth Cranham reads from Andrew McConnell Stott's account of the life of one of the world's most famous clowns, Joseph Grimaldi, who became a superstar of Georgian pantomime.
His body crippled by the years of on-stage clowning, Grimaldi is forced finally to pass the baton to his son, JS. But the young pretender finds the constant comparisons with his famous father hard to bear, and seeks solace in the hard-drinking, hard-living circle of the great actor Edmund Kean. Meanwhile, his father is determined to fill the family's pockets with a final farewell performance; so, on 28th June 1828, barely able to stand on his crippled legs, Grimaldi staggers on to the stage of a packed Drury Lane Theatre.
Abridged by Viv Beeby.
Last on
More episodes
Next
You are at the last episode
Broadcasts
- Fri 11 Dec 2009 09:45成人快手 Radio 4 FM
- Sat 12 Dec 2009 00:30成人快手 Radio 4
Listen to more Audio Books
Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Subscribe to the Short stories podcast
Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
How many of these 100 Novels have you read?
After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.
Finding Your Story
Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?
成人快手 Arts: Books
Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.