Harlequinade is a British comic theatrical genre, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “that part of a pantomime in which the harlequin and clown play the principal parts”. It developed in England between the 17th and mid-19th centuries. Today we will explore Harlequinade Clown History: from its initial beginning as a slapstick adaptation of the Italian Commedia dell’arte of the 16th and 17th centuries.
The story of the Harlequinade revolves around amusing incidents in the lives of its five main characters: Harlequin, who loves Columbine; Columbine’s greedy and foolish father Pantaloon (evolved from the character Pantalone), who tries to separate the lovers in league with the mischievous Clown; and the servant, Pierrot, usually involving chaotic chase scenes with a bumbling policeman.
Originally a mime act with music and stylized dance, the harlequinade later employed some dialogue, but it remained primarily a visual spectacle.
Harlequinade Clown History
The British harlequinade was first performed in the 18th century, involving a series of scenes based on a myth or folklore. The Harlequinade was first played in mime, then with music, and later even included speaking. It included a lot of slapstick and silliness. The full story of the harlequinade was reduced, by the 19th century, to a comic chase scene focusing on the story of Harlequin and Columbine.
By the 19th century, pantomime performances followed a long dramatic storyline. The pantomimes had double titles, describing the two unconnected stories such as “Little Miss Muffet and Little Boy Blue”, or “Harlequin and Old Daddy-Long-Legs.” In an elaborate scene, a Fairy Queen transformed the pantomime characters into the characters of the harlequinade, who then performed the harlequinade. Throughout the 19th century, as stage machinery and technology improved, the transformation of the set became more and more spectacular.
In the plot of the British harlequinade, Harlequin had to perform a task, and he and Columbine would set out to perform it, pursued by Pantaloon (usually the girl’s father) and Clown (originally Pantaloon’s servant, but later the primary conspirator) and sometimes another lover who had Pantalone’s approval. Clown and Pantaloon try to keep Harlequin and Columbine apart. During the complicated chase scene, Harlequin would magically transform objects and the set by whacking them with his wooden bat, therefore coining the term “slapstick”.
The harlequinade lost popularity by the 1880s when music and other comic entertainments gain dominance in the comedy stage. But the harlequinade clown history and legacy continue today with transformation scenes, slapstick (physical humor), and chase scenes in current mime performances.
Harlequin Clown Character
The Harlequin clown character is usually the love interest of Columbine. His everlasting high spirits help him deal with many difficult situations which his behavior gets him into during the course of the play. In some Italian forms of the harlequinade, Harlequin is able to perform magic. But the character is always good-hearted, and never holds a grudge or seeks revenge.
The harlequinade rose to great popularity in Britain in the early 18th century, where the character of Harlequin developed into some kind of a mischievous magician. He used his magic bat (“slapstick”) to transform the scene from the pantomime into the harlequinade and to magically change the settings to various locations during the chase scene.
Harlequin is generally considered to be the forerunner to “white-faced” clowns – those that rely on slyness or trickery to amuse the audience, rather than buffoonery or physical slapstick.