The Victorian Clown unlocks the secrets of Victorian comedy, letting us into the gaudy world of the circus through the life and works of two professional clowns. James Henry Frowde ran away at 16 to join the famous Henglers' circus, and this volume contains his previously unpublished account of life on the road. Also included is the gag book of another professional clown, Thomas Lawrence, dating from 1871, providing a unique insight into his nightly performances in gas-lit tents all over Victorian England.
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