Born in 1855, El Niño Farini first performed at the
age of 10 on stage at the Alhambra
theatre in London with his father who was an acrobat and tightrope
walker. El Niño was known as the ‘Infant Prodigy’. His
act included hanging from a trapeze by his neck whilst playing
a drum. At the Crystal Palace in 1869 his father carried El
Niño on his back on a tightrope 180 feet (55metres) above
the audience emulating the performance of Blondin
who seven years earlier had carried his daughter. The pair performed
in music halls across the country billed as ‘The Flying Farinis’.
El Niño first performed as Lulu in Paris in 1870 appearing
as ‘The Beautiful Lulu the girl Aerialist and Circassian Catapultist’.
Returning to London he continued to perform as Lulu. At the
Holborn Amphitheatre in 1871 he was top of the bill and such
was Lulu’s success that she was billed as ‘The Eighth Wonder
of the World’! Her act consisted of being catapulted from the
ground up to a trapeze and turning three full somersaults. There
was much embarrassment amongst male admirers when it was revealed
in 1878 that Lulu was in fact a man.
Introduction
