|
|
Harlequin in England
Pantomime developed from a type of travelling street theatre called Commedia dell'arte which came from Italy in the 16th century. Commedia is a very physical type of theatre that uses dance, music, tumbling, acrobatics and buffoonery.
Commedia dell'arte troupes had a repertoire of stories that they performed in fairgrounds and market places. Often the touring troupes were made up of family members who would inherit their characters, costumes, masks and stories from their parents or grandparents. Commedia spread across Europe from Italy to France and by the middle of the 17th century began to be popular in England.
|
   |
Tinsel Prints |
Commedia Characters
Like pantomime, Commedia dell'arte had set types of character called stock characters. Each character had set movements and gestures that represented his or her personality. The characters included the old man (Pantalone); naughty servants including Arlecchino; a lover, his lady and her servant girl (Columbine) who was in love with Arlecchino. There was also a clown or Pierrot character.
The actors wore costumes that depicted their character. Originally they also wore leather half masks over their faces. Commedia actors did not have a script but would improvise within the outline of a story. Commedia stories were often satirical and would poke fun at contemporary issues or ideas.
|
|
|
West's Harlequins |
