harlequinade

Colour lithograph bookcover, 1890, showing the harlequinade characters

Harlequinade is a type of theatrical performance piece, originally a slapstick adaptation of the Commedia dell'arte, which dates back to Italy in the 16th century. The story revolves around the lives of its five main characters: Harlequin, Pierrot, Columbine, Clown, and Pantaloon.

The British harlequinade, beginning in the 18th century, involved a series of scenes interwoven with scenes from a serious play based on a myth or folklore.^[1] The Harlequinade was first played in mime, with music, but later had speaking. It included lots of slapstick and silliness. The story of the harlequinade was reduced, by the 19th century, to a comic chase scene focusing on the story of Harlequin and Columbine. Also by the 19th century, the pantomime entertainment followed a long drama, and the pantomime itself ended with a Harlequinade as part of the bill.^[2] 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."^[1] In an elaborate scene, a Fairy Queen transformed the pantomime characters into the characters of the harlequinade, who then performed the harlequinade.^[2][3] 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.^[4] During the complicated chase scene, Harlequin would magically transform objects and the set by whacking them with his wooden bat or "slapstick".

The harlequinade lost popularity by the 1880s, when music hall and other comic entertainments dominated the comedy stage.^[2] Vestiges of the harlequinade survive in the transformation scenes, slapstick (meaning physical humour) and chase scenes in today's pantomimes.^[1]

The characters

John Rich as Harlequin with batte, c. 1720

The Payne Brothers as Clown and Harlequin, c. 1875

Grimaldi as Clown, c. 1810

Harlequin

The Harlequin is the comic of the show. He is a servant and the love interest of Columbine. His everlasting high-spirits and cleverness work to save him from several difficult situations which his amoral behaviour gets him into during the course of the play. In some Italian forms of the harlequinade, Harlequin is able to perform magic feats. He never holds a grudge or seeks revenge.

John Rich brought the British pantomime and harlequinade to great popularity in the early 18th century and became the most famous early harlequin.^[5] He developed the character of harlequin into a mischievous magician. He used his magic batte or "slapstick" to transform the scene from the pantomime into the harlequinade and to magically change the settings to various locations during the chase scene.^[4]

A century later, Fred Payne and Harry Payne, known as the Payne Brothers, were the most famous Harlequin and Clown, respectively, of their day.^[6]

Harlequin is generally considered to be the forerunner to 'whiteface' clowns, i.e. those that rely on slyness or trickery to amuse the audience, rather than buffoonery or physical slapstick.

Columbine

Columbine is a lovely woman, who has caught the eye of Harlequin. In both French and Italian theater, she is often portrayed as a servant, serving girl, or lady's maid under the patronage of Pantaloon (Pantalone), though she is at times depicted instead as his daughter.

Her role usually centers around her romantic interest in Harlequin, and her costume often includes the cap and apron of a serving girl, though (unlike the other players) not a mask.

Clown

A slapstick character who achieved immense popularity outside the Harlequinade, the Clown existed in the Commedia dell'arte in a form immediately recognizable to those who are familiar with the mischievous circus clown character of today. Clown served as a foil for Harlequin's slyness and adroit nature. Clown is a buffoon or fool who resembles less a jester than a comical idiot.

In the Victorian harlequinade, Clown became more important, embodying its anarchic fun. The great clown Joseph Grimaldi was responsible for building the character up from the country bumpkin fool of the Commedia dell'arte into the central figure of the harlequinade.^[7] He developed jokes, catch-phrases and songs that were used by subsequent Clowns for decades after his retirement in 1828.^[2] Clown became central to the transformation scene, crying "Here we go again!" and so opening the harlequinade. He then became the villain of the piece, playing elaborate, cartoonish practical jokes on policemen, soldiers, tradesmen and passers-by, tripping people with butter slides and crushing babies, with the assistance of his elderly accomplice, Pantaloon.^[2]

Pantaloon

This section requires expansion.

Originally, Pantaloon (or Pantalone) was a devious, greedy merchant of Venice – a typical character of the Commedia dell'arte. He is taken in readily by the various tricks and schemes of Harlequin to the great amusement of the audience, to whom the Harlequin's tricks are readily visible.

Pantaloon's costume usually includes a red tight-fitting vest and breeches ensemble, slippers, a skullcap, a comically over-sized hooked nose, and a grubby grey goatee.

In the English Harlequinade, popular in 18th and 19th-century London, Pantaloon emerged as the greedy, elderly and overly-amorous father of Columbine who tries to keep the lovers separated and assists Clown in his cruel tricks.^[2]

Pierrot

Pierrot, or ‘Pedroline’ was one of the comic servant characters. His face was whitened with flour. During the 17th century, the character was increasingly portrayed as stupid and awkward, a country bumpkin with oversized clothes. During the 19th century, the Pierrot character became less comic, and more sentimental and romantic. Also in the 19th century, Pierrot troupes arose, with all the performers in whiteface and baggy white costumes.

Harlequinade costume

The costumes consisted of the following:

• Originally, a black mask, which allowed the actor to lift it and reveal himself sometimes. Other times it is lowered to keep the actor from the audience's view. It has tiny eyeholes and quizzically arched eyebrows. Later, some characters wore whiteface, and the British pantomime characters originally wore masks that they then removed for the transformation to the harlequinade.
• Traditional diamond checkered pants (usually alternating blue, green, and red diamonds)
• Peasant's shirt
• Batte, or slapstick (carried by Harlequin)

Adaptations and cultural impact

• Harlequin and the Fairy's Dilemma (1904), was one of several works by W. S. Gilbert focusing on the harlequinade
• Harlequinade is a play by Terence Rattigan.
• Les Millions d'Arlequin (a.k.a. Harlequinade), a ballet by the choreographer Marius Petipa and the composer Riccardo Drigo. First performed at the Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia on 23 February [O.S. 10 February] 1900. Restaged by George Balanchine for the New York City Ballet. First performed on 4 February 1965.
• Fantasy writer Neil Gaiman published a modern interpretation of the classic characters in his short story collection 'Fragile Things.'
• "Harlequinade" is the name of an episode of Batman: The Animated Series that features the character Harley Quinn.
• The Harlequinade partly inspired Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Mr. Quin, with specific reference being made to the Commedia dell'arte in the short story "Harlequin's Lane".
• The Harlequinade is a recurring trio of characters in The Invisibles comic book series.
• Harlequin and Columbine are mentioned in the song "The Cry of Eugene", by rock band The Nice, which featured Keith Emerson.
• Pierrot and Columbine are recurring motifs in Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius novels.
• Harlan Ellison gives Harlequin as an alter-ego for a mischief-making rebel in his story ""Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman"
• American novelist, Raymond Kennedy, published "Columbine" (1980) in which he used some of the characteristics and themes of the Harlequinade. Kennedy's work is typically characterized as comically grotesque. His use of the harlequinade is instructive in connecting the commedia dell'arte and later grotesque literary traditions.

Notes

External links

• Description of Harlequinade and its evolution
• Pantomime Quadrille
• History of the Harlequinade at the its-behind-you site (2002)