Carlo Antonio Delpini (died 1828) was an Italian pantomimist and theatrical manager. Carlo Antonio Delpini Sayers

Life

Born in Rome, Delpini was a pupil of Nicolini. About 1774 he was engaged by

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

for the

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

. There, at

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, and at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

, he supplied the mechanical arrangements for many

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

s in which he acted. Among Delpini's well-known pantomimes were ''Robinson Crusoe'', in which he played the hero to the Man Friday of "Signor" Giuseppe (father of

Joseph Grimaldi Joseph Grimaldi (18 December 1778 – 31 May 1837) was an English actor, comedian and dancer, who became the most popular English entertainer of the Regency era.Byrne, Eugene"The patient" Historyextra.com, 13 April 2012 In the early 1800s, ...

), ''Don Juan'', and ''The Deserter of Naples''. The two latter pieces were given respectively on 12 August 1787 and 1 January 1788 at the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square, when that venue was opened by

John Palmer John Palmer may refer to: People Politicians * John Palmer (fl. 1377–1394), English politician *Sir John Palmer, 5th Baronet (1735–1817), British politician *John Palmer (1785–1840), U.S. congressman from New York *John Palmer (1842–1905) ...

. On 17 February 1789 Delpini was severely hurt at the Haymarket, acting in the ''Death of Captain Cook'', a serious ballet from the French. Delpini was for a time stage manager at the Opera. He managed private theatricals, and made on his own account some ventures, giving once at

the Prince Regent George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, the tickets for which were sold at three guineas each. He also arranged entertainments at

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

for the Prince as George IV. In his later years he fell into poverty, and died 13 February 1828 in Lancaster Court,

Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4 ...

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Delpini, Carlo Antonio Year of birth missing 1828 deaths Italian theatre managers and producers Italian male actors Pantomime