Richard Flexmore 'real name'' Richard Flexmore Geatter(1824–1860), was a British

clown A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. History The most ancient clowns have been found in ...

and

pantomimist 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 ...

of the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

. Flexmore was the son of Richard Flexmore Geatter, a well-known dancer who died at an early age. Flexmore was born at

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on 15 September 1824. At the age of eight he commenced his theatrical career at the Victoria Theatre, where his juvenile drollery soon attracted attention. In 1835 he appeared at a small theatre which then existed in

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in a fantastic piece called ‘The Man in the Moon,’ and danced very effectively a burlesque shadow dance. He subsequently became a pupil of a Mr. Frampton, and showed great aptitude for stage business in his own peculiar line. As a grotesque dancer his services soon became in request at various theatres, and in 1844 he appeared as the

Clown A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. History The most ancient clowns have been found in ...

at the Grecian Saloon. The following winter he made his first great hit when taking the part of Clown at the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout m ...

, which was then under the management of T. D. Davenport. His wonderful activity and abundant flow of animal spirits quickly became recognisable, and he was then engaged for the Princess's Theatre, where he remained for several seasons. On 28 July 1849 at St. Mary's parish church,

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...

, he married Francisca Christophosa, daughter of Jean Baptiste Auriol, the famous French clown, and with her acted with great success in the chief cities of

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. After this he appeared at the

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, the Adelphi, and

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theatres, and later at

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, where he performed in the pantomime ‘Jack-in-the-Box’ at Christmas 1859. He was especially noted for his close and natural imitation of the leading dancers of the day, such as Perrot, Carlotta Grisi, Taglioni, Cerito, and others; but although chiefly known as a dancing clown, he could when required also take the part of clown à la Grimaldi in a very efficient manner, and was one of the most diverting pantomimists who ever delighted a holiday audience. In 1859 Harry Payne was playing a bear when he had to take over as

in the middle of a performance because Flexmore had collapsed.London's Lost Theatres of the Nineteenth Century By Erroll Sherson Published by AyerPublishing, (1925) pg 29 Although Flexmore's physical strength and activity were remarkable, he overtaxed his powers to obtain the applause of the public, and brought on a consumption, of which he died at 66 Hercules Buildings, Lambeth, London, on 20 August 1860, and was buried at

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederic ...

on 27 August. His widow, who married again to a cousin on her father's side, died two years after Flexmore, in Paris on 3 September 1862. His mother, Ann Flexmore Geatter, whom he had supported for many years, died on 26 December 1869, aged 88.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Flexmore, Richard 1824 births 1860 deaths English clowns Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery People from Kennington