Topic summary
Slapstick comedy
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Slapstick.
Early uses
Slapstick comedy's history is measured in centuries. Shakespeare incorporated many chase scenes and beatings into his comedies, such as in his play The Comedy of Errors. In early 19th-century England, pantomime acquired its present form which includes slapstick comedy: its most famous performer, Joseph Grimaldi—the father of modern clowning—"was a master of physical comedy". Comedy routines also featured heavily in British music hall theatre which became popular in the 1850s.