Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837) is the father of modern clowning, the papa of all pierrots, the daddy of everything droll. He was famous for performing acrobatic skills and visual tricks in theatres and his catchphrases such as ‘Here we are again’ and ‘Shall I??’

His Whiteface makeup design with red triangles still influences clowns today and circus clowns are nicknamed Joeys in his honour. Charles Dickens penned a celebrity biography of the great man.

Every first Sunday in February, Holy Trinity Church in London holds a memorial service for Grimaldi, to mark his birthday. Clowns gather from all over the world to pay their respects and to see their fellow clowns.