Beyond Bozo

The circus, the sideshow, the freak show and vaudeville, as well as their personnel including the clown, the acrobat, the ringmaster and others, have been richly important contributors to modern day forms of entertainment. Films, television programs, streaming platforms and musicals about the clown and the circus are everywhere, ranging from romance and melodrama to horror. This collection covers a range of texts and productions from the late 19th century up to the present day. The essays particularly focus on the clown as the most recognizable, versatile and often unsettling part of a circus. Works from the early classics like He Who Gets Slapped and Limelight to Stephen King's It are examined and show the many ways the clown, whether in or beyond the circus ring, has excited the imagination and entered popular culture.