Francesco Caroli |
sabato 22 maggio 2010 | |
Ricordando Francesco Caroli vi proponiamo un bell'articolo di Don Stacey pubblicato su "The Stage" nel giugno 2004 Francesco Caroli, che morì il 18 maggio all'età di 82 anni, era un grande artista di circo italiano di una dinastia di talentuosi. Dall'infanzia si è esibito nella pista del circo, e con i suoi fratelli Camillo, Enrico ed Ernesto faceva parte della famosa troupe di cavallerizzi Caroli Brothers, in cui Enrico eseguiva un salto mortale da un cavallo ad un altro.
Don Stacey Nel suo articolo Don Stacey dice che i Caroli apparvero solo raramente nella natia Italia ma vogliamo ricordare le loro stagioni invernali al Circo Medrano, negli anni '70 e, più tardi, al Circo Cesare Togni nei primi anni '90.
Francesco Caroli, who died on May 18 aged 82, was a leading Italian circus performer from a dynasty of talented circus folk. From childhood he was performing in the circus ring, and with his brothers Camillo, Enrico and Ernesto formed part of the famous bareback riding troupe of the Caroli Brothers, in which Enrico would perform a backward somersault from one horse to another at the canter. Born in San Donna di Piave, Italy, in September 1922, he worked with his brothers’ act in England at the Great Carmo Circus and Blackpool Tower Circus before the war. In 1939 they were in Germany with the Circus Jakob Busch when the clown act walked out and Busch asked the Carolis if they could fill in with a clown number. Although versatile in various circus skills, clowning was not one of them but they agreed to have a go and Enrico, Ernesto and 17-year-old Francesco hastily put together a number, in which Francesco took the role of the elegant white-face clown in sequinned costume. They were a success and thereafter wherever the Carolis worked with their riding acts, they also presented the clown act as Les Francescos. They rehearsed assiduously and developed a wide range of acts and musical comedy numbers and eventually became the most popular clowns of Europe. After the war, they returned to Britain, to appear in Tom Arnold’s massive Christmas Circus at Harringay Arena, London, in the winter of 1949-50. So great was their success that the Carolis returned there a further four times. They also worked at the Kelvin Hall Circus in Glasgow and in 1959-60 appeared in West London for Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia, returning there a further three times until Mills’ closure in 1967. They also toured Britain for three years with Mills, from 1961 to 1963 and returned in 1968 to travel with Billy Smart’s Circus for four years. They continued to enjoy huge success throughout Europe with all the top circuses, including Benneweis in Denmark, Krone in Germany and Knie in Switzerland but rarely appeared in their native Italy. But by now the expense of running the family troupe was enormous, for there were three generations of performers in the number, ten or 12 of them in the ring for the riding act alone, along with eight horses, several grooms and a small city of trucks and caravans. To continue the big riding act and the clowning became financially impossible and when Enrico died, they disbanded. Francesco and his nephews taught riding at the French National Circus School of Chalone-sur-Marne but in 1990, German circus owner Bernhard Paul persuaded Francesco back into the ring. From 1990 to 2001, Francesco Caroli was the doyen of white-face clowns with Circus Roncalli, teaming up with Bernhard Paul himself and other leading clowns of the day. In 1983 he starred in a Central Television production, The White-Face Clown is Dead - We Don’t Need Him Anymore. At the age of 80 he was forced to retire due to ill-health, living with dignity and courage with cancer. A few years ago, Francesco received an award from the World Clown Association, and earlier this year, The World’s Fair, the circus world’s international professional journal, presented him with a special International Circus Award in recognition of his career. His wife Odette, from the famous French circus dynasty of Bouglione, survives him, along with their daughter Michelina. |