What did Joseph Grimaldi blue plaque do at 56 Exmouth Market?

The Story

# 56 Exmouth Market During the decade he spent at this Exmouth Market address from 1818 to 1828, Joseph Grimaldi perfected the art of pantomime that would make him a legend of English theatre, earning him the title "the father of modern clowning." Living here during the height of his career at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Grimaldi inhabited a world away from the glittering stages where he performed—this modest townhouse in the growing district of Clerkenwell served as both his sanctuary and his workshop, where he likely developed the physical comedy, improvisation, and character work that audiences came to adore. From this very doorstep on Exmouth Market, Grimaldi ventured out night after night to dazzle London crowds with his revolutionary blend of slapstick, wit, and emotional depth, transforming pantomime from a provincial amusement into an art form that captivated the city. This address represents the private life behind the makeup and costumes—a place where the man behind "Joey" the clown could rest between performances, yet it remains forever marked as the home of the performer who single-handedly changed popular entertainment and whose name became synonymous with the very word "clown."