Harlequinade Harlequinade Harlequinade is a British comic theatrical genre, defined by the "Oxford English Dictionary" as "that part of a pantomime in which the harlequin and clown play the principal parts". It developed in England between the 17th and mid-19th centuries. It was originally a slapstick adaptation or variant of the Commedia dell'arte, which originated in Italy and reached its apogee there in the 16th and 17th centuries. The story of the Harlequinade revolves around a comic incident in the lives of its five main characters: Harlequin, who loves Columbine; Columbine's greedy and foolish father Pantaloon (evolved from the character Pantalone),
Wilfredo (character) Wilfredo (character) Wilfredo is a fictional comedy character portrayed by the British comedian Matt Roper. The character is an obnoxious, deluded and uncouth satire of a romantic singer characterized in a commedia dell'arte style. Wilfredo has acquired a cult status, particularly among music festival audiences and on the alternative cabaret and comedy circuit in London. Roper has toured the character internationally, performing in Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, South Africa, Australia and Argentina. Physically, the character of Wilfredo is a grotesque caricature of Falstaffian appearance: trousers pulled up to the top of a corpulent stomach, a tight