Great Parade and Great Thrills. Spectator’s Experience of Fairground Shows in the XIXth Century
This article aims to show how the street performances of entertainers and the shows presented in fairs are part of an aesthetic of the spectacular, relying in particular on a great interaction between the artists and the public. The fairground performers are always on parade and play a constant exhibition to maintain the attention of spectators who are essentially more volatile in these open-air theaters. To make the spectator shiver, to make them dream and to arouse their curiosity are the main springs of the fairground dramaturgy.