Exhibitions

Playing the Fool

Celebrate pioneering women clowns from the 1920s and 30s in our free exhibition.

Photograph: George Hommel

Fri 26 Oct-Sun 6 Jan

This autumn’s mezzanine gallery display celebrates a selection of women pioneers who asked to be taken seriously as clowns. Drawing on photographs and publicity materials from the BFI’s Special Collections, the exhibition presents early film in the context of experimentation, trickery and adventure, and showcases women from the 1920s and 30s who made comedic cinema their own – quite literally wearing the trousers to create performances rooted in vaudeville, dance, mime and magic.

See our Comedy Genius season.