England Seeks Court Jester

Some days, The Times can still entertain despite being owned by Rupert Murdoch. Thursday's edition ran a "help wanted" ad for the position of court jester. English Heritage, which looks after historic bits and pieces of once-Great Britain, will hold auditions Saturday at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, and salary will be negotiated afterward. With a population as eccentric as the media say, the UK should have quite a pool of talent from which to draw. And demand is likely to be more than pent-up since the position has been unfilled since 1649.

Qualifications as laid out in The Times are largely what one might expect. "Must be mirthful and prepared to work summer weekends in 2005. Must have own outfit (with bells). Bladder on stick provided if required." Yet is that really what Mr. Blair's Britain expects of its court jester in the 21st century?

For one thing, summer weekends in Britain, even in rainy Lancashire, don't really need any cheering up. Dreary Tuesday mornings in November are another matter entirely, or those endless Sundays in February that seem to drag on for weeks. One might think that a willingness to work weekends isn't all that important in a fool when there is serious merry-making that ought to occur when the Northern Line goes out of commission during rush hour -- yet again.

The outfit with the bells seems a bit off the mark as well. After Carnaby Street in the 1960s, the King's Road in the 1970s, and Camden Market even unto the present day, the traditional fool's costume comes across as rather tame. Indeed, there are members of the House of Lords and the judiciary who look more foolish in their full-dress attire. The bladder on a stick might be useful as ironic counter-point to today's melange of eclectic yet subtle sophistication, but that phrase came from a fashion magazine, and one isn't quite sure that is has any meaning at all.

The pros may decide to go after this plum post. Eddie Izzard might make a good jester, but he's rather too cerebral. Lenny Henry might be a wise choice, breaking the color barrier and all. Or Rik Mayall, who hasn't worked enough recently to suit opinion here. The Pythons are all too old, and Spike Milligan is no more, ditto Peter Sellers.

A bit of research, though, reveals that Prince Philip has no engagements listed in the Court Circular for Saturday. There are pros, and then, there is the Prince-Consort.


© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.


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