Henny Bario, performer at Tom Arnold's Harringay circus, dies at 88

The death of Henny Bario, aged 88, in France at Christmas and her obituary in the Telegraph reveals a little more about the history of Tom Arnold's Mammoth circus at the Harringay Arena.

Henny was part of one of the most celebrated European musical clown families, the Barios, who, like so many others, spent a season at Tom Arnold's Harringay circus in 1955.

below: Freddy, Nello, Henny and Bario

It was in Harringay that the famous Italian clown Manrico (below) made one of his final performances.  Henny's husband, Freddy took his father’s place as the bumbling auguste. He had previously played the whiteface clown above (a role originally taken by his uncle, Dario) and along with his brother Nello and Henny, they formed le trio Bario. The trio was seen as highly original, because it featured two augustes and no whiteface, and also because Henny was one of very few women to be part of a clown act.

They appeared often in Britain but it was in France where they were most loved: les Bario featured in popular television series and returned to the circus ring there in 1984.

Clip of Les Bario in 1965, performing in London, showing Henny's speciality, musical hammers.