Fred Karno
British theatre manager (1866-1941) · United Kingdom · On the map · Comedians · Died at 75
Frederick John Westcott, best known by his stage name Fred Karno, was an English theatre impresario of the British music hall. As a comedian of slapstick he is credited with popularising the custard-pie-in-the-face gag.
Fred Karno is read about 96 times a day, in 17 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.
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Media & music
![In 1904, Karno's Komics produced a new sketch for the Hackney Empire in London called Mumming Birds, which included the pie in the face gag among other new innovations.[3][4]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Frank_Matcham_Hackney_Empiire_291_Mare_Street_291_London_E8_1EJ_3.jpg/1280px-Frank_Matcham_Hackney_Empiire_291_Mare_Street_291_London_E8_1EJ_3.jpg)
About this person
During the 1890s, in order to circumvent stage censorship, Karno developed a form of sketch comedy without dialogue.
Country
United Kingdom
Category
Comedians
Type
Comedian
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1866 to 1941 · aged 75
