The tragical comedy or comical tragedy of Joseph Grimaldi and what became of the most famous clown in England and the fate of his family.

Joseph Grimaldi is the most famous comedian in the world. The son of an Italian immigrant, Grimaldi shoots to prominence through the Regency years, alongside his wife and his son, JS. But one night, JS turns up on his doorstep near death, and Grimaldi must face a secret he's kept from his family for nearly thirty years.