The Merry Andrew juggled balls in the town square.
merry Andrew
idiomA person who clowns publicly; a buffoon; an entertainer's assistant.
Origin
disputed originOriginally associated with a specific act at Bartholomew Fair; later said to have come from the name of Andrew Boorde.
The circus needed a Merry Andrew to warm up the crowd before the main act started.
Though once a respected actor, he had fallen so low that he now played Merry Andrew to a second-rate magician, capering about in motley for pennies.