Born in Rome, Delpini was a pupil of Nicolini. About 1774 he was engaged by
David Garrick for the
Drury Lane Theatre. There, at
Covent Garden Theatre, and at the
Haymarket Theatre, he supplied the mechanical arrangements for many
pantomimes in which he acted. Among Delpini's well-known pantomimes were
Robinson Crusoe, in which he played the hero to the Man Friday of "Signor" Giuseppe (father of
Joseph Grimaldi),
Don Juan, and
The Deserter of Naples. The two latter pieces were given respectively on 12 August 1787 and 1 January 1788 at the Royalty Theatre in
Wellclose Square, when that venue was opened by
John Palmer. On 17 February 1789 Delpini was severely hurt at the Haymarket, acting in the
Death of Captain Cook, a serious ballet from the French. Delpini was for a time stage manager at the Opera. He managed private theatricals, and made on his own account some ventures, giving once at
the Prince Regent, the tickets for which were sold at three guineas each. He also arranged entertainments at
Brighton for the Prince as George IV. In his later years he fell into poverty, and died 13 February 1828 in Lancaster Court,
Strand, London. ==Notes==