claque

Body of people formerly hired to applaud in theatres and thus ensure the success of a play.

According to the Roman historian Suetonius, the emperor Nero had 5,000 paid applauders who attended his performances. The claque became an openly organized institution in Paris towards the end of the 18th century, with a leader (the entrepreneur de succès dramatique) and distinct groups of people who wept, laughed, or called for an encore at the appropriate times.