The best way to generate loud applause is to buy it. By the late 18th century in Paris, being a member of the claque had become a paid professional activity, the "chef de claque" typically attending a production's final rehearsals in order to plan his clapping strategy.
When the famous actress Rachel complained that her second performance received less applause than the first, the chef de claque actually wrote an offended letter to the lady, explaining: "At the first performance I led the attack in person 33 times. We had three acclamations, four hilarities, two thrilling movements, four renewals of applause and two indefinite explosions," all this effort so exhausting the claque that they had to make some cuts on the second night.
chef de claque