Edith Heraud (died 1899) was an English actress. Stage appearances included the Shakespearian roles Juliet,

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...

and Lady Macbeth; she was also well known for giving readings of plays.

Life

Heraud was born in London, daughter of the dramatist

John Abraham Heraud John Abraham Heraud (1799–1887) was an English journalist and poet. He published two extravagant epic poems, ''The Descent into Hell'' (1830), and ''The Judgment of the Flood'' (1834). He also wrote plays, and travel books. Life He was born ...

. Her debut was in 1851 at Richmond, as Juliet in '' Romeo and Juliet''. In the audience were dramatists including

Douglas Jerrold Douglas William Jerrold (London 3 January 18038 June 1857 London) was an English dramatist and writer. Biography Jerrold's father, Samuel Jerrold, was an actor and lessee of the little theatre of Wilsby near Cranbrook in Kent. In 1807 Dougla ...

and Stirling Coyne, and '' The Era'' called it an "extraordinary performance". She was subsequently sought after by theatre managers, and appeared in many cities in England."Heraud, Edith". Charles E Pascoe, editor. ''The Dramatic List: a record of the performances of living actors and actresses of the British stage''. 1880.Obituary in the '' Los Angeles Herald'' no. 268, 25 June 1899. She appeared at Sadler's Wells Theatre as Marina in Shakespeare's ''

Pericles, Prince of Tyre ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre'' is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio. It was p ...

''; it ran for 70 nights and was revived after an interval. She later appeared at the same theatre as

in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

''. In 1852 she appeared at the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout ...

as Julia in '' The Hunchback'' by

James Sheridan Knowles James Sheridan Knowles (12 May 1784 – 30 November 1862) was an Irish dramatist and actor. Biography Knowles was born in Cork. His father was the lexicographer James Knowles (1759–1840), cousin of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The family mo ...

. At the Haymarket Theatre she appeared in the original production of her father's drama ''Wife or No Wife'', as the heroine Olympia. She appeared in 1857 at Sadler's Wells in ''Medea'' by

Ernest Legouvé Gabriel Jean Baptiste Ernest Wilfrid Legouvé (; 14 February 180714 March 1903) was a French dramatist. Biography Son of the poet Gabriel-Marie Legouvé (1764–1812), he was born in Paris. His mother died in 1810, and almost immediately after ...

, adapted by her father; it was revived in 1859. A reviewer in ''The Evening Star'' wrote: "Miss Heraud has evidently a strong poetic sympathy with the part — a vivid conception of what it is she has undertaken to represent; and speaks far more from impulse than from rule." She appeared several times as Lady Macbeth. In 1854 she appeared at the Royal Grecian Theatre in a version of

Salomon Hermann Mosenthal Salomon Hermann Mosenthal (14 January 1821 in Kassel – 17 February 1877 in Vienna) was a writer, dramatist, and poet of German-Jewish descent who spent much of his life in Austria. He was also known for his opera libretti. His name is also ...

's play ''Deborah'', which ran for 100 nights. Heraud was also known as a reader of plays. At

The Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibitors from around th ...

she gave a reading of ''

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & R ...

''; a reviewer in '' The Daily News'' wrote that "the effect was immense. Her clear mellow voice reached the ears of tbe vast audience, as was shown by the bursts of applause that followed her impassioned recitations, and her skill as an actress enabled her to give animation to the scene." She later gave readings of the

closet drama A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage, but read by a solitary reader or sometimes out loud in a large group. The contrast between closet drama and classic "stage" dramas dates back to the late eighteenth century. Al ...

Samson Agonistes ''Samson Agonistes'' (from Greek Σαμσών ἀγωνιστής, "Samson the champion") is a tragic closet drama by John Milton. It appeared with the publication of Milton's '' Paradise Regained'' in 1671, as the title page of that volume ...

'' by John Milton. She had delicate health, and in later years she withdrew from the stage, occasionally contributing to periodicals. In 1898 she published a volume of memoirs of her father. Heraud died in 1899.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heraud, Edith 19th-century births 1899 deaths Year of birth unknown 19th-century English actresses