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Maria Theresa Kemble (1774–1838), née Marie Thérèse Du Camp, was an Austrian-born English actress, singer, dancer and comic playwright on the stage. She was the wife of actor
Charles Kemble Charles Kemble (25 November 1775 – 12 November 1854) was a Welsh-born English actor of a prominent theatre family. Life Charles Kemble was one of 13 siblings and the youngest son of English Roman Catholic theatre manager/actor Roger Kemble ...
.


Early life

She was the daughter of Jeanne Dufour and George De Camp who were both performers. She was born in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
17 January 1774 and brought to England where she appeared as Cupid at the age of six years old in
Jean-Georges Noverre Jean-Georges Noverre (29 April 1727 19 October 1810) was a French dancer and balletmaster, and is generally considered the creator of ''ballet d'action'', a precursor of the narrative ballets of the 19th century. His birthday is now observed as ...
.'s ballet at the Opera House. She spoke no English and learned the language herself although she was tutored in other subjects. Two years later she appeared in ''La Colombe'' by
Madame de Genlis Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...
. After she appeared at the
Royal Circus The Surrey Theatre, London began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, one of the many circuses that provided entertainment of both horsemanship and drama ( hippodrama). It stood in Blackfriars Road, near the j ...
she was employed by George Colman's
Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
to appear in ''The Nosegay'' on 14 June 1786 with
James Harvey D'Egville James Harvey D'Egville (ca. 1770 – ca. 1836) was an English dancer and choreographer. James' father Pierre D'Egville was ballet master at Drury Lane and Sadler's Wells Theatres. His other son George D'Egville was also a dancer. James D'Egvil ...
in the presence of the royal family. On 21 June she danced in ''The Polonaise'', and on 7 July she appeared in a ballet entitled ''Jamie's Return'' with James Harvey and his brother George D'Egville.P.H. Highfill et al. (1982) ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors'', Southern Illinois University Press She was then secured by Thomas King for the
Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...
, where on 24 October 1786, she played Julie, a small part in
John Burgoyne General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several batt ...
's ''
Richard Cœur de Lion Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
''. Her father had left her in England for Germany, where he died while she was still young; she picked up English, and played juvenile and small parts.


Stage success

In 1792 she was employed as a leading actor to play Macheath in the ''
Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satiri ...
'' at the Haymarket. She went on to appear in ''Miss in her Teens'' (
David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...
), ''
The Count of Narbonne ''The Count of Narbonne'' is a 1781 tragedy by the Irish writer Robert Jephson. It was inspired by Horace Walpole's novel ''The Castle of Otranto''. It premiered at the Covent Garden Theatre. The original cast featured John Henderson as Austin, ...
,'' the ''Quaker'', and ''
The Recruiting Officer ''The Recruiting Officer'' is a 1706 play by the Irish writer George Farquhar, which follows the social and sexual exploits of two officers, the womanising Plume and the cowardly Brazen, in the town of Shrewsbury (the town where Farquhar himse ...
.''; She created the first version of Lindamira in
Richard Cumberland Richard Cumberland may refer to: * Richard Cumberland (philosopher) (1631–1718), bishop, philosopher * Richard Cumberland (dramatist) (1732–1811), civil servant, dramatist * Richard Cumberland (priest) (1710–1737), Archdeacon of Northa ...
's ''Box Lobby Challenge'' and she stood in for the singers
Nancy Storace Anna (or Ann) Selina Storace (; 27 October 176524 August 1817), known professionally as Nancy Storace, was an English operatic soprano. The role of Susanna in Mozart's ''Le nozze di Figaro'' was written for and first performed by her. Born in ...
and
Anna Maria Crouch Anna Maria Crouch (20 April 1763 – 2 October 1805), often referred to as Mrs Crouch, was a singer and stage actress in the London theatre. She was (briefly) a mistress of George, Prince of Wales. Biography Born Anna Maria Phillips, she firs ...
. She was the first Judith in ''The Iron Chest'' by
George Colman the Younger George Colman (21 October 1762 – 17 October 1836), known as "the Younger", was an English dramatist and miscellaneous writer. He was the son of George Colman the Elder. Life He passed from Westminster School to Christ Church, Oxford, and ...
. On 8 June 1796 she appeared in the breeches part of Patie (''The Good Shepherd'') at Drury Lane. She was captured in this role by the artist
Samuel De Wilde Samuel De Wilde (1751–19 January 1832), born and died in London, was a portrait painter and etcher of Dutch descent famous for his theatrical paintings. He was the leading painter of actors and actresses between 1770 and 1820. He lived in Cla ...
and that painting is now in the collection of the
Garrick Club The Garrick Club is a gentlemen's club in the heart of London founded in 1831. It is one of the oldest members' clubs in the world and, since its inception, has catered to members such as Charles Kean, Henry Irving, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, A ...
. At the Haymarket, 15 July 1797, she was the original Caroline Dormer in ''
The Heir at Law ''The Heir at Law'' (1797) is a comedic play in five acts by George Colman the Younger that remained popular through the 19th century. It and ''John Bull'' (1803) were Colman's best known comedies.Dabundo, Laura (ed.Encyclopedia of Romanticism ...
'' (George Colman the Younger), and in the same year she played Portia and Desdemona, followed at Drury Lane by Katherine in '' Katherine and Petruchio'', and Hippolito in Kemble's alteration of '' The Tempest''. For her benefit, 3 May 1799, she gave at Drury Lane her own unprinted play of ''First Faults''. In 1799 William Earle printed a piece called ''Natural Faults'', and accused Miss De Camp in the preface of having stolen his plot and characters. In a letter to the ''
Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning Po ...
'' of 10 June, she denied the charge, and asserted that her play was copied by Earle from recitation.
John Genest John Genest (1764–1839) was an English clergyman and theatre historian. Life He was the son of John Genest of Dunker's Hill, Devon. He was educated at Westminster School, entered 9 May 1780 as a pensioner at Trinity College, Cambridge, and gra ...
considered that Earle's statement 'has the appearance of truth'. Lady Teazle, Miss Hoyden, Lady Plyant in ''
The Double Dealer ''The Double Dealer'' is a comic play written by English playwright William Congreve, first produced in 1693. Henry Purcell set it to music. Characters and plot This comedy sees character Mellefont, nephew and prospective heir of Lord Touch ...
'' (
William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a min ...
), Hypolita in ''
She Would and She Would Not ''She Would and She Would Not'' is a 1702 comedy play by the English actor-writer Colley Cibber. The original Drury Lane cast included Cibber as Don Manuel, Benjamin Husband as Don Philip, John Mills (stage actor), John Mills as Octavio, William ...
'', Little Pickle, and Dollalolla in ''
Tom Thumb Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. ''The History of Tom Thumb'' was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tangl ...
'' were some of the other parts she played before her marriage to
Charles Kemble Charles Kemble (25 November 1775 – 12 November 1854) was a Welsh-born English actor of a prominent theatre family. Life Charles Kemble was one of 13 siblings and the youngest son of English Roman Catholic theatre manager/actor Roger Kemble ...
, which took place 2 July 1806.


As a Kemble

Accompanying the Kembles to Covent Garden, she made her first appearance there, 1 October 1806, as Maria in the ''Citizen'', and remained there for the rest of her acting career. Her comedy, ''The Day after the Wedding, or a Wife's First Lesson'', 1808, was played at Covent Garden for the benefit of her husband, who enacted Colonel Freelove, 18 May 1808; she was Lady Elizabeth Freelove. ''Match-making, or 'Tis a Wise Child that knows its own Father'', played for her own benefit on the 24th, is also assigned to her. It was not acted a second time, nor printed. She also assisted her husband in the preparation of ''Deaf and Dumb''. Among the parts now assigned her were Ophelia, Mrs. Sullen, Violante, Beatrice in ''
Much Ado about Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'', Mrs. Ford, and Juliana in the ''Honeymoon'', and the like. In 1813–14 and 1814–15 she was not engaged. On 12 December 1815 she made an appearance as Lady Emily Gerald in her own comedy ''Smiles and Tears, or the Widow's Stratagem''.


Last years

She then disappeared from the stage until 1818–19, when she played Mrs. Sterling, and was the original Madge Wildfire in
Daniel Terry Daniel Terry (1780?–1829) was an English actor and playwright, known also as a close associate of Sir Walter Scott. Life He was born in Bath about 1780, and was educated at the Bath grammar school and subsequently at a private school at Wingf ...
's musical version of '' Heart of Midlothian''. For her own and her husband's benefit she played Lady Julia in 'Personation,’ 9 June 1819, when she retired. A solitary reappearance was made at Covent Garden on the occasion of the début as Juliet of her daughter
Fanny Kemble Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble (27 November 180915 January 1893) was a British actress from a theatre family in the early and mid-19th century. She was a well-known and popular writer and abolitionist, whose published works included plays, poetry ...
, 5 October 1829, when she played Lady Capulet. She died at
Chertsey Chertsey is a town in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, south-west of central London. It grew up round Chertsey Abbey, founded in 666 CE, and gained a market charter from Henry I. A bridge across the River Thames first appeared in the ...
,
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, on 3 September 1838.


Family members

Besides Fanny Kemble, her daughter
Adelaide Kemble Adelaide Kemble (13 February 18154 August 1879) was an English opera singer of the Victorian era, and a member of the Kemble family of actors. She was the younger sister of Fanny Kemble, the famous actress and anti-slavery activist. Her father wa ...
was known on the stage. A son
John Mitchell Kemble John Mitchell Kemble (2 April 1807 – 26 March 1857), English scholar and historian, was the eldest son of Charles Kemble the actor and Maria Theresa Kemble. He is known for his major contribution to the history of the Anglo-Saxons and philology ...
was a classical scholar. Her brother Vincent De Camp occasionally acted fops and footmen at Drury Lane and the Haymarket, and was subsequently an actor and a cowkeeper in America. Her sister Adelaide, an actress in a line similar to her own, was popular in Newcastle upon Tyne.


Notes


References

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kemble, Maria Theresa 1774 births 1838 deaths 18th-century English actresses 19th-century English actresses English stage actresses Kemble family