Lust for Fame: The Stage Career of John Wilkes Booth Book

An immensely enjoyable biography of Charlotte Charke, youngest child of Colley Cibber the playwright and poet laureate. Born to the theatre, she pursued acting (and indeed company management, and writing) with immense vigour and inventiveness. 'Mrs Charke' (married and separated young) was not prepared to remain part of the Cibber establishment as her father and elder brother presided over London theatre, but instead played in the many satires penned by the young Henry Fielding, parodying these luminaries in her own family. With the passing of the Licensing Act in 1737 most of the theatres were closed and those remaining were subject to stiff censorship (had this never have happened, Fielding would probably never have taken to the novel.) Charlotte had to go upon the road, walking from town to town as a strolling player, though often for such little profit that it was, as she called it, not so much tragedizing as 'vagabondizing'. Charlotte wais known for her breeches roles, but Shevelow discusses how she would have lived her offstage life in male garb too, and had a female companion and probable lover, though as the author says, the concept of lesbian identity may well be anachronistic. With undimmed enthusiasm for life, Charlotte tried numerous business ventures but her impulsiveness meant that none was successful. It is sad to read that she died poor, in her 40s, her wealthy father having deliberately left her unprovided for. However she does live on through her published autobiography which is amply quoted here, though the book is very thoroughly researched from many sources such as other memoirs and the newspapers of the period. An immense enjoyable read, truly deserving the oft-misused description 'rollicking'.