Maria Theresa Kemble

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. Early life She was the daughter of Jeanne Dufour and George De Camp who were both performers. She was born in Vienna 17 January 1774 and brought to England where she appeared as Cupid at the age of six years old in Jean-Georges Noverre'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. After she appeared at the Royal Circus she was employed by George Colman's Haymarket Theatre to appear in The Nosegay on 14 June 1786 with James Harvey D'Egville 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. She was then secured by Thomas King for the Drury Lane Theatre, where on 24 October 1786, she played Julie, a small part in John Burgoyne's Richard Cœur de Lion. 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 at the Haymarket. She went on to appear in Miss in her Teens (David Garrick), The Count of Narbonne, the Quaker, and The Recruiting Officer.; She created the first version of Lindamira in Richard Cumberland's Box Lobby Challenge and she stood in for the singers Nancy Storace and Anna Maria Crouch. She was the first Judith in The Iron Chest by George Colman the Younger. 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 and that painting is now in the collection of the Garrick Club. At the Haymarket, 15 July 1797, she was the original Caroline Dormer in The Heir at Law (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.