Charles Kean

A carte-de-visite portrait of the actor-manager Charles Kean (1811-1868), best known for his revivals of Shakespearean plays.

The son of the great tragic actor Edmund Kean, Charles John Kean was born 18 January 1811 in Waterford, Ireland. He was educated at Eton and made his stage debut in London in 1827. His first appearance with his father, who had originally discouraged his theatrical ambitions, was in John Howard Payne's Brutus in Glasgow in 1828. Though he toured the British provinces extensively, his first major success was an American tour in 1830. Returning to England, he made his reputation with well-honed performances in Shakespearean roles, most notably Hamlet and Richard III. He was playing Iago to his father's Othello in 1833 when the elder Kean collapsed on stage in his final performance.

Although handicapped by poor vocal projection and an unprepossessing physical appearance, Kean compensated by perfecting the details of each performance. As manager of the Princess's Theatre 1850-1859 in London, he staged a series of successful Shakespearean revivals that were notable for their historical accuracy, at least by the standards of his day. His 1856 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was especially well received.

Charles frequently appeared opposite Ellen Tree (1805-80), whom he married in 1842. Among her finest roles were Gertrude in Hamlet and Viola in Twelfth Night.

Charles Kean died in London on 22 January 1868.

Photographed by the Southwell Brothers of London.

[From an album compiled by the actor and author Charles Daly.]