Kemble John Philip

Kemble, John Philip, was born in 1757, and his father, a provincial actor, destined him for the Roman Catholic priesthood. The hereditary instinct however, prevailed, and in 1776 he made his debut on the stage at Wolverhampton. In spite of physical defects, he steadily gained ground with the public until, in 1783, through the previous success of his gifted sister, Sarah [Siddons], he secured the opportunity of appearing in Hamlet at Drury Lane. His position as Garrick's successor was speedily established, and, though he lacked perhaps fire and dash in action, yet in the personation of characters in which concentration and dignity are the essentials, he was unrivalled. As Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth he touched the highest level of dramatic art. In 1790 he plunged into the more hazardous venture of managership, and during the two or three years that he held possession of Drury Lane effected some useful reforms, but resigned owing to disagreement with Sheridan and other proprietors. In the following year he took a similar interest in Covent Garden, but the fire of 1808, the O.P. riots, and the want of business capacity, involved him and his brother Charles, with whom he was associated, am heavy losses and much trouble. Kemble retired from business in 1817, and lived for six years in privacy, dying at Lausanne in 1823. He introduced into the theatre sound principles of archaeology, and materially raised the social status of the actor. His own dramatic productions possessed little merit.