Edmund Kean made his debut at the age of six-and-a-half, where he played a goblin in Drury Lane's production of Macbeth starring, of course, Mrs. Siddons as Lady Macbeth. Her brother, John Phillip Kemble, took the titular role.
During the witches' incantation scene at the beginning of Act IV, he and a number of other goblins were suppsoed to run out onstage and cluster around the mouth of the cave. Kean arrived last and had difficulty stopping; he ran into another goblin and everyone tumbled down in a domino effect.
The scene was, predictably, ruined.
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I don't think that it affected his career greatly! How funny!
ReplyDeleteHa, fortunately for Mr. Kean, it didn't! I love theatrical mishaps so much.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that that old adage about never working with children or animals still applies, even when the child is a future great actor like Kean.
ReplyDeleteHmm funny since our beloved Mr Bale (going back to your original comparison) was a child star as well...just saying...
ReplyDeleteMerinitta and Heather: Ah, don't you love how history repeats itself? It makes it so much easier to learn. ;p That and it's pretty entertaining.
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