Master Betty

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Henry West Betty (1791 - 1874) was by far the most popular child actor of the nineteenth century, billed as the "Young Roscius" for his performances in adult roles like Hamlet, Romeo, Rolla in Pizarro and Norval in Douglas for two seasons from 1804 to 1806 at Covent Garden Theatre. His popularity was so great that famous adult stars like John Philip Kemble and Sarah Siddons went into a brief retirement rather than compete with him, and there is a tradition that the House of Commons once adjourned early so that members of Parliament could see him play Hamlet.

His popularity proved to be a fad as London ultimately grew bored by the oddity of Betty and his many imitators, and his performance as Richard III was met with universal derision. He left the London stage, but was successful in a farewell tour of the provinces that lasted until he was 17 when he entered Christ's College, Cambridge.

He tried to retire on the fortune he accumulated in his youth, but he was unsatisfied with his life as a country gentleman and later as a cavalry captain of the North Shropshire Yeomanry and made an unsuccessful attempt to return to the stage that failed so badly that he attempted suicide at the age of 30.^[1]

Betty finally retired from the stage for good in 1824 and devoted the remainder of his life to good works and theatrical charities.

[edit] References