Carlotta Addison

Carlotta Addison (July 1849 - 1914) was a British professional actress who belonged to a theatrical family. She became associated with the works of playwright T W Robertson. Her career was partly established through performing female roles alongside male amateurs.

Personal Life

Her father was Charles Phillips Addison (Haddy) a comedian and manager of the Theatre Royal Doncaster, which only opened during race meetings (died 16 April 1874). Her mother died when giving birth to her. Carlotta had an older sister, Fanny, who was also an actress and they often appeared alongside one another. Fanny went on to marry Mr. H. M. Pitt.

Carlotta married Charles La Trobe on 12 September 1876 at St Matthew's Church, Oakley Square, London. Friends in attendance included Miss Larkin, Miss Montgomery, Mrs Leigh Murray (who also performed with amateurs), Miss Emily Thorne, Mr Charles Warner, and Lord Henry Lennox.

On 22 November 1877 Carlotta La Trobe gave birth to a daughter, Victoria. On Shakespeare's Birthday 1879 their son, Charles La Trobe, was born.

Carlotta Addison had formed a strong friendship with playwright T. W. Robertson. In an interview in 1893 she said that he 'was one of my dearest and best friends', was an 'incomparable stage manager', kind, 'patient and charming'. She said that 'the pleasant conditions of the Prince of Wales's company had a good deal to do with' him, continuing 'we were such a happy family - young, enthusiastic, full of high spirits, delighted to be associated with success'. She attended his funeral in 1872 and saved a press cutting relating to the event in her personal collection.

Carlotta Addison lived in Kensington, London, for most of her professional career (at least from 1877 to 1893, but likely beyond these dates). She had a pet fox-terrier called Lady Susan Nipper which was born c.1895/6.

Amateur and Professional Acting Career

Her professional career began in Liverpool. Her professional appearances include:

1861 - Theatre Royal Doncaster, 17 May, for the benefit of Miss Fanny Addison and Mr Addison. She played the role of Katie Mapleson in Tom Taylor's comedy Nine Points of the Law at the age of 13. The playbill tells us that this is her 'second appearance on any stage'. In an interview on 30 September 1893 Carlotta Addison said that this was her first performance.
1862 - Liverpool. In an interview in 1893, Carlotta Addison says that her father sent her and her sister to Liverpool where they 'underwent a severe course of training of the kind usual under the stock company system'.
1863 - Doncaster Theatre Royal
1865 - Glasgow, 20 November - appeared in T W Robertson's two-act drama David Garrick as Ada Ingot.
1865, December, Theatre Royal Bristol. Addison was in the Christmas pantomime.
1866, 13 April, Theatre Royal Bristol - for the Benefit of Mr Addison (her father).
1866, 6 October, St James's Theatre, London. This was her London debut. She played Lady Touchwood in The Belle's Stratagem under Miss Herbert's management
1866. Addison joined the Prince of Wales's company and played in a revival of Society.
1869, January, The Prince of Wales's Theatre, London. Addison was in T. W. Robertson's School.
1870, January - T. W. Robertson's School at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden.
1871, 7 October. Montague opened the Globe Theatre in London with Addison as his leading lady.
1872, Globe Theatre, London. She appeared in James Albert's Forgiven.

Newspapers suggested that she had retired from the stage when she married Charles La Trobe.

1877, 2 April, Prince of Wales's Theatre. She is in the cast of Dion Boucicault's London Assurance.
1881, November, Court Theatre, London. She is performing in Dion Boucicault's Mimi.
1884, September, National Standard Theatre, performing in Daybreak.
1885, 20 July, Theatre Royal Haymarket, London. Addison appears in the star-studded cast of the farewell programme on the occasion of Mr and Mrs Bancroft's retirement from management. She is in the cast of Dion Boucicault's comedy London Assurance. Others performing include Ellen Terry, Lilly Langtry, Arthur Cecil, Charles Wyndham, Mr Hare, Mr Terriss, Mr Kendal, Arthur Wing Pinero, Mrs Kendal, Mr Forbes Robertson, Mr Kemble, Charles Brookfield, J. L. Toole and Henry Irving, as well as Mr and Mrs Bancroft themselves.
1886, Harvest at the Princess's Theatre.
1887, July, Devil Carefoot at the Vaudeville Theatre.
1887, December, Othello at the Haymarket Theatre - a voluntary appearance raising money for the House of Shelter.
1888, March, Sweet Lavender by Arthur Wing Pinero at Terry's Theatre.
1888 November, Dream Faces at Terry's Theatre.
1893, Captain Swift at the Haymarket.
1893, Cape Mail at the Court Theatre.
1895, Woman's Reason at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
1896, Rosemary at the Criterion Theatre.
1898, February, The Dove Cot at the Duke of York's Theatre.
1899, January, revival of T. W. Robertson's School at the Globe Theatre.
1899, January, What Will the World Say at Terry's Theatre.
1899, February, revival of Sweet Lavender at Terry's Theatre.
1899, March, The Physician at the Criterion Theatre.
1899, 21 July at the Criterion Theatre as part of a special event to mark the last appearance of Charles Wyndham at the venue after 23 years of management. She appeared in the four act play Rosemary.
1899, October, The Tree of Knowledge at the St James's Theatre.
1900, September, The Lackey's Carnival at the Duke of York's Theatre.
1901, October, The Sentimentalist, Duke of York's Theatre.

Her appearances alongside amateurs include the following. her stage name of Carlotta Addison is often maintained, occasionally with Mrs Latrobe in brackets:

1864, 2 February, Theatre Royal Southampton supporting Captain Disney Roebuck and other amateurs. Addison appeared in two of the four pieces, My Daughter's Debut; Or, the Old Man's Darling, and J. H. Morton's farce A Regular Fix.
1864, 9 February, Theatre Royal Southampton, supporting Captain Disney Roebuck and other amateurs. She appeared in a one-act comic drama titled A Phenomenon in a Smock Frock, Tom Taylor's comedy Still Waters Run Deep and the farce The Lancashire Weaver.
1864, 29 April, the Lyceum Theatre, Sunderland, supporting the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Dramatic Society. She is listed as 'Miss Carlotta Addison of the Theatre Royal, Liverpool'. She played Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
1865, 25 July, Victoria Rooms, Clifton. Supporting amateurs including Captain Disney Roebuck and Captain Hood. The playbill also includes an unnamed 'distinguished Lady Amateur'. She appeared in T. G. Bowles's Marriage by Command, written for the occasion, and Tom Taylor's Still Water's Run Deep.
1868, 27 July, Bijou Theatre, Victoria Hall, Archer Street, London - supporting an amateur dramatic performance. Her sister Fanny Addison was also in the cast. Carlotta appeared in P. Palgrave Simpson's A Fair Pretender, Henry J. Byron's burlesque Ill-Treated Il Trovatore and the farce Whitebait at Greenwich.
1868, 3 August, Theatre Royal, Canterbury. Supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. She appeared in H. T. Craven's drama in two acts, Meg's Diversion, and J. B. Buckstone's comedy in three acts, Married Life. 4 August - she appeared in Charles Dance's one act farce Kill or Cure.
1868, 26 August, supporting the Royal Artillery Theatrical Club in the Royal Artillery Recreation Rooms, Woolwich. She appeared in Charles Mathews's comedy in two acts, Used Up, and a one act farce by E. Yates and N. H. Harrington entitled My Friend from Leatherhead!.
1871, 26 April, Gaiety Theatre, London. Supporting a grand morning performance of the Military and Naval Amateur Dramatic Society. She performed in the farce The Camp at Chobham and the extravaganza Paddy Murphy; or, An Irishman's Fortunes. Actress Ada Cavendish also appeared alongside the amateurs. The amateur cast included Captain Wingfield.
1871, 27 May, Gallery of Illustration, London. Supporting the Military and Naval Amateur Dramatic Society. She appeared in John Tobin's comedy in three acts, The Honeymoon alongside actress Kate Rivers.
1871, 8 August, Theatre Royal, Canterbury. She appeared in Sheridan's three act comedy The Rivals and J. M. Morton's one act farce Going to the Derby supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers.
1873, 5 August, Theatre Royal Canterbury, supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. Addison appeared in Douglas Jerrold's drama The Rent Day.
1874, 3 August, Theatre Royal, Canterbury. Supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers in H. J. Byron's three act comedy War to the Knife, and a one act comedy titled Tears.
1877, 6 August, Theatre Royal, Canterbury. Supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers in Charles Dance's one act comedy Who Speaks First? and H. T. Craven's two act drama Meg's Diversion. On 10 August she was also in Oliver Goldsmith's five act comedy She Stoops to Conquer and the comedietta Tears.
1878, 31 May, Charterhouse. She performed alongside amateurs that she knew through the Canterbury Old Stagers - William Yardley, Herbert Gardner M.P., the Hon. Spencer Ponsonby Fane, Quintin Twiss and Sir Henry de Bathe. She performed in Our Bitterest Foe.
1878, 25-26 June, Beech Lawn, Anlaby. She appeared in amateur theatricals alongside her husband in Charles Dance's comedietta Who Speaks First and Madison Morton's two-act farcical comedy Woodcock's Little Game.
1878, 2 July, Theatre Royal Manchester. Carlotta Addison gave her services free of charge to support members of the Sale Amateur Dramatic Club. They performed H. T. Craven's serio-comic drama in two acts, Meg's Diversion. Her husband played Colonel Mannering in the operatic drama Guy Mannering.
1878, 5-8 August, Theatre Royal Canterbury. Supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers in J. M. Morton's drama in two acts A Husband to Order, and Pelman Hardwick's drama in two acts The Bachelor of Arts, and Charles Dance's farce A Party of Pleasure; or, How to Spend a Happy Day.
1879, 4-8 August. Theatre Royal Canterbury. Supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. Her sister Fanny is also supporting. Carlotta appears in W. S. Gilbert's two act farce The Wedding March and Douglas Jerrold's two act drama The Prisoner of War, as well as MM. Emile Augier and Jules Sandeau three act comedy Monsieur Poirier.
1881, 8, 10, 11 February, Theatre Royal, Jersey. Supporting the Cambrian Strollers, who are 'Officers, past and present, of the 41st The Welsh Regiment'. The Cambrian Strollers were supported by 'Lady Artistes' including Carlotta and Fanny Addison, under their maiden names. They performed in T. W. Robertson's comedy Caste and Albery's three act comedy Two Roses.
1881, 1-5 August, Canterbury Theatre Royal supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. She appeared in F. Talfourd and A. Wigan's comedy in two acts Tit for Tat alongside actress Carlotta Le Clercq. Also in J. M. Morton's farce A Thumping Legacy and Horace Wigan's comedy The Charming Woman.
1884, 7 May, Theatre Royal Windsor. She performed with the Eton Histrions in Tom Taylor's The Debutante and the one-act comedietta Tears. Other notable amateurs included Captain Arthur Gooch and Claude Ponsonby.
1885, 3 August, Canterbury Theatre Royal supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. She performed in Charles Smith Cheltenham's three act comedy Lesson in Love and John Maddison Morton's one act farce Betsy Baker. On 7 August she performed in Tom Taylor's five-act drama Ticket of Leave Man.
1885, 28-30 January, she performed at Sir Percy Florence Shelley's theatre at Boscombe Manor. She took the role of Edith Ravenshaw in Herbert Gardner's Time Will Tell.
1886, 6 August, Canterbury Theatre Royal supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. She performed in Henry J. Byron's Cyril's Success. On 5 August she had also performed in How Will They Get Out of It and Poor Pillicoddy.
1887 Canterbury Theatre Royal supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers.
1891, 4 August, Canterbury Theatre Royal supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers in Tom Taylor's one act comedietta Nine Points of the Law.
1894, Canterbury Theatre Royal supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. She performed in the annual epilogue as well as in Sweet Lavender.
1895, Canterbury Theatre Royal supporting the Canterbury Old Stagers. She performed in the annual epilogue as 'the spirit of O.S.' - as in the previous year, giving the closing lines to proceedings.

Along with her husband, Charles La Trobe, and their daughter, Victoria, they founded the Addison Amateur Dramatic Club on 17 June 1897 at their home of 134 Lexham Gardens, South Kenisngton. In January 1899 the President is Carlotta Addison (La Trobe), the Vice-President is Miss Victoria Addison and the Stage Manager is Charles La Trobe, Esq.

1901, 27 December, Town Hall Fareham. Charles La Trobe and Carlotta Addison perform with Victoria Addison and Lionel Walsh in Wynne Miller's one act play Dream Faces and Sydney Grundy's one act comedietta Man Proposes. This was a performance for the Primrose League and for the local area was seen as a professional offering, as opposed to the usual amateur performances produced there.