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, Miss Emily Thorne, Mr Charles Warner, and Lord Henry Lennox.

On 22 November 1877 Carlotta La Trobe gave birth to a daughter, Victoria.

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 pf 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.

Her appearances alongside amateurs include:

• 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.
• 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.

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.