SARAH SIDDONS

Sarah Siddons grew up as a member of a family troupe of travelling actors, always poor and often hungry, resorting to foraging for turnips to eat. But before she was 30 she had become a superstar.

Her rise was not easy. Her London debut, aged just 20, was a disaster. But the young actress – already a mother of two – rebuilt her career, returning to the capital after years of remorseless provincial touring.

She became Britain’s greatest tragic actress. Her shows were adored by theatre audiences, artists and the royal family alike. Sarah made sure that every leading portrait painter captured her likeness, so that engravings could be sold to her adoring public.

In an eighteenth-century world of satire and gossip, she battled to manage her reputation. Married young, she took constant pains to portray herself as respectable and happily married, even though her marriage did not live up to this ideal.

Sarah’s story is not just about rags to riches; this remarkable woman also redefined the world of theatre and became the first celebrity actress.