Eighteenth-century London was a theatre writ large: Fielding's satires mocked the Prime Minister, The Beggar's Opera drew raves, and riots broke out over dueling divas of the stage. Spectacle abounded: aristocratic ladies paraded past fire-eaters, prostitutes, and public hangings. Mrs Mapp, the bone-setter, realigned butchers' kneecaps for happy crowds. Yet Charlotte was rarely overlooked. Every day of her life was a grand performance.
Born into the famous, sometimes scandalous, theatrical clan of Colley Cibber, Charlotte was an actress destined for greatness. But she would rebel, and started dressing as a man. When her father disowned her, her life became an adventure extending from the pinnacles of posh London to its dangerous depths. Kathryn Shevelow captures Charlotte — an artist, a survivor — in all her guises, from her time among the leading lights of glamorous Drury Lane Theatre to her trials as a strolling player and puppeteer, to her comeback as author of one of the first autobiographies written by a woman.
A story of a woman's determination to be herself, Charlotte is a tale of pluck and perseverance set against the rich tapestry of a great city, the characters of its colourful theatre world, its history, and savage political battles.
