John Philip Kemble

John Philip Kemble ( born February 1, 1757 Preston, Lancashire, † February 26, 1823 in Lausanne ) was an English actor.

Life

John Philip Kemble, son of actor Roger Kemble († 1802), and brother of Charles and Stephen Kemble, entered the stage in Wolverhampton in 1776 and then played with ever increasing reputation in Manchester, Liverpool, York, Dublin and other cities; since 1783 at the Drury Lane Theatre in London, which he headed in a row and led until 1801.

After he made ​​in 1802 and 1803 concert tours to France and Spain, he earned a share of the Covent Garden Theatre, retired in 1812, but already in 1814 entered the stage again, where he was greeted with the loudest enthusiasm.

He was now at the peak of his popularity and was recognized as the first actor in England. However, health considerations induced him to retire in 1817 again.

The field on which shone Kemble, was the tragedy. He was of imposing shape and captivating Voice. His voice was clear and expressive, his portrayal of large and deep, the result of painstaking study. All means to enrapture the audience at his disposal. He also wrote some dramatic pieces. His statue of John Flaxman was erected in 1833 in Westminster Abbey.

Roles (selection)

• Hamlet - Macbeth ( William Shakespeare)
• John - King John ( William Shakespeare)
• Brutus - Julius Caesar ( William Shakespeare)
• Coriolanus - Coriolanus ( William Shakespeare)