Edith Heraud (died 1899) was an English actress. Stage appearances included the Shakespearian roles

Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...

, Ophelia and Lady Macbeth; she was also well known for giving readings of plays.

Life

Heraud was born in London, daughter of the dramatist John Abraham Heraud. Her debut was in 1851 at Richmond, as

in ''Romeo and Juliet''. In the audience were dramatists including Douglas Jerrold and Stirling Coyne, and ''The Era (newspaper), The Era'' called it an "extraordinary performance". She was subsequently sought after by theatre managers, and appeared in many cities in England."Heraud, Edith". Charles E Pascoe, editor. ''The Dramatic List: a record of the performances of living actors and actresses of the British stage''. 1880.Obituary in the ''Los Angeles Herald'' no. 268, 25 June 1899. She appeared at Sadler's Wells Theatre as Marina in Shakespeare's ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre''; it ran for 70 nights and was revived after an interval. She later appeared at the same theatre as Ophelia in ''Hamlet''. In 1852 she appeared at the Olympic Theatre (London), Olympic Theatre as Julia in ''The Hunchback (play), The Hunchback'' by James Sheridan Knowles. At the Haymarket Theatre she appeared in the original production of her father's drama ''Wife or No Wife'', as the heroine Olympia. She appeared in 1857 at Sadler's Wells in ''Medea'' by Ernest Legouvé, adapted by her father; it was revived in 1859. A reviewer in ''The Evening Star'' wrote: "Miss Heraud has evidently a strong poetic sympathy with the part — a vivid conception of what it is she has undertaken to represent; and speaks far more from impulse than from rule." She appeared several times as Lady Macbeth. In 1854 she appeared at the Royal Grecian Theatre in a version of Salomon Hermann Mosenthal's play ''Deborah'', which ran for 100 nights. Heraud was also known as a reader of plays. At The Crystal Palace she gave a reading of ''Antigone (Sophocles play), Antigone''; a reviewer in ''The Daily News (UK), The Daily News'' wrote that "the effect was immense. Her clear mellow voice reached the ears of the vast audience, as was shown by the bursts of applause that followed her impassioned recitations, and her skill as an actress enabled her to give animation to the scene." She later gave readings of the closet drama ''Samson Agonistes'' by John Milton. She had delicate health, and in later years she withdrew from the stage, occasionally contributing to periodicals. In 1898 she published a volume of memoirs of her father. Heraud died in 1899.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heraud, Edith 19th-century births 1899 deaths Year of birth unknown 19th-century English actresses Actresses from London