Katherine Julia Mackenzie (10 November 1849 – 16 May 1928) was an English actress, professionally known as Katherine Compton, or, more usually, Miss Compton. She was best known for her appearances in the comedies written by her husband

R. C. Carton R. C. Carton (born Richard Claude Critchett, 10 May 1853 – 1 April 1928) was an English actor and playwright. Life and career Carton was born in London on 10 May 1853, a son of the oculist George Critchett and his wife Martha ''née'' Brooker ...

, between 1885 and 1922.

Life and career

Early years

Compton was born on 10 November 1849 in London, the youngest of the seven children of the actor

Henry Compton Henry Compton may refer to: * Henry Compton (bishop) (1632–1713), English bishop and nobleman * Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton (1544–1589), English peer, MP for Old Sarum * Henry Combe Compton (1789–1866), British Conservative Party polit ...

– whose real name was Charles Mackenzie – and his wife Emmeline Catherine, ''née'' Montague (1823–1911). ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' said of her theatrical family: Compton was originally destined for a musical career, but abandoned it and made her first appearance on the stage at the

Theatre Royal, Bristol Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...

in October 1874 in Mary Scott-Siddons's company, playing Maria in ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

''. ''The Bristol Times'' thought she played the part "very naturally". She remained with the Bristol and other provincial companies for three years. In 1876 she married a fellow-actor from the Bristol company,

; they had one daughter. Compton's London debut was in another Sheridan play, ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'', as Julia at the Gaiety Theatre in May 1877.Parker, pp. 170–171 In 1878 she was engaged at the

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham (tenor), John Braham; it lost mone ...

under Mrs John Wood's management, appearing as Lucy in ''Such is the Law'', Princess Lydia in ''The Danischeffs'' and in other plays. In 1881 she appeared at

Toole's Theatre Toole's Theatre was a 19th-century West End theatre, West End building in William IV Street, near Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster. A succession of auditoria had occupied the site since 1832, serving a variety of functions, including ...

, as Mrs Parminter Blake in Pinero's ''Imprudence'', and in 1884 was at the

Globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...

in the same author's comedy, ''Low Water''. She played classical roles including Portia in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' and Kate Hardcastle in ''

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays ...

'' and Celia in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

''.

In Carton's plays

A turning point in Compton's career came in 1885, with the production of her husband's first play (written in collaboration with

Cecil Raleigh Cecil Raleigh was the pseudonym of Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands (27 January 1856 – 10 November 1914), an English actor and playwright. Personal life Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands was born on 27 January 1856 in Monmo ...

), ''The Great Pink Pearl.'' According to ''The Times'', "That play was so successful that Mr Carton, hitherto an actor, was encouraged to devote himself entirely to playwriting. In the part of a Russian Princess Miss Compton gave a foretaste of the great lady, dignified, drily humorous and imperturbable, which was to be her characteristic part in later years". Thereafter she appeared mainly in plays written by her husband, who wrote leading female roles in his works with her in mind. In the 1880s there was Juno Johnstone in ''The Treasure'', Strand Theatre, 1888. In the 1890s there were Mrs Bute Curzon in ''Robin Goodfellow'',

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...

, 1893; Lady Gwendoline in ''A White Elephant'',

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

, 1896; and Lady Algy in '' Lord and Lady Algy'', Comedy, 1898. In the last of these her co-star was Charles Hawtrey, and Henry Kemble, Eric Lewis,

A. E. Matthews Alfred Edward Matthews (22 November 186925 July 1960), known as A. E. Matthews, was an English actor who played numerous character roles on the stage and in film for eight decades. Already middle-aged when films began production, he enjoyed incr ...

Frederick Volpe Frederick Volpe (31 July 1865 – 7 March 1932), sometimes printed Volpé, was an English actor. He made his stage debut in his early twenties. From 1894 until his death he was a familiar figure on the West End theatre, West End stage, generally ...

and Arthur Williams were in the cast. Her last play of the decade was Carton's ''Wheels Within Wheels'' at the

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...

in 1899. In the 1900s she played seven roles in plays by her husband: Lady Huntworth in '' Lady Huntworth's Experiment'', Criterion, 1900; Countess Zechyadi in ''The Undercurrent'', Criterion, 1901; Mrs Auberton in ''A Clean Slate'', Criterion, 1903; Mrs Repton in ''The Rich Mrs Repton'',

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

, 1904; the Duchess of Braceborough in ''Mrs Hopkinson'',

Avenue Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt in ...

, 1905; Lady Diana Caldershaw in ''Public Opinion'',

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the arch ...

, 1905; and Joanna, Countess of Rushmere in ''Mr Preedy and the Countess'', Criterion, 1909. Later appearances in his works included the Marchioness of Glenmoray in ''Eccentric Lord Comberdene'', St James's, 1910; Mrs Stanhope Molyneux in ''The Bear Leaders'', Comedy, 1912; Mrs Cosmo Carrington in ''A Busy Day'',

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a listed building, Grade II listed West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

, 1915; Lady Cardonnell in ''The Off-Chance'', Queen's, 1917; Lady Jemima Ballardaile in ''The Choice'', Wyndham's, 1919; Lady Hammergallow in ''The Wonderful Visit'',

St Martin's Theatre St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre which has staged the production of '' The Mousetrap'' since March 1974, making it the longest continuous run of any show in the world. The theatre is located in West Street, near Shaftesbury Avenue, i ...

, 1921; and Lady Conroy in ''Other People's Worries'', Comedy, 1922. ''The Times'' recalled: Compton died at the age of 77 at her house in Acton, London, on 16 May 1928, a little over a month after her husband's death.

References and sources

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Compton, Katherine 1849 births 1928 deaths English stage actresses 19th-century English actresses 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London