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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Edmund Kean
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(c.1789–1833) Actor whose ability to project a sense of danger and dark passion made him as much a typical figure of the *Romantic movement as his exact contemporary, Lord *Byron. An illegitimate child, he started young in the theatre and struggled for years in the provinces before succeeding in London, as Shylock at Drury Lane in 1814. Audiences were thrilled by his intensity, particularly in villainous parts, though his sudden outbursts of passion caused Coleridge to compare the experience to 'reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning'.
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His private life was as violent and unstable as his performances, and alcohol was increasingly a refuge. He died a few weeks after collapsing on stage at Covent Garden, when playing Othello to the Iago of his son Charles (1811–68). Charles went on to become a distinguished actor-manager, known in particular for the careful historical accuracy of his Shakespearean productions.
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