Faucit, Helena Saville (1817–1898)

English actress. Name variations: Helen Faucit; Lady Martin, or Mrs. Theodore Martin. Born Helena Saville Faucit in London, England, in 1817; died at her home near Llangollen, Wales, on October 31, 1898; daughter of John Saville Faucit (an actor); married Sir Theodore Martin (a British poet, translator, and essayist), in 1851.

An eminent actress of the 19th-century British stage, Helena Faucit was part of a large theatrical family; her mother and father, as well as all of her five siblings, were associated with the theater in one way or another. She received her early training from Percival Farren, the great-uncle of Nellie Farren , and made her debut at a theater near London in 1833, playing Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Although she was received "kindly" by the public, the critics felt that she was too much of a novice to succeed in such a difficult role. (At the time, actresses usually did not attempt Juliet until they were near 50, although the role as written is that of a 14-year-old girl.) During her London debut in January 1836, playing Julia in Sheridan Knowles' The Hunchback, Faucit was nearly overcome by stage fright but managed to save her performance by focusing on a friend who was in the audience. From that time on, she apparently gained confidence, for over the next 15 years her career flourished. She played opposite William Charles Macready in roles that included Desdemona, Cordelia, Portia, Lady Macbeth, Rosalind, and, of course, Juliet, which she grew into quite nicely. She also portrayed the leading female roles in Robert Bulwer-Lytton's The Lady of Lyons (1838), Richelieu (1839), and Money (1840), as well as Robert Browning's Strafford (1842), and Blot on the Scutcheon (1843). Among her successful tours was a visit to Paris in 1844–45, where she acted with Macready in several Shakespearean plays.

A word-portrait of the actress, written during her time, describes "a tall, elegant figure; a frank, sweet, expressive, good face; large dark-brown eyes, full of eager intelligence; and a stately head, finely poised upon a swan-like neck, and crowned with luxuriant dark hair that falls in abundant curls on her snowy, sloping shoulders." Mrs. S.C. Hall (Anna Maria Hall ), a critic who saw Faucit play numerous characters, reviewed her signature role of Pauline in The Lady of Lyons, calling it "a perfect performance," that appeared seamless and natural. "[I]t is also the perfection of art where art is never, even for a moment, seen; the result of careful and continuous study, but with the ease and force of nature in every word, look, and motion." Detractors of the actress frequently accused her of imitating her famous co-star, calling her "Macready in white muslin." Evidently, it was not unusual for actors who played with Macready to pick up a few of his mannerisms.

In 1851, Faucit married Theodore Martin (afterward Sir), after which she acted only occasionally for charity. One of her last appearances was as Beatrice, on the opening of the Shakespeare Memorial at Stratford-on-Avon, on April 23, 1879. In 1881, Blackwood's Magazine carried the first of her Letters on some of Shakespeare's Heroines, which were later published in book form as On Some of Shakespeare's Female Characters (1885).

Helena Faucit died at her home near Llangollen, in Wales, on October 31, 1898. There is a portrait figure of Faucit in the Shakespeare Memorial, and the marble pulpit in the Shakespeare church—with her portrait as Saint Helena (c. 255–329)—was given in her memory by her husband.

Barbara Morgan , Melrose, Massachusetts