Mary Frances Scott-Siddons

Mary Frances Scott-Siddons (1844 – 8 November 1896), frequently referred to as Mrs. Scott-Siddons, was a British actress and dramatic reader. Her paternal great-grandmother was Sarah Siddons.

After a struggle, Scott-Siddons secured an engagement and made her professional debut at Nottingham, in 1866 as Portia in The Merchant of Venice. She was well received there and in Edinburgh, and in the following year, attained a great success as a Shakespearean reader in London, where in 1867 she played the part of Rosalind in As You Like It at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, and afterward appeared as Juliet, drawing immense audiences. Her beauty and grace of person contributed more to her success than her histrionic talent, and though a spirited and thoroughly natural actress, she lacked the technical training and necessary vigor. In her readings she was more successful.

She appeared in New York City in 1868, where one source states she "played successfully in a long line of characters.^[1] while others are critical of this and her subsequent appearances in London. In 1872, she starred in the United States and Australia with one report describing her "mediocre success^[2]."

It was as a dramatic reader that Scott-Siddons achieved her greatest fame. Her work was characterized by vast intelligence and clearness of interpretation.^[2] Her utterance was rapid, and in a clear, musical voice of great flexibility of expression. In scenes, she made little attempt to differentiate characters by vocal changes; she gestured little.^[3]