Christopher Shrimpton

Boy wonder: The Young Pretender, by Michael Arditti, reviewed

The acclaimed child actor Master Betty took London by storm in 1804. So why, two years later, had his star dramatically faded?

Master Betty as Hamlet, by James Northcote. [Alamy] 
issue 30 April 2022
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  • The Young Pretender

    Michael Arditti

    Arcadia, pp. 224, £12

During his brief stage career Master Betty, or the Young Roscius, was no stranger to superlatives: genius, unparalleled, superior, Albion’s glory, a Child of Nature, the Wonder of the Age. He was a child prodigy who, in the early 19th century, took British theatre by storm. Aged just 11 William Betty made his debut and was hailed as a second David Garrick.

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