A Shaw Who’s Who

Abstract

ACHURCH, Janet (1864–1916), actress and writer of plays and short stories. She was acclaimed for her Shakespearean acting and for her powerful interpretations of leading roles in plays by Ibsen. A member of a Manchester theatrical family, she began her acting career at 19, and later formed a theatrical partnership with her second husband, actor and producer, Charles Charrington. Shaw first met her on 16 June 1889, after seeing her much praised performance as Nora in Charrington’s production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, in which Charrington himself played Torvald. She successfully repeated the role in the 1890s, and in November 1896 was hailed by Shaw, as one of the three best actresses of her generation, for her performance of Rita in Ibsen’s Little Eyolf. Shaw refers to Achurch as the ‘only tragic actress of genius we now possess’ and his letters reveal a fascination with and personal affection for her beyond his high opinion of her acting abilities. He began Candida in 1894 with Achurch in mind for the title role, which she played in its first public performance on 30 July 1897, in Aberdeen. Shaw constantly remonstrated with her about drug and alcohol dependencies which prevented full realization of her potential.