10 - Engaged at the Surrey

Summary

The Era welcomed Aldridge back to London in March 1848 by publishing a lengthy, laudatory critique of his initial performances at the Surrey Theatre, prefacing it with an account of his career since his last appearance at the capital in 1833.

Some years ago, he performed two nights running as Othello, at Coventgarden, and afterwards went through several parts at the Surrey. He was at that time very young, and has since, by continual practice, improved himself in every respect as an actor. He was, however, highly successful when he last appeared in London. The papers spoke of his performance in terms of unequivocal commendation; but notwithstanding the novelty of a man of colour representing Shakspere's intellectual heroes so as to meet the serious approval of critics, and the extraordinary circumstances of Mr. Aldridge (although a black) taking his stand in the profession as a gentleman and a scholar, capable of receiving the poet's creations, and pourtraying his thoughts in a display of histrionic art—notwithstanding the general approval he met with, and the encouragement he ought to have received, he made but little way as an actor of great pretensions, and soon disappeared from the London boards. Ridicule had something to do with this. The disadvantage of colour, which excluded him from all chance of success in America, was not entirely overcome in England among a prejudiced, wanton, and unthinking few, who could not let an opportunity pass for sneering at and ridiculing the “presumptuous nigger.” One publication in particular, now out of print, was particularly unmerciful, and its lampoons were sadly discouraging to the tenacious young “Roscius,” for ridicule does not always blunt the feelings of those against whom it is directed, but, on the contrary, often makes them more susceptible. Mr. Aldridge, however, is, in our opinion, likely to outlive such petty attacks as he was then subjected to. His appearance at the Surrey has been promising in the extreme, and we think his London engagements this time will be both gratifying and profitable to him.