Mrs. (Catherine) Clive

Born Catherine Raftor in 1711, she became famous under the stage name Kitty Clive and built her reputation at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She was especially admired in comic roles, and her performances also drew on her musical talent, which helped make her one of the most popular actresses of her generation.

Her career unfolded during a lively period in London theatre, where she appeared in plays, farces, and ballad operas. She was known not just as a performer but also as a figure with a clear public voice, and she later published writing of her own.

Clive died in 1785. Her place in theatre history has lasted because of her sharp comic style, her long association with the London stage, and the attention she received from major writers and artists of the 18th century.