Levitt, John.

Charles James Mathews (1803-1878) was born in Liverpool and initially worked as an architect. His acting career began in 1835 and continued until the year of his death, encompassing performances in the United Kingdom, United States of America and France. Between the late 1930s and 1955 he and his wife Lucia Elizabeth Vestris (1797 -1856), known as Madame Vestris, managed venues including the Olympic Theatre, the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden and the Lyceum Theatre.

Charles Dance (1794-1863) combined his work as a dramatist with various legal jobs mainly in the Insolvent Debtors' Court. Dance had a professional friendship with Mathews and Madame Vestris, helping them to negotiate the lease for the Lyceum Theatre and also contributing Olympic Revels as the opening piece of their first season. Many of Dance’s works have been printed in Lacy's ‘Acting Edition of Plays,’ Duncombe's ‘British Theatre,’ Webster's ‘Acting National Drama,’ and Miller's ‘Modern Acting Drama.

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