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| Actress Esther Leach telegraphindia.com |
Above image: Actress Esther Leach. L-R: A portrait of Sarah Siddons, and Sarah Siddons on stageWikimedia Commons. "The early 19th-century actress, often known as Kolkata and India’s first superstar, lived a life of passion and determination. Her performances at Chowringhee Theatre left the audiences — the who’s who of Calcutta including the Governor General Lord Amherst — absolutely spellbound": telegraphindia.com.
In the cultural history of early colonial Calcutta, few figures shine as brightly as Mrs. Esther Leach, often hailed as the first true star of the English stage in India. Her rise from a young orphan in British cantonments to the queen of Calcutta theatre is intertwined with her life alongside her husband, Sergeant John Leach of the East India Company’s army—a steady, supportive presence who accompanied her through triumphs and tragedies.
Esther Leach, born in Meerut in 1809, lost her parents early and was raised in the barracks at Berhampore, nurtured by Corporal Paddy Flinn of the 17th Foot Regiment. Her earliest stage exposure came in the amateur plays staged for soldiers, where her natural poise, confident voice, and spirited delivery astonished officers and men alike. A gifted memory and a quick mind allowed her to master Shakespeare’s works—thanks to a treasured copy presented to her by the impressed soldiers. This set the foundation for her future stardom.
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| Sans Souci Theater |
Above image: Make-shift theater, inside a godown on Waterloo Street before shifting to 30 Park Street Ballin (artist)/unknown daguerreotypist.1840. Courtesy Victoria and Albert Museum. Credit:puronokolkata.com
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| Sans Souci Theater indiatimes.com |
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| Sans Souci Theatercalcuttaconfusion.blogspot.com |
Above images: Make-shift Colonial theater, Calcutta. The Sans Souci theater, a large building resembling the Greek Parthenon with six Doric columns, was built in the site where St. Xavier’s College stands today. It was built through public subscriptions. Lord Auckland and the business man Prince Dwarkanath Tagore donated Rs.1000 each. The additional cost Rs.80,000.00 for theater decorations, seating, scenery, sets, wardrobe, etc., was borne through mortgage of the property. Completed in May 1840, formal opening took place in March, 1841 with Sheridan Knowles’ “The Wife” in the immediate presence of Governor General Lord Auckland. Earlier, Esther Leach, had made her debut at the old theater on July 27, 1836. Unfortunately, in 1839, the Chowringhee Theatre — at the present-day Shakespeare Sarani crossing, a was completely damaged by fire. Leach’s second attempt at reviving the Kolkata stage also ended on a fiery note. She first started the Sans Souci theatre inside a godown on Waterloo Street before shifting to 30 Park Street, where St Xavier’s College now stands. While staging the play Handsome Husband, Leach’s gown caught fire, kept to light the backstage. Eleven days later, on November 18, 1843, she succumbed to her burns........
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| Chowringee Theater. puronokolkata.com |
She married Sergeant John Leach, who was significantly older, and during his deployment to Rangoon she moved to Calcutta, where her debut at the Dum Dum Theatre electrified the British community. Soon she became the leading attraction at the Chowringhee Theatre, earning admiration even from the Governor-General. Her portrayal of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet drew comparisons to the legendary Mrs. Siddons, and for more than a decade she dominated Calcutta’s English theatre scene.
After the death of her husband and a period of ill health, she returned to England briefly, only to come back to find the old Chowringhee Theatre destroyed by fire. With characteristic resolve, she rebuilt her artistic world from scratch—first by staging plays in a makeshift godown, and then by founding the iconic Sans Souci Theatre. Backed by liberal subscriptions, including contributions from Lord Auckland and Prince Dwarkanath Tagore, Sans Souci soon became the finest theatre east of Suez. Here, landmark productions like Othello were staged—remarkable for featuring a Bengali actor in a lead role opposite Mrs. Leach’s daughter.
But tragedy struck on 17 November 1843, when Esther’s dress caught fire from an oil lamp backstage while performing The Handsome Husband. Despite medical care, she succumbed to her burns the next morning, 18 November 1843, closing the curtain on one of the most luminous theatrical careers in India’s colonial history.
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