Maggie Knight facts for kids
Margaret "Maggie" Knight (born around 1857 – died 1917) was a famous actress from New Zealand. She had a very successful career performing on stage in Australia.
Maggie Knight's Acting Career
Maggie Knight was born Margaret Harkness in Auckland, New Zealand, around the year 1857.
She became a "leading lady," which means she played the most important female roles, for actor Wybert Reeve. They performed in many plays at the Sydney Opera House and the Gaiety Theatre in 1883.
Some of her important roles included:
- Lady Henry Fairfax in a play called Diplomacy in 1879.
- Polly Eccles in a play named Caste in 1878 and 1880. When she performed this role in 1880, she even gave a speech saying goodbye, as she thought she was retiring!
People really liked Maggie Knight. One newspaper said she was very popular. They mentioned her "pleasing face" and "pleasant manners." They also said her acting skills were highly valued by the audience.
Even though she said she would retire, Maggie Knight returned to the stage. She played many different "character parts." These are roles that are often unique and memorable, even if they are not the main character. She worked for big theater groups like J. C. Williamson, Bland Holt, and George Rignold.
Some of her later roles included:
- Nellie Denver in The Silver King in 1885.
- Kate Verity in The Squire in 1888.
- An old Scottish peasant in The Gay Gordons in 1910.
- The Marquise in a special charity performance of Caste in September 1917.
Maggie Knight passed away just one month after her last performance.
Her Life Off Stage
Maggie Knight married Henry R. Jewett on March 2, 1888. They had a son named Eric. Henry Jewett later moved to America. There, he had a successful career as an actor and director.
Maggie Knight married again in 1893. Her second husband was Henry William Henderson. He was the general manager of a shipping company. They lived in a home by the water in Darling Point.
