Early Life

Very little has been recorded about Mazzarina's early life. Records show that she initially lived in Somerset in 1851, and moved to Bristol in 1861.  Her parents were Sarah Ashton Macready and William Macready and she had seven siblings.

Born to the stage

Both Mazzarina's parents were in the theatrical profession but her mother did not initially want her daughter to go on the stage. However she did make her acting debuting 1842.  She performed on the stage and also helped run the theatre that her father ran, The Theatre Royal in Bristol.  Through her work she met James Henry Chute.

Nine children

She married to James in 1844 after they had eloped as her parents did not approve of the marriage as he was over 10 years older than her. They eventually forgave the pair who were clearly deeply in love

Love letter between Mazzarina McCready and James Chute From University of Bristol Theatre Collection – BTC78/33

Mazzarina gave birth to nine children:

• William Macready Chute (1845-?)
• Henry Macready Chute (1849-1927)
• George Macready Chute (1851-1888)
• Stephen Macready Chute (1852-1899)
• Julia Merrington Chute (1854-?)
• Charles Kean Chute (1858-?)
• James Macready Chute
• Ellen Maud Chute (1863-?)
• Christine Chute (unknown)

A rich archive of the Macready and Chute family is held at the Bristol University Theatre Collection.

A family dynasty

The Bristol actor-manager family of the Macready/Chutes dominated the local theatre scene throughout the nineteenth century.  They ran the Bristol Theatre Royal in King Street and the new Theatre Royal in Park Row. This was later renamed the Prince’s Theatre but was destroyed by enemy bombs in 1940. The family also ran Theatre Royal and the Assembly Rooms in Bath.

Mazzarina and James ran the New Theatre Royal together and were well known for their pantomimes. However in 1869, a horrendous catastrophe occurred on the opening night of Robinson Crusoe. Due the popularity of the performance, huge queues had gathered for the tickets and as the ticket booths opened the crowd surged  and many people were crushed.  In total there were eighteen deaths, a middle-aged man and woman, thirteen young people and three children with many more suffering major and minor injuries. Seven of the victims were buried in Arnos Vale Cemetery.  The inquest ruled accidental death and recommended an improved queuing and evacuation system. 

Death

James and Mazzarina continued their management of the theatres until Mazzarina’s sudden and rathe rearly death, aged 53. In 1878 she collapsed after supper one evening, and medical advice was sought. She was found to be gravely ill, and telegrams were duly dispatched to her children to summon them home.

Mazzarina sadly died of Brights disease which caused kidney failure soon afterwards and she is buried with her beloved James who followed her to the grave only a couple of months later.