After Audiences Booed An Actor Off Stage, His Next Sentence Made Them Go Completely Silent
Have you ever heard the phrase, "So bad it's good"? That was the career of Robert "Romeo" Coates in a nutshell. A wealthy eccentric without a single self-conscious bone in his body, Coates was determined to become one of the most celebrated actors of his day, even as critics and audiences alike tore him apart. But after years of taunting and abuse at the hands of his "adoring" public, Coates finally revealed the truth behind his acting aspirations — and left the entire audience in stunned silence.
"Diamond" Coates
Before earning his Romeo nickname, Robert was called "Diamond" Coates. He was a dandy who took the trend to the extreme. All of his bright clothes were studded with diamonds, including his cane. One of his peers called him a "halo of rainbow-changing colors like those of the Antiguan moonlight."
Far More Than Flashy
No matter the weather, Diamond would wear some kind of fur garment and normally a feathered hat to accompany it. When Diamond traveled, he did so in his own carriage. It was modeled after a two-wheeled chariot, or a curricle, and pulled by two white horses. The Coates family crest was painted on the front.
Local Celebrity
The crest featured a crowing young rooster in a fighting stance with the motto, "Whilst I live, I'll Crow." Diamond took the curricle all over Bath, including to the York House Hotel on George Street, where he regularly ate breakfast and lunch. It was here that Scottish memoirist Pryse Gordon first saw the odd, rich man practicing Shakespeare.
Such a Fan
When Pryse approached Diamond and corrected one of his lines, he was taken aback by the man's response: "Aye, that is the reading I know … but I think I have improved upon it." Pryse learned that Diamond loved Shakespeare and wanted to honor him by performing his work onstage.
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