In Women as Hamlet (2007), Tony Howard attempts to explain the 19th century public respect awarded to the onstage juxtaposition of worthy Shakespearean acting and the willingness of women such as Alice Marriott, Julia Seaman and Millicent Bandmann-Palmer to display their legs in doublet and hose.
These showed "matronly moral worth, ... images of probity ... as an expression of masculine will ... as wisdom ... and also male impersonation ... Hamlet was their passport to exploring the mind onstage with dignity, and indeed after a century of fugitive performances and jeux d'esprits Alice Marriott made the female Hamlet respectable in England."
He quotes reviews of her 1859 tour: "She has made it a creation - a thing of beauty," and "As regards Miss Marriott's portrayal of the young prince, I would almost be induced to say it was perfect."
Of her Hamlet at the Theatre Royal, Marylebone in 1861, it was said: "Her figure is imposing and her carriage is, if not quite masculine, sufficient for stage purposes."
Her Hamlet was "sober," "brought up on the dignity and refinement of a Court," with "a cultivated mind and a sensitive temperament" and "extraordinary gentleness."
She was noted for her "careful study" and "elecutionary clarity."
Howard notes that "everyone remembered her voice."
He records that she gave "fresh significance to passages that might have escaped the notice of a cursory student ... Her To be or not to be was often applauded - not for originality but for chasteness of expression."
By 1899 critics were recalling the "gravitas and musicality" of her Hamlet.
John H. Bartlett has said on the subject of women playing male roles, "As there are so few roles of stature in the classical repertoire, it seems only fair to allow anyone capable of playing a part to do so."

In November 1867, the Illustrated London News said: "At Sadler's Wells, Macbeth and The School for Scandal have been revived ... Miss Marriott, as Lady Macbeth, acted with her usual force ... (In Sheridan's play) the character of Lady Teazle was vigorously supported by Miss Marriott."
In February 1869, The Era said: "Miss Marriott's performance of Hamlet is too well-known to need criticism; suffice it to say that she was called before the curtain after almost every act.
In May 1869 while Marriott was in America, Reynold's Newspaper commented: "Miss Alice Marriott, who has just closed an engagement at Wood's Theatre, is a woman of about forty years of age, and of large dramatic experience.
She is the wife of Robert Edgar, or "Bob" as he is called by his intimates, who is himself a decided character ... His attachment to his talented wife verges almost on adoration, and he at once conceives a violent attachment for anybody who professionally admires her.

In September 1890, when Marriott was 66 years old and playing Ravenswood at the Lyceum, the London Illustrated News said: "Perhaps best of all (was) the Ailsie Gourlay of Miss Marriott, who had the most difficult task of all to perform, and did it admirably.
I tremble to think what would have happened to the play if this old Scotch prophetess had not been an actress of rare and ripe experience.
And oh!
if the younger generation would only go to the Lyceum and hear how Miss Marriott speaks verse!
Every word she has to speak is distinctly heard in every corner of the house."

The New Zealand Railways Magazine (1939) described her thus: "A rather masculine woman, with a fine presence and considerable talent, a beautiful voice and a phenomenal memory, she was playing for over forty years, and she had an enormous repertoire of long and difficult roles.
She had dramatic intensity to a degree, and as an emotional actress had a high reputation." "
An actress of the old school, Miss Marriott was well known to Scottish audiences, her impersonation of the title role of Jeanie Deans being famous.
She had a true appreciation of Scottish humour and pathos ... Among her last appearances in the north - about the end of September 1892 - she delighted large audiences by her delineation of the role of Helen Macgregor in Rob Roy
In Women as Hamlet (2007), Tony Howard attempts to explain the 19th century public respect awarded to the onstage juxtaposition of worthy Shakespearean acting and the willingness of women such as Alice Marriott, Julia Seaman and Millicent Bandmann-Palmer to display their legs in doublet and hose. These showed "matronly moral worth, ... images of probity ... as an expression of masculine will ... as wisdom ... and also male impersonation ... Hamlet was their passport to exploring the mind onstage with dignity, and indeed after a century of fugitive performances and jeux d'esprits Alice Marriott made the female Hamlet respectable in England." He quotes reviews of her 1859 tour: "She has made it a creation - a thing of beauty," and "As regards Miss Marriott's portrayal of the young prince, I would almost be induced to say it was perfect." Of her Hamlet at the Theatre Royal, Marylebone in 1861, it was said: "Her figure is imposing and her carriage is, if not quite masculine, sufficient for stage purposes." Her Hamlet was "sober," "brought up on the dignity and refinement of a Court," with "a cultivated mind and a sensitive temperament" and "extraordinary gentleness." She was noted for her "careful study" and "elecutionary clarity." Howard notes that "everyone remembered her voice." He records that she gave "fresh significance to passages that might have escaped the notice of a cursory student ... Her To be or not to be was often applauded - not for originality but for chasteness of expression." By 1899 critics were recalling the "gravitas and musicality" of her Hamlet. John H. Bartlett has said on the subject of women playing male roles, "As there are so few roles of stature in the classical repertoire, it seems only fair to allow anyone capable of playing a part to do so."
In November 1867, the Illustrated London News said: "At Sadler's Wells, Macbeth and The School for Scandal have been revived ... Miss Marriott, as Lady Macbeth, acted with her usual force ... (In Sheridan's play) the character of Lady Teazle was vigorously supported by Miss Marriott." In February 1869, The Era said: "Miss Marriott's performance of Hamlet is too well-known to need criticism; suffice it to say that she was called before the curtain after almost every act. In May 1869 while Marriott was in America, Reynold's Newspaper commented: "Miss Alice Marriott, who has just closed an engagement at Wood's Theatre, is a woman of about forty years of age, and of large dramatic experience. She is the wife of Robert Edgar, or "Bob" as he is called by his intimates, who is himself a decided character ... His attachment to his talented wife verges almost on adoration, and he at once conceives a violent attachment for anybody who professionally admires her.
In September 1890, when Marriott was 66 years old and playing Ravenswood at the Lyceum, the London Illustrated News said: "Perhaps best of all (was) the Ailsie Gourlay of Miss Marriott, who had the most difficult task of all to perform, and did it admirably. I tremble to think what would have happened to the play if this old Scotch prophetess had not been an actress of rare and ripe experience. And oh! if the younger generation would only go to the Lyceum and hear how Miss Marriott speaks verse! Every word she has to speak is distinctly heard in every corner of the house."
The New Zealand Railways Magazine (1939) described her thus: "A rather masculine woman, with a fine presence and considerable talent, a beautiful voice and a phenomenal memory, she was playing for over forty years, and she had an enormous repertoire of long and difficult roles. She had dramatic intensity to a degree, and as an emotional actress had a high reputation." "An actress of the old school, Miss Marriott was well known to Scottish audiences, her impersonation of the title role of Jeanie Deans being famous. She had a true appreciation of Scottish humour and pathos ... Among her last appearances in the north - about the end of September 1892 - she delighted large audiences by her delineation of the role of Helen Macgregor in Rob Roy
Alice Marriott (actress)