Robert Coates

Who was Robert Coates?

Robert Coates, often called Romeo Coates, was a West Indian-born heir to significantly profitable, sugar-growing slave plantations. As a young adult, he emigrated to England where, though only an amateur, he became notorious for his fondness for appearing on stage in leading roles.

Coates is numbered among the ranks of famous British eccentrics because of his unusual career as an amateur actor. His self-image included a highly mistaken belief in his own thespian prowess. After professional theatrical producers failed to cast Coates in significant roles, he used his family fortune to subsidize his own productions in which he was both the producer and the lead actor. His favourite part was Shakespeare's Romeo, hence his widely used nickname.