Editing Charlie Chaplin (section)

====Young performer====
[[File:Chaplin in Sherlock Holmes.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A teenage Chaplin in the play ''[[Sherlock Holmes (play)|Sherlock Holmes]]'']]
Between his time in the poor schools and his mother succumbing to mental illness, Chaplin began to perform on stage. He later recalled making his first amateur appearance at the age of five years, when he took over from Hannah one night in [[Aldershot]].{{efn|According to Chaplin, Hannah had been booed off stage and the manager chose him{{snd}}as he was standing in the wings{{snd}}to go on as her replacement. He remembered confidently entertaining the crowd, and receiving laughter and applause.{{sfnm|1a1=Robinson|1p=17|2a1=Chaplin|2p=18}}}} This was an isolated occurrence, but by the time he was nine Chaplin had, with his mother's encouragement, grown interested in performing. He later wrote: "[she] imbued me with the feeling that I had some sort of talent".{{sfn|Chaplin|p=41}} Through his father's connections,{{sfn|Marriot|p=4}} Chaplin became a member of the [[The Eight Lancashire Lads|Eight Lancashire Lads]] [[Clog dance|clog-dancing]] troupe, with whom he toured English music halls throughout 1899 and 1900.{{efn|The Eight Lancashire Lads were still touring until 1908; the exact time Chaplin left the group is unverified, but based on research, A. J. Marriot believes it was in December 1900.{{sfn|Marriot|p=213}}}} Chaplin worked hard, and the act was popular with audiences, but he was not satisfied with dancing and wished to form a comedy act.{{sfn|Chaplin|p=44}}

In the years Chaplin was touring with the Eight Lancashire Lads, his mother ensured that he still attended school but, by the age of 13, he had abandoned education.{{sfn|Louvish|p=19}}<!--mother-->{{sfn|Robinson|p=39}}<!--abandoned--> He supported himself with a range of jobs, while nursing his ambition to become an actor.{{sfn|Chaplin|p=76}} At 14, shortly after his mother's relapse, he registered with a theatrical agency in London's [[West End of London|West End]]. The manager sensed potential in Chaplin, who was promptly given his first role as a newsboy in [[Harry Arthur Saintsbury]]'s ''Jim, a Romance of Cockayne''.{{sfn|Robinson|pp=44–46}} It opened in July 1903, but the show was unsuccessful and closed after two weeks. Chaplin's comic performance, however, was singled out for praise in many of the reviews.{{sfnm|1a1=Marriot|1pp=42–44|2a1=Robinson|2pp=46–47|3a1=Louvish|3p=26}}

Saintsbury secured a role for Chaplin in [[Charles Frohman]]'s production of ''[[Sherlock Holmes (play)|Sherlock Holmes]]'', where he played Billy the pageboy in three nationwide tours.{{sfn|Robinson|pp=45, 49–51, 53, 58}} His performance was so well received that he was called to London to play the role alongside [[William Gillette]], the original Holmes.{{efn|William Gillette co-wrote the ''Sherlock Holmes'' play with [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], and had been starring in it since its New York opening in 1899. He had come to London in 1905 to appear in a new play, ''Clarice''. Its reception was poor, and Gillette decided to add an "after-piece" called ''The Painful Predicament of Sherlock Holmes''. This short play was what Chaplin originally came to London to appear in. After three nights, Gillette chose to close ''Clarice'' and replace it with ''Sherlock Holmes''. Chaplin had so pleased Gillette with his performance in ''The Painful Predicament'' that he was kept on as Billy for the full play.{{sfn|Robinson|pp=59–60}}}} "It was like tidings from heaven", Chaplin recalled.{{sfn|Chaplin|p=89}} At 16 years old, Chaplin starred in the play's West End production at the [[Duke of York's Theatre]] from October to December 1905.{{sfn|Marriot|p=217}} He completed one final tour of ''Sherlock Holmes'' in early 1906, before leaving the play after more than two-and-a-half years.{{sfn|Robinson|p=63}}