Those dull English people over the water knew so little of what good acting really meant.

Tragedy?
Well! passons! Their heavy, large-boned actresses might manage one or two big scenes where a commanding presence and a powerful voice would not come amiss, and where prominent teeth would pass unnoticed in the agony of a dramatic climax.
But Comedy! Ah! ca non, par example! Demoiselle Candeille had seen several English gentlemen and ladies in those same olden days at the Tuileries, but she really could not imagine any of them enacting the piquant scenes of Moliere or Beaumarchais.
Demoiselle Candeille thought of every English-born individual as having very large teeth.

Now large teeth do not lend themselves to well-spoken comedy scenes, to smiles, or to double entendre.
Her own teeth were exceptionally small and white, and very sharp, like those of a kitten.
Yes! Demoiselle Candeille thought it would be extremely interesting to go to London and to show to a nation of shopkeepers how daintily one can be amused in a theatre.
Permission to depart from Paris was easy to obtain.

In fact the fair lady had never really found it difficult to obtain anything she very much wanted.
In this case she had plenty of friends in high places.

Marat was still alive and a great lover of the theatre.