William John Lawrence

“ On 15 Sept. 1866 Lydia Thompson made her first appearance at the new Prince of Wales's Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, in the afterpiece of the 'Pas de Fascination,' and on 10 Oct. played with acceptance the the chief character in Byron's poor burlesque of ‘Der Freischütz.’ In 1868, after performing at the Strand Theatre in William Brough's extravaganza ‘The Field of the Cloth of Gold,’ she sailed for America, where she was the pioneer of latter-day English burlesque and was the first ‘star’ to bring a fully organised company across the Atlantic. ”

“ In the Christmas of 1855 he provided almost all the scenery for the holiday entertainments both at Drury Lane and at Covent Garden. In December 1862 his brush was employed to excellent advantage on the Princess's Theatre pantomime of ‘Riquet with the Tuft.’ At Drury Lane during the next few years he furnished the mounting for several important Shakespearean revivals, notably for ‘King John,’ ‘Henry IV, Part I,’ and ‘Macbeth,’ as well as for an elaborate production of ‘Comus.’ Between 1868 and 1879 his services appear to have been exclusively devoted to Drury Lane. ”

“ Toole began his first professional engagement in London by originating at the St. James's Theatre the poorly drawn character of Samuel Pepys in Taylor and Reade's ineffective comedy, 'The King's Rival,' and the more congenial role of Weazle, the disguised sheriff's officer, in Selby's farce, 'My Friend the Major.' But the engagement proved disquieting, and on 26 March 1855 he returned with relief to the Edinburgh stock company. ”

“ On its production in London at the Queen's Theatre, Long Acre, on 8 Jan. 1868, Toole was supported by a new cast, comprising Charles Wyndham, Henry Irving, Lionel Brough, and Henrietta Hodson, and the harmony of the acting concealed the defective construction of the play. Toole's mingled exhibition of grief, passion, and humour as the brave old man who could endure starvation with a pleasant face raised him higher in critical estimation. In association with Henry Irving, he subsequently fiilfilled an engagement of seven weeks at the Standard Theatre. ”

“ A temperate graceful actor, he had more individuality and fewer vices of style than most conventional tragedians. In London he never established his hold, but in one or two large provincial centres, notably Dublin and Birmingham, his following was large and affectionate. ”

“ His last appearance on the stage was at His Majesty's at a matinee on 29 April 1910, when he played Sir Oliver in a scene from 'The School for Scandal.'
Neville's art reflected his buoyant, breezy nature and his generous mind. A romantic actor of the old flamboyant school, he succeeded in prolonging his popularity by an adroit compromise with latter-day conditions. He believed that the principles of acting could be taught, and in 1878 established a dramatic studio in Oxford Street, in whose fortunes he continued for many years to take a vivid interest. ”

“ In this play still-life accessories were, for the first time on the British stage, adroitly arranged in harmony with the background, after the manner of the French cycloramas. At the same house in March 1883 he painted for the ‘Storm-beaten’ of Mr. Robert Buchanan, and in the October following for the opera of ‘Rip Van Winkle’ at the Royal Comedy. ”

“ In November she returned to the Queen's to play Ariel in a spectacular revival of 'The Tempest.' Henry Labouchere had then bought out the other lessees and the proprietor, and had assumed control of the theatre. Miss Hodson's technical knowledge and experience proved invaluable to her husband. Her sister Kate (acting as Miss Kate Gordon) joined the company as the principal soubrette. In April 1871 Miss Hodson made a new departure by appearing as Imogen in 'Cymbeline,' and, although somewhat lacking in dignity and passion in the earlier scenes, showed discretion and grace in the boy's disguise. ”

“ Henry Labouchere died at the Villa Christina on 16 Jan. 1912.
An actress of individuality and high technical accomplishment, Henrietta Hodson was seen at her best in characters where she could mingle demureness with an underlying sense of fun and mischief. When pathos or sentimentality was demanded she was found wanting. Her art was somewhat too delicate and refined for burlesque, in which she showed a lack of animal spirits. ”

“ There he was painter for ‘Rigoletto’ on 16 May, and for many years provided the scenery for the chief operas produced under Gye's rule.
Beverley's memorable association with Drury Lane began under E. T. Smith in 1854, and lasted, with few intermissions, through the successive managements of Falconer, Chatterton, and Sir Augustus Harris, down to 1884. Season after season he executed work of marvellous beauty for the pantomimes at this house. But for some years he continued to work for other theatres at the same time. ”

“ In the autumn of 1844 the Adelphi reopened under the management of Benjamin Webster and Madame Celeste, and the golden period of Miss Woolgar's career at that theatre began. On 14 October she showed dramatic feeling as Lazarillo in Boucicault's 'Don Cesar de Bazan.' At the Haymarket on 18 Nov. (owing to the sudden illness of Madame Vestris) she played Lady Ahce Hawthorn, on half a day's notice, in the same author's new comedy 'Old Heads and Young Hearts.' She returned to the Adelphi at Easter 1845, and afterwards fulfilled some provincial engagements with her father. ”

“ After seeing this masterly performance Dickens wrote to Forster that Toole had shown ' a power of passion very imusual indeed in a comic actor, as such things go, and of a quite remarkable kind.' But the play proved unattractive and was not revived. On 26 June 1865 he originated with acceptance another semi-serious plebeian character, Joe Bright, in Walter Gordon's comedy-drama 'Through Fire and Water,' and surprised his audience in the opening act by a grimly realistic exhibition of drunken savagery. In the summer of 1866 he went on tour with Henry Irving. ”

“ KING, THOMAS CHISWELL (1818–1893) , actor, was born at Twyning, near Tewkesbury, on 24 April 1818. He adopted his wife's maiden name of Chiswell in addition to his own name of Thomas King on his marriage, which took place shortly after he joined the theatrical profession. Apprenticed in his youth to the painting and paper-hanging business at Cheltenham, he acquired a taste for the stage through acting with amateurs, and about 1840 joined the company of Alexander Lee, the ballad composer, to support Mrs. ”

“ TEARLE, OSMOND (1852–1901) , actor, whose full name was George Osmond Tearle, born at Plymouth on 8 March 1862, was son of George Tearle, colour-sergeant in the royal marines. After serving in the Crimean and China wars his father retired on pension to Liverpool. Educated there at St. Francis Xavier's College, Tearle took part in amateur theatricals, and in 1868 in 'penny readings' with Mr. T. Hail Caine. Inspired by Barry Sullivan's acting, he took to the stage, making his debut at the Adelphi Theatre, Liverpool, on 26 March 1869, as Guildenstern to Miss Adelaide Ross's Hamlet. ”

“ On 17 May following she began a new engagement at the Fourteenth Street Theatre, New York, and was seen again in New York in the winter seasons of 1888–9 and 1891. Meanwhile, on 21 Sept. 1886, she opened the Strand Theatre, under her own management, with ‘The Sultan of Mocha,’ then first given in London, and on 26 Jan. 1888 was heartily welcomed on making her reappearance there as Antonio the page in the comic opera ‘Barbette.’ Thenceforth her vivacity showed signs of decay. ”

“ Neville's impassioned and romantic style of acting, which gave a character to the Olympic productions, contrasted with the over-charged, highly coloured style then current at the Adelphi. But early in 1867 he migrated to the Adelphi, where, on 16 March, he was the original Job Armroyd in Watts Phillips's 'Lost in London,' and on 1 June the original Farmer Allen in Charles Reade's version of Tennyson's 'Dora.' On 31 Aug., on Miss Kate Terry's farewell, he played Romeo to her Juliet, and on 26 Dec. ”

“ There he was the original Sir Geoffrey Champneys in H. J. Byron's comedy 'Our Boys' on 16 Jan. 1875, and played the part, without intermission, until July 1878. Subsequently he was seen at the Royal Aquarium (afterwards Imperial Theatre) as Grandfather Whitehead (9 Nov. 1878) , in which he was deemed inferior in pathos to his father; as young Marlow; as Archer in 'The Beaux' Stratagem' (Oct. 1879) ; as Sir Robert Bramble in 'The Poor Gentleman'; and as Adam in Miss Litton's revival of 'As You Like It' — a role which he repeated later at the opening of the Shaftesbury Theatre (20 Oct. 1888) . ”

“ Toole's Caleb Plummer undoubtedly ranks among the histrionic masterpieces of his century. Among succeeding triumphs in drama or burlesque are to be noted his rendering of Azucena in Byron's burlesque 'Ill-treated II Trovatore' (21 May) , and of Mr. Tetterby in 'The Haunted Man' at the Adelphi (27 June 1863) .
Toole had now attained a salary of 35l. per week. On 7 March 1864 he was the original policeman in Brough and Halliday's farce 'The Area Belle' to the soldier of his ally Paul Bedford. ”

“ Following the Bancrofts to the Haymarket, Kemble appeared there on the opening night of their management (31 January 1880) as Mr. Stout in 'Money,' and subsequently played Dr. Sutcliffe in a revival of 'School.' During the recess he toured the provinces with Miss Ellen Terry, returning to the Haymarket on 20 Sept. to play Captain Mouser in a revival of Buckstone's 'Leap Year.' A few weeks later he played Sir Lucius O'Trigger to the Bob Acres of John S. Clarke. ”

“ Mrs. Mellon died at her residence, Vardens Road, Wandsworth Common, after a very brief illness, on 8 Sept. 1909, and was buried in Brompton cemetery beside her husband, whom she survived forty-two years. She left two daughters, of whom the younger. Miss Mary Woolgar Mellon, became an actress. 'In her prime,' writes John Coleman, 'Miss Woolgar was one of the most accomplished all-round actresses of her day; tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce, or burlesque — nothing came amiss to her. . . . In high comedy she lacked distinction and hauteur ”

“ KEMBLE, HENRY (1848–1907) , actor, born in London on 1 June 1848, was son of Henry Kemble, captain of the 37th foot. Charles Kemble [q. v.] was his grandfather. He was educated by his aunt, Fanny Kemble [q. v. Suppl. I] , at Bury St. Edmunds and King's College school, London. In 1865 he entered the privy council office, but devoted most of his time to amateur theatricals. Yielding to the hereditary bias, he made his professional debut on the stage at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, on 7 Oct. ”

“ HODSON, HENRIETTA (afterwards Mrs. Henry Labouchere) (1841–1910) , actress, born at Upper Marsh, in St. Mary's parish, Westminster, on 26 March 1841, was eldest daughter of George Alfred Hodson, Irish comedian and singer (1822-1869) , by his wife Henrietta Elizabeth Noel. Her father kept the Duke's Arms inn at Westminster (Reg. Births, Somerset House) . ”

“ Henry Morley hailed him as 'a new actor of real mark.' After other provincial engagements he spent four years at the Olympic under Robson and Emden (1862-6) , and the experience proved the turning-point in his career. ”

“ Toole had all Wright's propensitfes for ’gagging,' and (especially in the provinces) gratified them to the full. If his humour was neither so rich nor so spontaneous as Wright's, it at least lacked his coarseness and lubricity. The last great low comedian of the old school, Toole was certainly the cleanest. A portrait of him by the Hon. John Collier, presented in 1895 by Sir Henry Irving, hangs in the Garrick Club (No. 340) . Several other portraits of the comedian in character were sold at the auction of his effects at Sotheby's on 8 Nov. ”

“ Lydia Thompson reappeared at the Gaiety, London, on 13 Feb. as Morgiana in the famous amateur pantomime of ‘The Forty Thieves.’ On 25 Jan. 1879 she played Carmen at the Folly in Reece's new burlesque of ‘Carmen, or Sold for a Song.’ After some two years in retirement, she reappeared at the Royalty on 12 Nov. ”

“ On 9 Oct. 1843 Miss Woolgar made her London debut at the Adelphi as Cleopatra in Selby's burletta 'Antony and Cleopatra.' With the Adelphi she was long associated. Her first original character there was in T. Egerton Wilks's romantic drama 'The Roll of the Drum' on 16 October. ”

“ An excellent amateur actor, Pemberton frequently lectured on theatrical subjects. In 1889 he was elected a governor of the Shakespeare Memorial theatre, Stratford-on-Avon, and showed much interest in its work. ”

“ In 1887, in conjunction with H. B. Conway, Farren started the Conway-Farren old comedy company at the Strand, appearing there as Lord Ogleby in 'The Clandestine Marriage,' old Domton, and other characters. At the Criterion on 27 Nov. 1890 he played with great acceptance his father's original part of Sir Harcourt Courtly in 'London Assurance.' After 1896 his appearances on the stage were confined to occasional performances of Simon Ingot in 'David Garrick' with (Sir) Charles Wyndham. On his retirement in 1898 he settled at Rome. He died at Siena on 25 Sept. ”

“ Faucit's two legitimate children. Beginning life as a vocalist, 'young William Farren' sang at the Antient Concerts in 1848. Turning to the stage, he, after slight training in the country, made his London début in the name of Forrester at the Strand Theatre, under his father's management, on 6 Sept. ”

“ Frederick Arthur Wellesley, third son of the first Earl Cowley. Her husband divorced her in 1897. A water-colour drawing of her as Morgiana in 'The Forty Thieves,' by Jack, was shown at the Victorian Era Exhibition in 1897. ”