Edward Verrall Lucas

Name: Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement
Author: Edward Verrall Lucas

Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

Summary

“Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement”, published in 1912, is a work by Edward Verrall Lucas. It explores elements such as Phil May, Drury Lane and Leeds.

Quotes from Dictionary of National Biography… (Edward Verrall Lucas)

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ Dan Leno throughout the best years of his career, which covered his connected with Drury Lane, signally excelled all other music-hall comedians in intelligence, humour, drollery, and creativeness. He used the words provided for him only as a basis, often suggested by himself, on which to build a character. Although essentially a caricaturist, with a broad and rollicking sense of fun which added myriad of extravagance beyond experience, groundwork of his creations and truth continually broke through the exuberance of the artist. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ Leno's long series of largely irresponsible but always human pantomime figures at Drury Lane differed from all pantomime figures by their strange blend of fun and wistfulness. It was his special gift to endear himself to an audience, and compel its sympathies as well as applause.
The recipient of large salaries, he was correspondingly lavish. He was President of the Music Hall Benevolent Fund, and himself the distributor of much private charity. He carried his fun into private life and was much addicted to practical jokes. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ In private life May was a man of much humour and a curious amiability and gentleness, qualities which unhappily carried with them a defect of weakness that made him the victim both of sociability and of impecunious friends. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ Every winter he was the particular star of Drury Lane; while during the rest of the year he made a tour of the principal music halls in the United Kingdom. No other comedian of his time had drawing power to compare with him. On 26 November 1901 the culminating point of his success was reached when he was commanded to Sandringham to sing before King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, and their guests — the first music-hall performer to be thus honoured. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ Brough recommended May to the editor of 'Society.' For 'Society' he did some work, and then passed to 'St. Stephen's Review,' of which paper he was the artistic mainstay until a break down of health made it advisable to go to Australia, where he had an offer of 20l. a week from the 'Sydney Bulletin.' He left London in 1885 and remained in Australia until 1888, completing altogether some 900 drawings for the 'Bulletin.' For a while after leaving that paper he remained in Melbourne practising painting, and then settled in Paris to study art as seriously as he was able. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ On 25 June 1910 a mural tablet subscribed for by the public was unveiled on the house in Leeds where he was born, recording the circumstance and calling him 'the great black and white artist' and 'a fellow of infinite jest.'
[The Times, 6 August 1903; biographical prefaces to Phil May in Australia, Bulletin Office, Sydney, 1904, and The Phil May Folio, London, 1904; James Glover, Jimmy Glover: his book, 1911 (with portrait of May by himself, Leeds, 1880) ; private information.] ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ His continuous and excitable activity exhausted his strength. He was able to return to the stage during the early months of 1903 and for the Drury pantomime of 1903-4; but he died at Balham from general paralysis of the brain on 31 Oct. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ His father dying about this time, his mother married another member of the same profession, named Grant, whose stage name was Leno. The boy with his mother, stepfather, and a brother, also an acrobat, began to tour the United Kingdom and to some extent the continent. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edward Verrall Lucas, Dictionary of National Biography… (1912)

“ Subsequently he joined a touring company as an actor, his first appearance being at the Spa Theatre, Scarborough. He played among other parts François in 'Richelieu' and the cat in 'Dick Whittington.' In his fifteenth year he sot out for London to earn his fortune, suffering there great hardships. ”

Edward Verrall Lucas

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Quotes from Dictionary of National Biography… (Edward Verrall Lucas)

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