The year 1891 signalled a new era in the career of Little Tich. The Drury Lane pantomimes were known for their extravagance and splendour and featured lavish sets and big budgets. The first of the Drury Lane pantomimes in which Little Tich appeared was "Humpty Dumpty" in 1891 which also starred Drury Lane regulars Marie Lloyd, Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell. As well as the title role, Little Tich also played the minor part of the Yellow Dwarf in the harlequinade. It was during the latter characterisation that he revived his Big-Boot Dance, which was a hit with audiences. The following Christmas, he equalled this success with his second pantomime "Little Bo-Peep" in which he played the part of "Hop of my Thumb".
Life at Drury Lane
Little Tich
Little Tich | Life at Drury Lane
1891 1891 1891 1891
who was little tich?
user
Harry Relph, professionally known as Little Tich, was a English music hall comedian and dancer best known for acrobatic dance.
assistant
where all has he performed?
user
Theatre Royal, Barnard's Music Hall, English music hall
assistant
what did he perform in the first theatre?
user
The first of the Drury Lane pantomimes in which Little Tich appeared was "Humpty Dumpty"
assistant
when?
user
The year 1891 signalled a new era in the career of Little Tich. The Drury Lane pantomimes were known for their extravagance and splendour and featured lavish sets and big budgets. The first of the Drury Lane pantomimes in which Little Tich appeared was "Humpty Dumpty" in 1891 which also starred Drury Lane regulars Marie Lloyd, Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell. As well as the title role, Little Tich also played the minor part of the Yellow Dwarf in the harlequinade. It was during the latter characterisation that he revived his Big-Boot Dance, which was a hit with audiences. The following Christmas, he equalled this success with his second pantomime "Little Bo-Peep" in which he played the part of "Hop of my Thumb".
Little Tich | Life at Drury Lane
By the early months of 1890, Augustus Harris, the influential manager of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, had travelled to Manchester to look for new talent for his theatre's forthcoming 1890–91 pantomime. Impressed with what he saw, he offered the comedian a theatrical residency at Drury Lane but he was forced to withdraw it as Little Tich was contracted to Charles for a further year; Harris instead signed Little Tich for a two-year contract starting the following season. The deal required Little Tich to star in two pantomimes for a wage of £36 a week. Following on from his success in "Babes in the Wood" which culminated in April 1890, the theatre manager Rollo Balmain cast him as Quasimodo in a production of "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth.
Little Tich | Return to London and West End debut
Little Tich's act further developed during a tour of the United States between 1887 and 1889 where he established the Big-Boot Dance and impressed audiences with his ability to stand on the tips of the shoes and to lean at extraordinary angles. In the 1890s he developed the Serpentine Dance and had a major success with the Christmas pantomime "Babes in the Wood" in Manchester during the 1889–90 season. In 1891, he was recruited by the impresario Augustus Harris to appear in that year's spectacular Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Christmas pantomime "Humpty Dumpty". He starred in a further two productions at the theatre including "Little Bo Peep" (1892) and "Robinson Crusoe" (1893).
Little Tich | Introduction
Harry Relph (21 July 186710 February 1928), professionally known as Little Tich, was a English music hall comedian and dancer during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was best known for his acrobatic and comedic "Big-Boot Dance," which he performed in Europe and for which he wore boots with soles long. Aside from his music hall appearances, he was also a popular performer in Christmas pantomimes and appeared in them annually at theatres throughout the English provinces. He repeated this success in London, where he appeared in three pantomimes at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, between 1891 and 1893 alongside Dan Leno and Marie Lloyd.
Little Tich | Introduction
It was around this period when Little Tich was inducted into the fledgling entertainers' fraternity, the Grand Order of Water Rats. In 1906, he would serve as "King Rat" for the order. In 1894, free from his contractual obligations at Drury Lane, he took a three-year break from the English music hall scene and travelled to France to fulfil a number of engagements; over the next ten years, he divided his time between there and England. In the early months of 1895, he moved from music hall to variety theatre, a transition which many of his contemporaries had already successfully achieved.
Little Tich | New theatrical ventures and international engagements
A critic for "The Era" who witnessed him perform at the Marylebone thought that he was "a curious comic" and that "his antics, his sayings and his business generally [were] very amusing, and he will doubtless improve in his singing, which is weak at present, even for a Negro delineator". The commentator further noted that "he appear[ed] to be quite a young man at present; but his dancing is peculiarly funny, though his dress in one of his characters is vulgar and suggestive; this should be altered".
Little Tich | Early London engagements
As well as Leno, Lloyd and Campbell, Harris recruited the singers Ada Blanche and Cecilia Loftus as principal boy and girl respectively. Harris was thrilled with Little Tich and signed him for the 1893–94 pantomime "Robinson Crusoe" in which he played Man Friday. The "Derby Daily Telegraph" called the comedian "one of the most amusing pantomime dames of all time". Despite a budget of £30,000, "Robinson Crusoe" failed to equal the success of the previous two shows, which caused Harris to rethink his cast. Unaware of Harris's plans, Little Tich approached him with a view of a pay rise; the proposition angered the manager and not only was his request refused, but he was also ruled out of any future production.
Little Tich | Life at Drury Lane
"Lord Tom Noddy" was showcased in September 1896 and ran at the Garrick Theatre, London for two months. The production had minimal success in the capital but was received well in the provinces. The show provided Little Tich with the chance to promote himself as a serious actor and to separate himself from the reputation of simply being the "deformed dwarf from the music hall". The audience were described as being "very large" whose "bursts of laughter w[ere] frequent and loud". A reporter for the "Edinburgh Evening News" thought that Little Tich was "the life and soul of the sketch" whose singing was "fairly good while [his] dancing was smart", while the critic William Archer dismissed Little Tich as being the "Quasimodo of the music halls, whose talent lies in a grotesque combination of agility with deformity".
Little Tich | New theatrical ventures and international engagements
The show featured a burlesque centrepiece which required Little Tich to dress as a ballerina and gave him the opportunity to perform two of his earliest songs, "Smiles" and "I Could Do, Could Do, Could Do with a Bit", both written for him by Walter Tilbury. In 1890 Little Tich continued to impress his London music hall audiences and appeared on the front covers of both the "Entr'acte" and the "Music Hall" magazines, with the latter being widely available in the majority of London music hall auditoriums. Towards the end of the year, Little Tich appeared at the opening of the Tivoli Music Hall, before returning to Manchester at Christmas to fulfil the second of his two pantomime engagements for Thomas Charles in "Little Bo-peep", in which he played Toddlekins.
Little Tich | Return to London and West End debut
To earn money, he began busking to local theatre goers who were waiting in the outside queues. On the way home from his busking performances, he devised eccentric dances, much to the amusement of his onlooking neighbours. Little Tich made his stage debut as Harry Relph at the age of 12 in 1879. The venue—although unidentified—was described by his daughter Mary as being a "back-street, free-and-easy" where the acts were predominantly made up of amateurs and beginners. The audiences were often harsh and they would display their displeasure by throwing objects onto the stage.
Little Tich | Move to Gravesend and early performances
For the character's appearance he wore a ripped and dirty frock, a scrag wig and carried an old mop and bucket which he borrowed from home. The act required him to flip the mop up into the air and grab the handle before carrying on singing. During one evening's performance at the Alhambra Theatre, the trick went wrong and he received a blow to his head from the mop. Despite the pain, he continued with the piece and refused to seek medical treatment for the resulting bump and intense headache which followed.
Little Tich | Last years and death
To survive, he would often return to busking outside music halls to the waiting audiences. In the early months of 1884, he secured an engagement at a rundown public house called The Dolphin in Kidderminster, where he was paid £2 a week. He also hired his first agent who, unbeknown to Little Tich, had advertised him as a "freak" and a "six-fingered novelty". The comedian was furious with the description and quickly dispensed with the agent's services. By the summer months, his engagements had become infrequent so he used the long periods of unemployment constructively. He learned how to read and write music and taught himself to play various musical instruments including the piano, fiddle and cello.
Little Tich | Early London engagements
The following year he reprised his role of Quasimodo and toured the provinces in "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" with Balmain's company.
Little Tich | Return to London and West End debut
By 1878 Little Tich's parents were unable to financially provide for him further and he sought full-time employment as a lather boy in a barber's shop in Gravesend. One evening, together with a friend whose brother was appearing in a talent contest, he visited a music hall for the first time and quickly became "hooked" on the idea of being able to perform. Thanks largely to his local celebrity status of being a "freak", he was welcomed into the many public houses which catered for soldiers, sailors, merchant seamen and day-trippers from London. By 1878, Little Tich had saved enough money to buy himself a tin whistle which he used to "amuse [him]self by playing all the jolly and sentimental pantomime songs of the day".
Little Tich | Move to Gravesend and early performances
By now, Little Tich had become frustrated with his English audiences. With "Billy" failing to reach London and the unequal level of success in the English capital compared to France made him shun the English variety theatre scene altogether in the final years of the century. He returned to the less-popular music halls as a result, where he remained for the rest of his career.
Little Tich | New theatrical ventures and international engagements
Little Tich was educated at Knockholt, a three-mile walk from Cudham. From an early age, he displayed considerable academic ability and also excelled in art; by the time he was five, his drawings were being sold to patrons of the Blacksmith's Arms by his father. Little Tich became interested in the travelling performers whom his father often employed to entertain guests at the inn. He would mimic the dancers, singers and conjurors, causing much amusement to both his family and his patrons. So good were his impersonations that his siblings frequently took him to neighbouring public houses where they would get him to perform in exchange for money.
Little Tich | Family background and early life
A reporter for "The Era" predicted "We shall probably hear a great deal more about Little Titch, as he seems to be one of the few that can invest the business of the Negro comedian with any humour." By Christmas 1884, Little Tich was a resident performer in four London music halls: the Middlesex Music Hall where he had an 8 pm billing, the Marylebone (at 9 pm), the Star Palace of Varieties in Bermondsey (at 10 pm), and Crowders Music Hall in Mile End (at 11 pm). Out of the four halls, he had the most success at the Marylebone and fulfilled a ten-week run.
Little Tich | Early London engagements
He formed his own theatre company in mid-1895, and produced his first show called "Lord Tom Noddy", in which he also starred. He commissioned the dramatist George Dance to write the piece and made him a partner in the company. On 11 December 1896, Little Tich was invited to appear at the Folies Bergère in France, where he starred in a short piece as Miss Turpentine and performed the Big-Boot Dance. One journalist for the "Sunday Referee" claimed that "no artist since Loie Fuller, four years earlier, had scored such a success", and as a result, he signed a two-year contract at the Folies.
Little Tich | New theatrical ventures and international engagements
He has this to say in his diary: Performances usually began at 3 pm to take advantage of the daylight: the main floor for the audience, the pit, had no roof in order to let in the light. A glazed dome was built over the opening, but according to one of Pepys' diary entries, the dome was not entirely effective at keeping out the elements: he and his wife were forced to leave the theatre to take refuge from a hail storm. Green baize cloth covered the benches in the pit and served to decorate the boxes, additionally ornamented with gold-tooled leather, and even the stage itself.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane | First theatre: Theatre Royal, Bridges Street (1663)
In the later months of 1889 Little Tich secured an engagement at the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus. This time, he found his English critics to be complimentary about his talent, but as their praise was largely about his success in America, he considered them hypocritical. News of his much-improved performances travelled throughout the country and he was visited by Thomas W. Charles, manager of Manchester's Prince's Theatre. Charles offered Little Tich a leading role in his forthcoming pantomime "Babes in the Wood". The 1889–90 production was a huge success for the comedian and his performance reportedly earned him "the heartiest applause of the evening".
Little Tich | Return to London and West End debut
Instead, he travelled to South Shields, where he appeared briefly in a successful short play called "Giddy Ostend" before retreating to France. In 1898 he broke the Folies contract shortly before its expiry after being scouted by Joseph Oller, who hired him to perform at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris. Following the breach of contract, the Folies manager Édouard Marchand initiated legal action against the comedian, who settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. The theatrical manager C.B. Cochran who had seen the comedian perform during this period, described him as "a reincarnation of the dwarf court-jesters of the Middle Ages—the little English Don Antonio of Velasquez".
Little Tich | New theatrical ventures and international engagements
At the start of the 1880s, Little Tich assumed the stage name "The Infant Mackney" and graduated to the world of open-air theatre. The following year, he joined a blackface troupe who performed regularly at the Rosherville Pleasure Gardens; the local historian J.R.S. Clifford described them as "a band of minstrel darkies of a superior type". Little Tich's transition from amateur to professional performer came when he appeared in a weekly spot at Barnard's Music Hall in Chatham. Lew Barnard, the hall's proprietor, offered him 35 shillings a week. Thrilled at the prospect of appearing in a proper music hall, Little Tich changed his name from The Infant Mackney to Young Tichborne, a nickname he had gained while living in Cudham years earlier.
Little Tich | Early London engagements
He enjoyed initial success at Barnard's, but audience numbers soon diminished and his pay was reduced to 15 shillings a week as a result. To supplement his income, he resumed his position in the barber's shop and took on a string of menial jobs that lasted six months. In 1881 Little Tich left home with his sister Agnes, who chaperoned her young brother around the music halls and variety clubs throughout England. By now, he had swapped the tin-whistle for a picco pipe which he used to accompany his clog dancing routine. He despised his early experiences of provincial touring as he was often forced to sleep in dosshouses with very little money or food.
Little Tich | Early London engagements
In 1851 he moved to Cudham, bought the Blacksmith's Arms and an adjoining farm, and started a new family with Mary Moorefield, a nurse-maid governess from Dublin. Little Tich was born with an extra digit on each hand, webbed from the little finger to the centre joint. He also experienced stunted growth. He reached in height by the age of ten, but grew no taller. His physical differences from other children caused him to become socially withdrawn and lonely. Nevertheless, his disabilities earned him fame and were an asset to his parents' business. Patrons would travel from neighbouring counties to witness his peculiarities, and the youngster revelled in the attention, dancing comically on his father's saloon bar to curious guests.
Little Tich | Family background and early life
Little Tich returned to England in the later months of 1897, where he self-produced the second of his company's two shows, a musical comedy called "Billy". Despite the show enjoying a healthy provincial tour after opening in Newcastle, one reporter thought that "it ha[d] not very much to recommend it", but thought that Little Tich gave "some excellent fooling" and that it "[was] impossible not to laugh at some of the eccentricities". However, the farce failed to make it to the West End of London. Little Tich saw this as a snub and he refused to perform in the capital again.
Little Tich | New theatrical ventures and international engagements
Born in Cudham, Kent, Little Tich began performing aged ten when he developed a dance and tin-whistle act which he showcased at public houses in Sevenoaks. In the early 1880s he formed a blackface act and gained popularity with performances at the nearby Rosherville Pleasure Gardens and Barnard's Music Hall in Chatham. He travelled to London and appeared at the Forester's Music Hall in 1884. Later that year, he adopted the stage name "Little Tich", which he based on his childhood nickname of "Tichborne", acquired through his portly stature and physical likeness to the suspected Tichborne Claimant Arthur Orton. The terms "titchy" or "titch" were later derived from "Little Tich" and are used to describe things that are small.
Little Tich | Introduction
The origins of pantomime at Drury Lane can be traced back to sixteenth century commedia dell'arte’s stock character Arlecchino. Three Hundred years before the birth of Pantomime, this tricky servant was best known for his lighthearted nimbleness, zany personality, crude expression of sexuality, and physical agility. John Weaver, known as the Father of Modern Pantomime, premiered a version of Arlecchino’s act at Drury Lane Theatre in 1702. The first English pantomime was "Tavern Bilkers" performed at Drury Lane in 1702. This started a popular tradition in which the annual Christmas pantomime at Drury Lane was the foremost entertainment of this kind.
Drury Lane pantomime | History
For about ten years (with the exception of 1873, when they were touring abroad) they were regulars in the annual Christmas pantomime at Drury Lane, including "Humpty Dumpty" (1868); "Beauty and the Beast! or, Harlequin and Old Mother Bunch" (1869); "The Dragon of Wantley; or, Harlequin or Old Mother Shipton" (1870); the Jester in "Tom Thumb: or, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" (1871); Geoffrey Nimble Legs in "Children in the Wood" (1872); Karzac in "Aladdin or Harlequin and the Wonderful Lamp" (1874) in which he never spoke but was "thoroughly efficient" in all he did; "Dick Whittington" (1875); "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" (1876); "The White Cat" (1877); Kobold in "Cinderella" (1878) in which he was "remarkable for his activity.
Fawdon Vokes | Theatrical career
Suett remained at Drury Lane until his death, although he appeared each summer down to 1803 at the Haymarket.
Richard &quot;Dicky&quot; Suett | Later career
The American impresario Tony Pastor came to England in 1886 and signed Little Tich for a tour of the United States. Pastor had seen the comedian perform at a small music hall called Gatti's-in-the-Road near to Westminster Bridge and was recruiting for his Gaiety Theatre Company. Little Tich left for America in the early months of 1887 and assumed his first role for Pastor in a burlesque version of "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", playing the lead character for a fee of £10 a week. Later, during a successful run in a parody of Louis Bertin's opera "La Esmeralda", he impressed audiences with his "Big-Boot Dance", and Pastor engaged his new star for a further two seasons in the mock-opera which had a total run of nine months.
Little Tich | American success
For about ten years (with the exception of 1873, when they were touring abroad) they were regulars in the annual Christmas pantomime at Drury Lane, including "Humpty Dumpty" (1868); "Beauty and the Beast! or, Harlequin and Old Mother Bunch" (1869); "The Dragon of Wantley; or, Harlequin or Old Mother Shipton" (1870); King Arthur in "Tom Thumb: or, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" (1871); Sir Rowland in "Children in the Wood" (1872); Abanazar in "Aladdin or Harlequin and the Wonderful Lamp" (1874); "Dick Whittington" (1875); "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" (1876); "The White Cat" (1877); Baron Pumpernickel in "Cinderella" (1878) in which he was required to talk and sing, with less success than his dancing.
Fred Vokes | Theatrical career
He was on 16 April 1790 the original Endless in 'No Song no Supper,' and on 1 January 1791 the original Yuseph in Cobb's 'The Siege of Belgrade'.
Richard &quot;Dicky&quot; Suett | At Drury Lane
Towards the end of 1910, he travelled to Scotland to complete a short engagement at the King's Theatre in Dundee. His performance was described by a theatre reviewer for the "Evening Telegraph" as being "downright genuine fun" and "very entertaining". The following year Little Tich recorded the first of a selection of his music hall songs on one-sided shellac discs used in the early acoustic recording process. Songs included "The Gas Inspector", "King Ki-Ki", "The Toreador" and "The Zoo Keeper" and were followed two years later by "The Waiter", "The Weather", "The Don of the Don Juans" and "A Risky Thing to Do".
Little Tich | Recording career and new family
For the honeymoon, the family travelled to Bristol, where Little Tich appeared on stage with the French actress Mistinguett, who presented him with a tributary gold statue of him wearing big boots. At the end of that year, the family paid a working visit to Australia, where he toured the Sydney theatres for a fee of £300 a week; he received a lukewarm reception from audiences. The following March, Little Tich and his family returned to England. He made only one appearance on stage that year, in November, when he introduced a new song called "The Charlady at the House of Commons".
Little Tich | Last years and death
From 1868 to 1879 (with the exception of 1873, when they were touring abroad) the family were regular performers in the annual pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane under the management of F. B. Chatterton until the new manager Augustus Harris found them to be too old-fashioned having never updated their dancing routines and too demanding, while they considered him a tyrant.
Vokes family | History
On Boxing Day 1781, Grimaldi took the part of Little Clown in the pantomime "The Triumph of Mirth; or, Harlequin's Wedding" at Drury Lane. It was a success for him personally, and the pantomime enjoyed an extended run until March 1782. As a result of his performance, he received further work offers from the management and became an established juvenile performer at Drury Lane. At the same time, he was a prolific performer at Sadler's Wells where he played a host of minor roles, including monkeys, imps, fairies and demons. The Drury Lane season ran every year from September to late spring, with Sadler's Wells playing from 15 April to the second week in October.
Joseph Grimaldi | Early years at Sadler's Wells and Drury Lane
Dibdin was prompter and pantomime writer at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane until 1816, when he took over the Surrey Theatre. This venture proved disastrous, and he became bankrupt. After this, he was manager of the Haymarket Theatre, but without his old success, and his last years were passed in comparative poverty. In 1827 he published two volumes of "Reminiscences"; and at the time of his death he was preparing an edition of his father's sea songs, for which a small sum was allowed him weekly by the Lords of the Admiralty. Of his own songs, "The Oak Table" and "The Snug Little Island" were popular at the time.
Thomas John Dibdin | Life
On Christmas Eve 1763 a pantomime called the ‘Rites of Hecate’ was produced at Drury Lane, and on that day and the 26th of the month Nancy Dawson appeared; but her name is absent from the bills of subsequent representations.
Nancy Dawson | Life
In 1903 Randall appeared for the first time at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in "Humpty Dumpty", as "second Dame" supporting Leno, who was in poor health. Campbell was also in the production. After Leno and Campbell's deaths in 1904, Randall continued for several more years at Drury Lane, in the role of Dame. In 1905 he travelled to Colwyn Bay, Wales, where he appeared on the Victoria Pier in a short sketch entitled "The Plumber". The "Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald" reported that his performance provided the audience with "a thrilling experience" who rewarded the comedian by "clapping so hard that the building rang with loud applause".
Harry Randall (actor) | Later years
Upon Leno's release from the institution in October 1903, the press offered much welcoming commentary and speculated as to whether he would appear that year in the Drury Lane pantomime, scheduled to be "Humpty Dumpty". Concerned that Leno might suffer a relapse, Arthur Collins employed Marie Lloyd to take his place. By the time of rehearsals, however, Leno persuaded Collins that he was well enough to take part, and the cast was reshuffled to accommodate him. Leno appeared with success. Upon hearing his signature song, the audience reportedly gave him a standing ovation that lasted five minutes. He received a telegram from the King congratulating him on his performance.
Dan Leno | Last year and death
Another money-saving plan was to stop renting properties in London and secure a mortgage on a small house instead. To avoid speculation about his affair with Winifred, he decided to remain at Bedford Court Mansions, and bought a newly built house in Shirehall Park, Hendon, North-West London in September 1925 for Winifred and Mary to move into. Soon after, he embarked on a successful tour of Europe which culminated at Christmas the same year. He returned to London and took part in a Christmas benefit at the London Coliseum, where he performed the Big-Boot Dance. The performance was by then proving too strenuous for the 58-year-old comedian, and he decided to retire it that year.
Little Tich | Last years and death
During the first hundred years or so of its history, the theatre was operated primarily as a playhouse, with the Letters Patent granted by Charles II giving Covent Garden and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane exclusive rights to present spoken drama in London. Despite the frequent interchangeability between the Covent Garden and Drury Lane companies, competition was intense, and the companies often presented the same plays at the same time. Rich introduced pantomime to the repertoire, performing himself, under the stage name "John Lun", as Harlequin. A tradition of seasonal pantomime continued at the modern theatre until 1939.
Royal Opera House | First theatre
For several years, his prospects were very gloomy, but in 1814, the committee of Drury Lane Theatre, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, resolved to give him a chance among the "experiments" they were making to win a return of popularity. When the expectation of his first appearance in London was close upon him, he was so feverish that he exclaimed, "If I succeed I shall go mad." As he was unable to afford medical treatment for some time, his elder son died the day after he signed the three-year Drury Lane contract. His opening at Drury Lane on 26 January 1814 as Shylock roused the audience to almost uncontrollable enthusiasm.
Edmund Kean | Drury Lane and New York
B. Chatterton the manager could not meet, and the production closed owing £36,000 in February 1879 putting all involved out of work. The family returned to Drury Lane in 1879 in the pantomime "Bluebeard" in which Fawdon Vokes was Shacabac. This was to be their last pantomime at Drury Lane as by now the public were wearying of the Vokes Family who had dominated the pantomime at Drury Lane for more than a decade but who had never updated their routines. The new manager Augustus Harris found the Vokes Family to be too demanding, while they considered him a tyrant.
Fawdon Vokes | Theatrical career
He also mastered dancing in big boots. In November 1884 he changed his stage name for the third time to Little Tich, which derived from Tichborne, and "Tich" or "Tichy" became a common term meaning small. His reasoning for the name change was to capitalise on the release of the Tichborne claimant fraudster Arthur Orton who was then touring the British Isles in the hope of reopening the case. The change of name also coincided with the signing of a new agent who was known in London for being "one of the brightest and youngest in [show]business". The agent, Edward Colley (1859–1889), was equally thrilled with the acquisition of a new star and secured him a double engagement at the Marylebone Music Hall where he appeared as "Little Titch, The Most Curious Comique in Creation" and immediately after at the Forester's Music Hall, where he was billed as "Little Titch, the Funny Little Nigger".
Little Tich | Early London engagements
Nicholls joined the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane company in 1880, and his act together with Campbell became one of the standing features in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane's elaborate pantomimes until 1893. A reporter for the "South Wales Daily News" considered: "a Drury Lane pantomime was never complete without the assistance of Mr Harry Nicholls." Among the dramas in which Nicholls appeared during those years were "Pluck" (1881), "Human Nature" (1882), "A Run of Luck" (1885), "Pleasure" (1886), "The Armada" (1887), "The Royal Oak" (1888), "A Million of Money" (1889), "A Sailor's Knot" (1890), "The Prodigal Daughter" (1891), and "A Life of Pleasure" (1893).
Harry Nicholls (comedian) | Drury Lane and Adelphi
The backless green benches in the pit were in a semicircular arrangement facing the stage, according to a May 1663 letter from one Monsieur de Maonconys: "All benches of the pit, where people of rank also sit, are shaped in a semi-circle, each row higher than the next." The three galleries formed a semicircle around the floor seats; both the first and second galleries were divided up into boxes.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane | First theatre: Theatre Royal, Bridges Street (1663)
In October and November 1949 he appeared at the Palmer House Night Club, Chicago; in June 1951 he appeared at The Wedgwood Room, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York, and between 22 December 1951 and 29 February 1952 he returned to the London Palladium for 109 performances in "Humpty Dumpty". In September 1952 he travelled to the Federation of Malaya to entertain British troops in a series of concert parties, before returning to the UK to appear in the "Royal Variety Performance" in November. He finished the year in South Africa, as Honourable Idle Jack in "Dick Whittington", which finished in January 1953; he considered the pantomime to be "so tatty and unrehearsed it was pathetic".
Terry-Thomas | Early post-war work: 1946–1955
He also took up an engagement at his father-in-law's theatre in Exeter. There was no Christmas 1801 or Easter 1802 pantomime at Drury Lane, and Kemble noticed a reduction in his theatre's audiences. Grimaldi began to appear in provincial theatres, with the first appearance being in Rochester, Kent, in 1801. In March 1802, he returned to Kent where he performed in pantomime, earning £300 for two days work. His dismissal from Drury Lane was short-lived, and he was reinstated within a few months in a revival of "Harlequin Amulet".
Joseph Grimaldi | Last years at Drury Lane
Theophilus Cibber was born during the Great Storm of 1703 and began acting in the Drury Lane Theatre at the age of 16 in 1721. As a young man, Cibber was a notorious rake, and associated with young men of a similar mind and reputation, such as the Duke of Wharton. As the son of Catherine and Colley Cibber, one of the theatre's managers, Theophilus became involved in the management of Drury Lane. In 1723, he became manager of the summer season, and in 1727 became assistant manager during the regular season. In 1732, one of the managers, Barton Booth, sold his share to John Highmore, and another of the managers, Robert Wilks, fell ill and died.
Theophilus Cibber | Early life and career
For some years he appeared as the Dame in the annual pantomime at the Prince's Theatre in Bristol, playing the Dame in "Humpty Dumpty" (1906) and "Jack and the Beanstalk" (1911), the widow Mrs Tutt in the pantomime "Goody Two Shoes" (1915), Old Mother Hubbard in "Mother Hubbard" at Bristol (1922), and Mrs Tippett in "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (1924).
Horace Mills | Pantomime
In April 1889 Little Tich briefly returned to London to star at the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square where he was poorly received by audiences. As a result, the manager of the theatre reduced the comedian's wages to £6 a week. The experience left him bitter towards the English entertainment industry and he returned to America to appear in a new production for the Chicago State Opera. The production, "Bluebeard Junior", was not as successful as its predecessor, but toured for seven months. Despite his bad reviews back in England, Little Tich began to feel homesick and he was allowed to return home a few months short of his contract expiration.
Little Tich | American success
To show his appreciation for the record profits and huge audience attendances, Pastor presented Little Tich with a gold medal and a rare white Bohemian Shepherd dog which the comedian called Cheri. Little Tich's success under Pastor brought him to the attention of the Chicago State Opera Company, who secured him on a two-year contract for a fee of $150 a week. Before the contract commenced, he was allowed to travel back to England where he honoured a pantomime commitment by appearing in "Dick Whittington" at the Theatre Royal in Brighton. In the piece he took the billing of "Tiny Titch" and played the Emperor Muley.
Little Tich | American success
In 1900 Little Tich appeared in the French capital's Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre where he performed the Big-Boot Dance, which was recorded on film by the French director Clément-Maurice. Years later, the film-maker Jacques Tati called the piece "a foundation for everything that has been realised in comedy on the screen". In 1902, Little Tich starred in a special, one-off revue with Marie Lloyd at the Tivoli theatre called "The Revue", which was staged to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII. The following year, Little Tich's performance at the Oxford Music Hall was described as being "... a very droll turn" by a reporter for "The Cornishman" newspaper, who also called his Big-Boot Dance "wonderful".
Little Tich | Marriage troubles
In the pantomimes, Leno and Campbell would often deviate from the script, improvising freely. Some critics, including the writer E. L. Blanchard felt that the employment of music-hall performers was corrupting pantomime. However, the public felt differently, regarding the Drury Lane spectaculars as the pinnacle of Christmas entertainment. This view was also shared by critics, one of whom wrote: Among the productions were: "Babes in the Wood" (1888), "Jack and the Beanstalk" (1889 and 1899), "Beauty and the Beast" (1890 and 1900), "Humpty Dumpty" (1891 and 1903), "Little Bo-peep" (1892), "Robinson Crusoe" (1893), "Dick Whittington and His Cat" (1894), "Cinderella" (1895), "Aladdin" (1896) and the "Forty Thieves" (1898).
Herbert Campbell | Pantomimes at Drury Lane
When Drury Lane was demolished, Suett in 1791–2 accompanied the company to the Haymarket Opera-house, where during two seasons he played many insignificant original parts, besides appearing as Sancho in 'Love makes a Man,' Tipkin in the 'Tender Husband,' Thrifty in the 'Cheats of Scapin,' Old Gobbo, Foresight in 'Love for Love,' Sir Felix Friendly in the 'Agreeable Surprise,' and Label (an original part) in Hoare's 'Prize' on 11 March 1793. On 29 June he made, as the original Whimmy in O'Keeffe's 'London Hermit,' his first traceable appearance at the little house in the Haymarket. A winter season at the same house under Colman followed, and Suett, besides playing Obediah Prim and Bullock, was on 1 October 1793 the first Apathy in Morton's 'Children in the Wood,' and on 16 December the first Dicky Gossip, a barber, in Hoare's 'My Grandmother.' On the reopening of Drury Lane in the spring of 1794 Suett played a Witch in 'Macbeth,' and was on 8 May 1794 the original Jabal, a part in which he scored highly, in Cumberland's 'Jew.' In Kemble's 'Lodoiska,' on 9 June, he was the first Varbel.
Richard &quot;Dicky&quot; Suett | Later career
He was born in London, the son of a Strand tradesman named Thomas. The name Moncrieff he assumed for theatrical purposes. Moncrieff's first success was at Astley’s circus with "The Dandy Family" an equestrian drama, and in 1820 "The Lear of Private Life", with Junius Brutus Booth as hero, enjoyed a long run. He supplied Drury Lane with a romantic melodrama called "The Cataract of the Ganges; or, The Rajah’s Daughter" which gave the national theatre an opportunity of displaying upon its stage both real horses and a real waterfall. This work became very popular with performances at provincial theatres throughout England.
William Thomas Moncrieff | Biography
Released primarily as an advert for that year's Drury Lane pantomime, "Jack and the Beanstalk", he played an over-indulgent man dressed in Victorian clothing, eating excessive amounts of food and drinking alcohol. The British Biograph Company produced the film which showed celebrities from the theatre and music halls in various situations. "Herbert Campbell as Little Bobby" was exhibited at the Palace Theatre of Varieties, London in December 1899. In 1903, Campbell received a commemorative silver plate worth £100 (£ in 2020 adjusted for inflation) from the Drury Lane management in celebration of his 21 years on the stage. By 1904, and having appeared in the 1903–04 Drury Lane pantomime, Campbell considered retirement.
Herbert Campbell | Later career
On the morning of 7 January 1926, Julia Relph died of a cerebral haemorrhage in the flat which Little Tich had rented for her. Despite their estrangement, the comedian was distraught at her death and spent two nights at the apartment with her corpse. A few days later, he moved in with Winifred where he arranged his wife's funeral, staying in the spare bedroom as a "house guest". He made frequent visits back to Bedford Court Mansions to organise Julia's paperwork and discovered that his wife had been having an affair with his friend Emile Footgers and that she was ten years older than she had led her husband to believe.
Little Tich | Last years and death
On 14 November 1783 it reappeared to Marrall in 'A New Way to pay Old Debts.' Suett also played the Puritan in 'Duke and no Duke,' and Grizzle in 'Tom Thumb,' with one or two insignificant original parts in no less insignificant operas, for which his voice, impaired by dissipation, gradually unfitted him. To 1784–5 belong Filch in 'The Beggar's Opera,' Lord Froth in the 'Double Dealer,' Binnacle in the 'Fair Quaker,' Clown in 'Winter's Tale,' and Sir Wilful Witwould in the 'Way of the World.' He was also the original Sir Ephraim Rupee in T. Dibdin's 'Liberty Hall' on 8 February 1785.
Richard &quot;Dicky&quot; Suett | At Drury Lane
The couple never publicly announced their separation, and he continued to provide financial support for his wife and fund her extravagant lifestyle for the next twenty years. Years later, Paul Relph admitted "Father and Julia never loved one another. Poor, poor father. His life was one long misery through her." Over the next four years, Little Tich continued to perform in both England and France and earned £10,000 a year. In 1905 he appeared in the second of a further three films for the French film industry called "Le Raid Paris–Monte Carlo en deux heures", directed by Georges Méliès. This was followed by "Little Tich" in 1907, and "Little Tich, the Tec" two years later.
Little Tich | Marriage troubles
The manuscript of one of these early plays, "Amoroso, King of Little Britain", was by chance seen by the comic actor John Pritt Harley, who, recognising its potential, brought about (and acted in) its performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Its favourable reception launched Planché on his theatrical career.
James Planché | Early and personal life
He made his first appearance at Drury Lane in November 1820, as "Romeo", and "was well received". Subsequent roles at Drury Lane included: "Antony" in "Julius Caesar", "Tullus Aufidius" in "Coriolanus", "Joseph" in "The School for Scandal", "Richmond" in "Richard III", and "Iago" in "Othello".
John Cooper (actor) | Drury Lane
Having attended Trinity College, Dublin from 1694, he was working at the Drury Lane Theatre by spring 1703 with Christopher Rich. He also adapted Molière's "L'amour médecin" as "The Quacks", putting it on at the Drury Lane Theatre on 29 March 1705. With the rest of Rich's party, he was evicted from Drury Lane in 1709 by William Collier. In the meantime, in 1706, he had leased the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket from Sir John Vanbrugh, quarrelled with Rich and poached Colley Cibber from him. After initial success with plays and opera there, Collier's court intrigues against Swiny led to his bankruptcy by January 1713.
Owen Swiny | Life
Tich and Winifred were both starring in the Christmas pantomime "Sinbad the Sailor", in which Little Tich played the title role and Winifred supported him as the principal boy. The two grew close and against her parents wishes, they began a relationship, shortly before the pantomime closed in the early months of 1916. "Sinbad the Sailor" was a big success and Winifred was widely praised for her performance, which she attributed to the guidance she received from Little Tich.
Little Tich | Recording career and new family
With Blanche, Littler started a theatrical career in 1927, assembling small companies for provincial tours. After a stint as resident manager of his parents' theatre in Woolwich, he became an independent theatre owner in 1931, buying two theatres in Leicester. The following year he married a widow, Annie Leonora Maclachlan, an actress, professionally known as Norah Delaney. There were no children of the marriage. Over the following years he bought theatres in Manchester and Norwich. His first London productions were pantomimes at the Coliseum, the Prince's, and Drury Lane. Littler's West End shows included "Glamorous Night" (1936), "Brigadoon" (1950); "Carousel", (1951); "Guys and Dolls" (1953, "Can-Can" (1954), "The Black and White Minstrel Show" and "Fiddler on the Roof " (both 1966).
Prince Littler | Life and career
"The Prior Claim", produced at Drury Lane in 1805, was a comedy written in conjunction with Henry James Pye. "Man and Wife, or More Secrets than One", a comedy produced at Drury Lane in 1809, was performed thirty times. In 1809 Arnold obtained from the Lord Chamberlain a license to open the Lyceum in the Strand as an English opera house. The building was previously devoted to subscription concerts, picture exhibitions, feats of horsemanship and conjuring. Upon the destruction of the Drury Lane Theatre by fire in the same year, the Drury Lane Company moved to the Lyceum, and remained there for three seasons.
Samuel James Arnold | Life
To the following seasons are assigned the Clown in 'Twelfth Night,' and Blister in the 'Virgin Unmasked.' Many similar parts were assigned him, including Robin in the 'Waterman,' Dumps in the 'Natural Son,' Lord Plausible in the 'Plain Dealer,' Snip in 'Harlequin's Invasion,' Allscrap in the 'Heiress,' Trappanti, Mungo, First Gravedigger, Gibbet in the 'Beaux' Stratagem,' Diggory in 'All the World's a Stage,' Colonel Oldboy in the 'School for Fathers,' Obediah in the 'Committee,' Moneytrap in the "The Confederacy" Launcelot Gobbo, Doctor Bilioso (an original part) in Cobb's 'Doctor and Apothecary,' 25 October 1788, Gardiner in 'King Henry VIII,' Oliver (an original part) in Cumberland's 'Impostors,' 26 January 1789, Bartholo in 'Follies of a Day,' Muckworm in 'Honest Yorkshireman,' Touchstone, Pistol in 'King Henry V,' Booze in 'Belphegor,' Solomon in the 'Quaker,' Thurio in 'Two Gentlemen of Verona,' Old Hardcastle, and Mawworm.
Richard &quot;Dicky&quot; Suett | At Drury Lane
Little Tich also found that she had used his money to buy a house in Golders Green as a future investment for Paul's daughter Constance, and that his wife had participated in a secret scam to blackmail the comedian out of large quantities of cash. Despite the revelations, Little Tich mourned deeply for his wife and spoke fondly of her for the rest of his life. On 10 April 1926, Little Tich married Winifred at Caxton Hall, Westminster, with little publicity. Later that evening, he appeared at the Camberwell Palace in a short but popular engagement, while his new wife returned home to Hendon.
Little Tich | Last years and death
Around 1765, he became a teacher in a small school in Liverpool. However, he failed in an attempt to set up a private school, and instead became the prompter in a Dublin theatre. He went on to act in various strolling companies until 1778, when he produced the play "The Crisis; or, Love and Famine", at Drury Lane. "Duplicity" followed in 1781.
Thomas Holcroft | Early life
He wrote several amusing "Medley Overtures" that became highly popular for pantomime performances during the 1730s and 1740s. He authored only one pantomime, "Harlequin Restored, or, The Country Revels," which contained music by both himself and Thomas Arne and premiered at Drury Lane on 14 December 1732 (although the Burney Collection of newspapers showing contemporary playbills give the date as 20 March 1732).
Richard Charke | Introduction
Richard Relph sold the Blacksmith's Arms and the adjoining farm in 1875 and moved his family to Gravesend. The socially withdrawn Little Tich was forced to adapt to much busier surroundings; day-trippers, holidaymakers and fishermen often frequented the streets and occupied the plethora of public houses which adorned the port and neighbouring roads. He resumed his education, this time at Christ Church School, where he spent the next three years. In 1878 the headmaster deemed him too educationally advanced for the school, and Richard Relph was advised to secure for his young son a watchmaking apprenticeship instead; Relph ignored the advice.
Little Tich | Move to Gravesend and early performances
Tidswell was born in 1759 or 1760 and her father may have been a soldier. She may have been acting for five years when her name was first mentioned when she appeared with the company creating "The Busy Body" at Drury Lane. This would end up being her main theatre. She had been the mistress of Charles Howard who was a Duke of Norfolk and it was conjectured that this was the reason she started at Drury Lane. In 1787 Edmund Kean was born. The identify of his mother is unknown and many suspected that Tidswell who was known to have as "Aunt Tid" was his mother.
Charlotte Tidswell | Life
From this house he migrated to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where he was first seen, 6 October 1813, as Vortex in "A Cure for the Heartache". He remained at Drury Lane until his retirement in 1833, filling up his summer vacations at the Haymarket Theatre, the Lyceum and other houses. At Drury Lane, where he was in the receipt of seven pounds a week, he was frequently the substitute for Joseph Shepherd Munden, William Dowton, Daniel Terry and Charles Mathews, to none of whom, however, was he equal in talent. On 21 August 1815 he took the part of the justice of the village in "The Maid and the Magpie" at the Lyceum Theatre.
Henry Gattie | Career
Harley remained for twenty years at Drury Lane, with occasional summer excursions to the provinces and engagements at the Lyceum Theatre, where he for some time was stage-manager.
John Pritt Harley | Early years
Early in their career, at the Lyceum Theatre in London, they danced in W. S. Gilbert's pantomime "Harlequin Cock Robin and Jenny Wren". Their first appearance in pantomime at Drury Lane was in "Humpty Dumpty" in 1868 followed by "Beauty and the Beast, or Harlequin and Old Mother Bunch" in 1869. They first appeared in the popular "The Belles of the Kitchen" on 27 February 1869 at the Standard Theatre in London. They made their Paris debut in August 1870 at the Théâtre du Châtelet where they were an immediate success, but with the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War it became unsafe to remain and they left the city with just a few hours notice.
Victoria Vokes | The Vokes Family
In October 1783 it was announced in the newspapers that King was not connected with the management of Drury Lane; but he took a salary. He delivered on his reappearance an address in verse, by Cumberland. In 1785 he seems to have resumed his management of Drury Lane, and is said to have been responsible for the successful pantomime of that year, "Hurly Burly, or the Fairy of the Well". In September 1788 he again resigned the management and his connection with the theatre, announcing on 13 September that his authority had only been nominal. He had found Richard Brinsley Sheridan a busy man to deal with.
Thomas King (actor) | Actor-Manager
The plays below were produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, unless otherwise stated. The dates given are of first known performance. "Bulls and Bears", a farce performed at Drury Lane on 2 December 1715, was attributed to Cibber but was never published. "The Dramatic Works of Colley Cibber, Esq." (London, 1777) includes a play called "Flora, or Hob in the Well", but it is not by Cibber. "Hob, or the Country Wake. A Farce. By Mr. Doggett" was attributed to Cibber by William Chetwood in his "General History of the Stage" (1749), but John Genest in "Some Account of the English Stage" (1832) thought it was by Thomas Doggett.
Colley Cibber | Plays
In the new Bath house Wrench opened on 26 October 1805 as Percy in the "Castle Spectre". He played during the season Archer in "Beaux" Stratagem, Orlando, Belcour in "The West Indian," and Pedro in "The Pilgrim." He then returned to York, and while there received an offer from Drury Lane, where he appeared, with the company then temporarily occupying the Lyceum, as ‘Wrench from Bath and York,’ playing on 7 October 1809 Belcour in " The West Indian"and Tristram Fickle in "The Weathercock." At Drury Lane Wrench remained until 1815. He left Drury Lane that year, and divided his time between the Lyceum and the country — Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, and other large towns.
Benjamin Wrench | Acting career
Drury Lane pantomime is a long tradition at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, dating from the early 18th century. In every Christmas season, a pantomime is produced which has a leading place among the many other pantomimes of the capital. Other pantomimes are sometimes produced during the rest of the year. Pantomime Theatre is a family-friendly genre of stage performance that includes cross dressing actors performing songs, dances, skits, and slapstick comedy.
Drury Lane pantomime | Introduction
By 1920, relations between Little Tich and Winifred's parents had improved and they welcomed him into the family. Despite renting a new, six-room flat in Marylebone for his daughter and mistress, the comedian was now finding it increasingly difficult to support Winifred, Mary and Julia on his earnings as the years of generosity had drastically depleted his savings. His annual income in 1921 and 1922 had topped £9,750 but had dropped to £3,743 by 1923. In 1925 he earned £6,300 but this fell the following year to just £2,100. Worried by the drastic reduction in pay, he reduced Julia's payments, which angered her family.
Little Tich | Last years and death
In 1786–7 Wroughton disappeared from the bills, his parts at Covent Garden being assigned to Farren, and on 29 September 1787, as Douglas in ‘Percy,’ he made his first appearance at Drury Lane. For the time being he replaced John Palmer (1742?–1798), but he practically remained at Drury Lane for the rest of his career. He played with the Drury Lane company at the Haymarket in 1792–3 Charles Surface, Clerimont, and other parts, and at Drury Lane enlarged his repertory by many new characters, including the Ghost in ‘Hamlet’ and Hamlet himself, King in ‘Henry IV’ and in ‘Richard III,’ Antonio in ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ the Stranger in ‘Douglas,’ Leontes, Jaques, Careless in ‘The Double Dealer,’ Jaques, Tullus Aufidius, Macduff, Moody in ‘Country Girl,’ Sciolto, Belarius, Kent and Edgar in ‘Lear,’ Sir Peter Teazle, and Leonato.
Richard Wroughton | Acting at Drury Lane
Frustrated by his low pay at Drury Lane, he switched to the rival Covent Garden Theatre in 1739 but didn't earn much more. He also began working as prompter there. He returned to Drury Lane in 1741 and remained there until his death nineteen years later. He continued to act as prompter, although he also played leading roles. During the summers he appeared at Richmond Theatre, and also wrote a novel and a play "The Henpecked Captain" which was staged at Drury Lane in 1749 during a benefit performance for him.
Richard Cross (actor, died 1760) | Introduction
"Tavern Bilkers", by John Weaver, the dancing master at Drury Lane, is cited as the first pantomime produced on the English stage. This production was not a success, and Weaver waited until 1716 to produce his next pantomimes, including "The Loves of Mars and Venus – a new Entertainment in Dancing after the manner of the Antient Pantomimes". The same year he produced a pantomime on the subject of "Perseus and Andromeda". After this, pantomime was regular feature at Drury Lane. In 1717 at Lincoln's Inn, actor and manager John Rich introduced Harlequin into the theatres' pantomimes under the name of "Lun" (for "lunatic").
Pantomime | "Commedia dell'arte" and early English pantomime
Between 1751 and 1756 Woodward produced and probably acted in several unprinted pantomimes of his own. These all displayed gifts of construction and invention, and were highly popular. Some of them had previously been seen in Dublin. "Marplot in Lisbon" was produced at Drury Lane in March 1754. It was a compression, with some slight alterations by Woodward, of Susanna Centlivre's "Marplot", a continuation of "The Busie Body", and was seen again in Dublin and at Covent Garden.
Henry Woodward (English actor) | Drury Lane and Dublin
During the summer months, she toured North England, including Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester. At the last she stayed an extra six nights due to popular demand, which caused her to cancel a trip to Paris. The 1892 pantomime was "Little Bo Peep; or, Little Red Riding Hood and Hop O' My Thumb", in which she played Little Red Riding Hood. The production was five hours long and culminated with the show's harlequinade. During one scene, her improvisational skills caused some scandal when she got out of bed to pray, but instead reached for a chamber pot. The stunt angered Harris, who ordered her not to do it again or risk immediate dismissal.
Marie Lloyd | Drury Lane and success
Extract from 'Nicholas Nickleby' "They groped their way through a dark passage, and, descending a step or two, threaded a little maze of canvas screens and paintpots, and emerged upon the stage of the Portsmouth Theatre. 'Here we are,' said Mr Crummles. It was not very light, but Nicholas found himself close to the first entrance on the prompt side, among bare walls, dusty scenes, mildewed clouds, heavily daubed draperies, and dirty floors. He looked about him; ceiling, pit, boxes, gallery, orchestra, fittings, and decorations of every kind,--all looked coarse, cold, gloomy, and wretched. 'Is this a theatre?' whispered Smike, in amazement; 'I thought it was a blaze of light and finery.' 'Why, so it is,' replied Nicholas, hardly less surprised; 'but not by day, Smike—not by day.' "
New Theatre Royal | Dickens and early theatre in Portsmouth
He played Wurzberger in "Baron Trenck" (1911) at the Strand Theatre; Sarah in the pantomime "Dick Whittington and His Cat" at the Lyceum Theatre (1911); Laurens in "Good News" at the Princes Theatre (1917); and Mr. Middlemark opposite the Ebenezer Scrooge of Seymour Hicks in "Scrooge" at the Princes Theatre in London (1917).
Johnny Danvers | Drury Lane and after
On 4 October 1813, as Sir Abel Handy in "Speed the Plough", Munden made his first appearance at Drury Lane where, 11 March 1815, he created one of his great roles, Dozey, an old sailor, in Thomas John Dibdin's "Past Ten o'Clock and a Rainy Night". On 14 December 1815 he was Vandunke in the "Merchant of Bruges", Douglas Kinnaird's alteration of the "Beggar's Bush" of Beaumont and Fletcher. At Drury Lane he played fewer original parts of importance, the last being General Van in Edward Knight's "Veteran, or the Farmer's Sons", 23 February 1822. He had been in bad health, and took his farewell of the stage 31 May 1824, playing Sir Robert Bramble and Old Dozey, and reciting a farewell address.
Joseph Shepherd Munden | Drury Lane
Richard "Dicky" Suett (1755–6 July 1805), was an English comedian who was George III's favourite Shakespearean clown, and star at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane for twenty-five years.
Richard &quot;Dicky&quot; Suett | Introduction
He had also mastered a quick change into the novelty footwear which he could perform in minutes. One stage director became concerned that the pause was too long for the audience to wait, and he threw the boots onto the stage causing the star to run back out in front of the waiting audience to put the boots on in front of them. While he did this, the orchestra provided an accompaniment of "till ready" music. For the audience, this provided much hilarity and they assumed it was part of the act. The unintentional sketch was "an instant hit" and the comedian incorporated this into his future Big-Boot Dance routine.
Little Tich | American success
In 1873, at the Strand Theatre, he appeared as Doricourt in the comedy "The Belle's Stratagem", which was a long-running success. He then returned to Drury Lane, playing in such roles as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet", and was popular as Captain Molyneux in Dion Boucicault's "The Shaughraun", among others. He continued to play in various London theatres in the mid-1870s such roles as Julian Peveril in a successful adaptation of "Peveril of the Peak" and the title role in the stage adaptation of "Nicholas Nickleby" at the Adelphi Theatre. In 1878 he had a hit as Squire Thornhill in "Olivia", an adaptation by W.
William Terriss | Life and early career
To cope with his grief, Grimaldi would often perform two shows a night; one at Sadler's Wells and the other at Drury Lane. With the Christmas season approaching, and the success of "Peter Wilkins" still a topic of conversation within theatrical circles, Kemble decided to stage the first Drury Lane pantomime in three years, "Harlequin Amulet; or, The Magick of Mona", with Grimaldi as Punch and then as Clown, instead of Dubois. In this production, Harlequin became "romantic and mercurial, instead of mischievous", leaving Grimaldi's Clown as the "undisputed agent" of chaos. The pantomime was a great success, running for thirty-three performances and having a second Drury Lane season at Easter 1801; as a result, Grimaldi became recognised as one of London's leading Clowns.
Joseph Grimaldi | Last years at Drury Lane
Having quarrelled with the management of Covent Garden on a question of terms, Terry made his first appearance at Drury Lane, 16 October 1822, speaking an occasional address by Colman and playing Sir Peter. At the Haymarket, 7 July, he was the first Admiral Franklin in James Kenney's "Sweethearts and Wives", and on 27 September the first Dr. Primrose in a new adaptation by T. Dibdin of the "Vicar of Wakefield". The season 1823–4 at Drury Lane saw him as Bartolo in "Fazio", Lord Sands, Menenius in "Coriolanus", and as the first Antony Foster in a version of "Kenilworth", 5 January 1824, and the following season as Orozembo in "Pizarro", Justice Woodcock in "Love in a Village", Adam in "As you like it", Moustache in "Henri Quatre", Hubert in "King John", and Rochfort in an alteration of the "Fatal Dowry".
Daniel Terry | Move to Drury Lane
In 1732 they both moved to the Goodman's Fields Theatre. Two years later she returned to Drury Lane making her final performance in 1737.
Sarah Thurmond | Life
He was billed as "The famous Little Comedian". As a pantomime performer he specialised in "Idle Jack" and pantomime dames. On 23 July 1917, whilst onstage at the Argyle Theatre in Birkenhead, he collapsed. He died two weeks later at the age of 38. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery in London, on the east side of the main central path, not far from the main north entrance.
Tom Foy | Introduction
On 19 February 1718 Pinkethman was, at Drury Lane, the first Ringwood in John Breval's "The Play is the Plot". On 14 February 1721 he was the original Sir Gilbert Wrangle in Cibber's "The Refusal". This appears to have been practically his last original part. On 9 January 1723 he was Pyramus in the burlesque scene from "Midsummer Night's Dream" fitted into "Love in a Forest", an alteration of "As you like it". On 23 May 1724 he appeared in "Epsom Wells" (Thomas Shadwell), for his benefit. At an uncertain date he played Judge Tutchin in Lodowick Barry's "Ram Alley, or Merry Tricks".
William Pinkethman | Last years
In October 1706 Vanbrugh leased the Haymarket Theatre to Rich's agent, Owen Swiney; who took with him a small detachment of actors from Drury Lane. The three London playhouses (Drury Lane, Dorset Garden, and Haymarket) were thus alike for a short while under Rich.
Christopher Rich (theatre manager) | Life
These experiences prepared Little Tich for his future career. As a result of what he saw, he, like his father, became a strict teetotaller in later years, and showed a deep loathing for boisterous and intoxicated people. Little Tich revelled in his local celebrity status; however, the older he got the more self-conscious he became and wrongly interpreted the audience's laughter as being aimed more at his disabilities rather than his comical performances.
Little Tich | Family background and early life
In June 1888, at the Chicago Opera House, Little Tich starred in "The Crystal Slipper", a burlesque loosely based on "Cinderella"; the production was a hit for the comedian and completed a run of over ten months. "The Era" described him as "the quaint little Negro comedian" and called his American engagement "brilliantly successful". During "The Crystal Slipper", Little Tich met the English dancer Laurie Brooks, whom he married in Cook County, Illinois on 20 January 1889. That year marked the end of Little Tich's "blacking up" routine, which he had performed in between his commitments for the Chicago State Opera Company.
Little Tich | American success