Norman Forbes-Robertson

(1858-1936) Although Norman Forbes-Robertson was never as well known as his brother, Johnston Forbes-Robertson, he was a distinguished Shakespearean and played many roles; so many, in fact, that it will be easiest simply to list the plays and parts by years. He made his stage debut in 1875 at the Gaiety Theatre, London, as Sir Harry Guildford in Henry VIII. He also played in Twelfth Night that same year. In 1879 he joined Sir Henry Irving in The Merchant of Venice, and in 1881,Read more

Winifred Emery

(1862-1924) Winifred Emery, born in Manchester, was a fourth-generation actor; her father, grandfather, and great grandfather were all imminent actors. She first appeared on stage in 1870, and about a decade later in 1881 she joined Sir Henry Irving‘s company, eventually touring with them, including Ellen Terry, in the United States. During her years with Irving she play Nerissa and Jessica in The Merchant of Venice and Olivia in Twelfth Night. After she left Irving, she joined Wilson Barrett during 1890-91Read more

Evelyn D’Alroy

(1882-1915) D’Alroy’s career was cut short when at thirty-three she died. She first appeared on the stage in 1902. After touring with Ben Greet’s company for a time, she joined Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree at His Majesty’s Theatre. With Beerbohm, she played several parts in Shakespeare’s plays: Ophelia in Hamlet (1910), Portia (The Merchant of Venice, also in 1910), and Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1911). Who Was Who in the Theatre reports that her favorite role was Ophelia.Read more

Fay Compton

(1894-1978) Fay Compton began her stage career in 1911, and although her roles in Shakespeare fall outside the period I am interested in, she played opposite some of the most distinguished actors and in such important companies like the Old Vic, that she is worth including among our best players. She played Ophelia with John Barrymore at he Haymarket in 1925 and repeated the role again in 1931. The Open Air Theatre was a venue in 1935 for her partsRead more

H. Cooper Cliffe

(1862-1939) Cliffe first appeared on stage in 1879 in the chorus of a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The H. M. S. Pinafore. His roles in Shakespeare began in 1886 when he joined the company of Wilson Barrett; he remained with Barrett’s company until 1894. In 1896, he went to Sir Henry Irving‘s Lyceum where he played both Iachimo and Caius Lucius in Cymbeline, Clarence in Richard III, and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice. During his time with Irving he alsoRead more

Hubert Carter

(1869-1934) Hubert Carter played many parts in Shakespeare’s plays and was active on the stage until 1931, three years before his death. His first stage appearance was in 1889 and his first London engagement was in 1895. In 1897, he played his first part in a London production of Shakespeare as Francisco in Hamlet. He gained critical attention when he played with Ellen Terry in 1903 as Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing; after that he went on to scoreRead more

Harvey Braban

(1883-1943) Before he began touring with Frank Benson—where he no doubt had ample opportunity to play Shakespeare—Braban worked briefly with Beerbohm Tree in his first stage appearance in 1905. He went to New York in 1912 where he played Horatio in Hamlet. In 1919 he took the role of the ghost in Martin Harvey’s production of Hamlet and the next year he appeared as Antonio in The Merchant of Venice. He toured with Martin Harvey in Canada in 1923-24 whereRead more

Evelyn Millard

(1869-1941) Evelyn Millard, a popular stage “beauty,” made her first appearance in 1891 as a walk-on at the Haymarket Theatre. Her first major parts came when she joined Sarah Thorne at the Theatre Royal in Margate; she played, among other roles, Juliet and then Hero in Much Ado About Nothing. When she joined the company of Sir Beerbohm Tree in 1897 she was given the role of Portia in Julius Caesar. Between 1903 and 1916, she played in several moreRead more

E. H. Sothern

(1859-1933) Edward Hugh Sothern was born in New Orleans. His first American stage appearance was at the Park Theatre, New York, in 1879. His first London appearance was at the Royalty Theatre in 1881, two years before returning to the United States. In 1900, he appeared in Hamlet, his first Shakespeare performance at the Garden Theatre in New York City. In 1904, Sothern first played with Julia Marlowe in Romeo & Juliet at the Illinois Theatre in Chicago. That same year,Read more