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340:, in 1865. Upon his severing the partnership and starting theatre management on his own account in the provinces, he lost money, ending up in bankruptcy court in 1868. However, he produced many of his plays at these theatres while continuing to write for London theatres. One successful provincial work was
558:
called Byron a master of "genial wit and humour". It also commented that "The secret of his success... lay chiefly in his dialogue, which is seldom otherwise than neat, pointed and amusing. He fires verbal shots in such rapid succession that one laugh has scarcely died away when another is raised.
442:, a self-possessed, observant, satirical, well-bred man of the world, was beyond the reach of rivalry. To ease and grace of manner he united a peculiar aptitude for the delivery of the good things he put into his own mouth."
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acknowledged with dismay Byron's position in the literary world as chief punster but found in him "a true power of fun that makes itself felt by high and low". He became a Member of the
Dramatic Authors' Society by 1860.
543:. In 1880, four volumes of his plays were published, with fourteen plays in each book. After 1880, as his health greatly declined, so did Byron's playwriting output. The popular three-act comedy
168:, also at the Strand, which later played in New York. This was so well received that Byron abandoned the law to concentrate full-time on theatre. Another successful Strand burlesque in 1858 was
43:
and other punny plays. In the 1860s, he became an editor of humorous magazines and a noted man-about-town, while continuing to build his playwriting reputation, notably as co-manager, with
434:. He continued acting until 1882, when ill health forced him to retire. Not surprisingly, Byron achieved his greatest acting successes in timing of the delivery of his own witty lines.
250:. During this period, he was a well-known man-about-town, joining, and popular as a guest at, various London dining clubs and, in 1863, becoming a founding member of the Arundel Club.
140:(with whom he acted and starved) or others, but had little success. He described his early attempts at acting, and the hardships of the journeyman touring actor, in an 1873 essay for
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After an abortive start at a medical career, Byron struggled as a provincial actor and aspiring playwright in the 1850s. Returning to London and beginning to study for the
109:, Byron did not do so. Instead, he first became a physician's clerk in London for four years and then studied medicine with his grandfather, Dr. James Byron Bradley, in
1151:
326:. However, Wilton wanted to present more sophisticated pieces. She agreed to produce three more burlesques by Byron, but he agreed to write his first prose comedies,
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He returned to acting, making his London acting début, in 1869, achieving much greater success than in his early attempts, as Sir Simon Simple in his comedy
51:. In 1869, he returned to the stage as an actor and, during the same period, wrote numerous successful plays, including the historic international success,
266:
and the
Princess's, among other London theatres. Among Byron's dozens of plays in the early 1860s, his early successes were mostly burlesques, such as
32:(8 January 1835 – 11 April 1884) was a prolific English dramatist, as well as an editor, journalist, director, theatre manager, novelist and actor.
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set the record for the longest-running play in history and held it for almost two decades. It was also much revived, especially in
America.
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98:
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Byron joined several provincial companies as an actor from 1853–57, sometimes in his own plays and sometimes in those of
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48:
547:, credited to "E. G. Lankester" and first performed in the 1880s, has been attributed to Byron on stylistic grounds.
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as a student briefly in 1858, but he had already begun writing for the stage and soon returned to that vocation.
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428:(1881). In 1881, he played the role of Cheviot Hill in a revival of his friend Gilbert's eccentric comedy,
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356:(1867), a melodrama, also revived in London in 1868. He even collaborated with W. S. Gilbert on
286:(1862). Several of these early plays were revived in Britain and received New York productions.
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He wrote numerous dramatic critiques and humorous essays for magazines, including the rival of
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622:, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008, accessed 19 December 2008
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During the last few years of his life Byron was in frail health, and he died at his home in
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as Pippo and was also revived in New York. In 1859, he wrote another successful burlesque,
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320:. She provided the capital, and he was to write the plays. His first was a burlesque of
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Byron, Henry James. "Plays
Volumes One to Four", Samuel French & Thomas Lacy (1880)
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Joy, the daughter of Edward Joy, a lawyer. His son Henry and daughter Crede (a pun on
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344:(1867), which received many revivals, beginning with a London revival in 1868 starring
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Jack the Giant Killer, or, Harlequin, King Arthur, and ye
Knights of ye Round Table
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Theatre Survey: The
American Journal of Theatre History, 23, pp. 55–70 (1982)
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Byron continued to write prose comedies with the ambitious semi-autobiographical
316:, whom he had met through his early work at the Strand, in the management of the
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78:
826:, Vol. 82, No. 3, pp. 716–17, July 1987, Modern Humanities Research Association
797:, Vol. 24, No. 3, October 1972, pp. 289–301, The Johns Hopkins University Press
113:. Byron married Martha Foulkes (1831–1876) in London in 1856. He entered the
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More, Elizabeth A. "Henry James Byron: His career and
Theatrical Background",
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Byron also wrote for periodicals, and in 1861, he became the first editor of
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Byron is described by Jim Davis in the introduction to his 1984 collection,
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870:. No. 17, 909. New South Wales, Australia. 12 August 1895. p. 7
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Robinson Crusoe, or
Harlequin Friday and the King of the Caribee Islands!
53:
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At the same time, he continued writing for the Strand, the
Adelphi, the
73:, England, the son of Henry Byron (1804–1884, second cousin to the poet
790:
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574:, the Byron family motto) also became actors, and he had another son.
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334:(1866). They also staged one of T. W. Robertson's biggest successes,
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an early play to include a dance at the end of a song. This starred
110:
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In the delineation of character, too, he is often extremely happy".
105:, London. Although his mother wanted him to pursue a career in the
1020:
More, Elizabeth A. "Henry James Byron and the Craft of
Burlesque",
905: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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magazine, where he showcased the comic talents of the then-unknown
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From 1876 to 1879, he wrote several successful burlesques for the
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791:"General Utility: Victorian Author-Actors from Knowles to Pinero"
521:(1879). Also during that period, he edited the humour magazine
384:(1870, revived in 1875 and often thereafter, and later renamed
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Fra Diavolo Travestie; or, The Prince, the Pirate and the Pearl
525:. In 1878, he co-wrote a highly successful charity pantomime,
378:
The Prompter's Box: A Story of the Footlights and the Fireside
376:. He followed this with successful outings as Fitzaltamont in
236:, another humour magazine, and in 1877, the sixpenny magazine
581:, London, England, in 1884 at the age of 49. He is buried in
284:
George de Barnwell; or Harlequin Folly in the Realms of Fancy
818:
Booth, Michael R. Review of plays by H. J. Byron including
408:(1875) which was much revived. In 1876, he played in his
358:
Robinson Crusoe; or, The Injun Bride and the Injured Wife
494:). With 1,362 performances in its original production,
16:
English dramatist, editor, writer and actor (1835–1884)
180:. He soon wrote other burlesques for the Strand, the
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The Babes in the Wood and the Good Little Fairy Birds
917:
A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature
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The Babes in the Wood and the Good Little Fairy Birds
282:(1861), all in rhymed couplets. Another success was
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The Lady of Lyons, or, Twopenny Pride and Pennytence
676:"The new six penny humorous monthly magazine Mirth"
400:in 1874, with which he began as the manager of the
438:explained that "in such parts as Gibson Greene in
144:called "Eighteen Parts a Week". He began writing
774:W.S. Gilbert: A Classic Victorian and His Theatre
354:The Lancashire Lass; or, Tempted, Tried and True
1070:, London: Griffith and Farran, pp. 113–115
396:(1873). Byron's acting was again admired in
232:, in 1865. In 1867, he became the editor of
152:in the mid-1850s. In 1857, his burlesque of
8:
920:. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via
170:The Maid and the Magpie; or, The Fatal Spoon
1132:People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan
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878:– via National Library of Australia.
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220:in 1863. He also founded the short-lived
39:, he finally found playwriting success in
964:(Cambridge University Press, 1984), with
160:. His successful works in 1858 included
57:. In his last years, he grew frail from
1028:The life and writings of T. W. Robertson
937:Mr and Mrs Bancroft on and off the stage
416:. Other roles included Dick Simpson in
1152:English male dramatists and playwrights
888:"Funeral of the Late Mr. H. J. Byron",
620:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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129:Poster for Byron's 1859–60 pantomime,
1084:Robinson Crusoe; or, Harlequin Friday
1001:Henry Irving: the actor and his world
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562:By 1874, he was showing symptoms of
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312:Between 1865 and 1867, he joined
280:Esmeralda, or, The Sensation Goat
268:Bluebeard from a New Point of Hue
81:), at one time British consul in
1035:A memoir of Edward Askew Sothern
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616:"Byron, Henry James (1835–1884)"
420:(1878), Charles Chuckles in his
368:Return to acting and later years
276:Aladdin, or, The Wonderful Scamp
892:, '18 April 1884, p. 10, col. C
777:, Oxford University Press, 1996
762:, first played by James Rogers.
468:(1870, starring Henry Irving),
352:. Another, the same year, was
1068:Sketches of living celebrities
1010:, Hong Kong Baptist University
650:, Hong Kong Baptist University
360:, which played in 1867 at the
200:and followed the next year by
1:
1157:19th-century theatre managers
714:, 14 April 1884, p. 7, col. C
484:), and his greatest success,
424:(1879) and John Blunt in his
392:(1871) and Lionel Leveret in
99:St. Peter's Collegiate School
93:Bradley. He was educated in
1142:19th-century English writers
1127:Burials at Brompton Cemetery
935:Bancroft, Squire and Marie.
724:Journal of a London Playgoer
682:. 1 December 1877. p. 1
1147:Male actors from Manchester
795:Educational Theatre Journal
374:Not Such a Fool as He Looks
142:The Era Almanack and Annual
61:and died at the age of 49.
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1097:HathiTrust Digital Library
838:Little Don Caesar de Bazan
824:The Modern Language Review
754:featured the début of the
515:Little Don Caesar de Bazan
89:, and Elizabeth Josephine
867:The Sydney Morning Herald
505:, such as a burlesque of
332:A Hundred Thousand Pounds
318:Prince of Wales's Theatre
260:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
196:, beginning in 1859 with
154:Richard of the Lion Heart
49:Prince of Wales's Theatre
1049:When all's said and done
944:Forty years on the stage
330:(a success in 1865) and
297:showing seated l. to r.
1122:Writers from Manchester
1062:Wilman, George (1882),
1056:A playgoer's wanderings
216:. He became editor of
77:and descendant of many
840:and the Gaiety Theatre
503:Gaiety Theatre, London
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987:A playgoer's memories
966:The Babes in the Wood
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410:The Bull by the Horns
388:), Captain Craven in
386:The Crushed Tragedian
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131:Jack the Giant Killer
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962:Plays by H. J. Byron
949:Cordova, R. de, ed.
912:Cousin, John William
552:Plays by H. J. Byron
470:An English Gentleman
466:Uncle Dick's Darling
422:An English Gentleman
158:Royal Strand Theatre
1064:"Henry James Byron"
1042:Sir Charles Wyndham
978:The Gaiety Gulliver
970:The Lancashire Lass
842:at VictorianWeb.org
809:, 2 May 1871, p. 12
519:The Gaiety Gulliver
511:Don Caesar de Bazan
293:1868 production of
1082:Script of Byron's
836:Information about
789:Stedman, Jane W.
736:Script of Byron's
646:Lee, Amy Wai Sum.
492:Vaudeville Theatre
464:(starring Toole),
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382:The Prompter's Box
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226:three-volume novel
194:Princess's Theatre
148:of melodramas and
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69:Byron was born in
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25:Byron in the 1870s
1040:Pemberton, T. E.
1033:Pemberton, T. E.
1026:Pemberton, T. E.
994:Gaiety chronicles
992:Hollingshead, J.
583:Brompton Cemetery
528:The Forty Thieves
402:Criterion Theatre
362:Haymarket Theatre
264:Haymarket Theatre
156:premièred at the
30:Henry James Byron
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440:Married in Haste
426:Michael Strogoff
418:Conscience Money
406:Married in Haste
398:An American Lady
342:Dearer than Life
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1047:Swears, H.
999:Irving, L.
758:character,
660:Script for
572:Crede Byron
545:The Guv'nor
404:, and then
364:in London.
346:J. L. Toole
79:Lords Byron
1106:Categories
1006:Lee, Amy.
955:by herself
930:References
922:Wikisource
585:, London.
490:(1875–79,
478:Weak Woman
390:Daisy Farm
272:Cinderella
218:Comic News
190:pantomimes
184:, and the
146:burlesques
75:Lord Byron
71:Manchester
41:burlesques
890:The Times
874:6 October
807:The Times
756:pantomime
711:The Times
680:John Bull
556:The Times
436:The Times
414:Old Chums
65:Biography
47:, of the
974:Our Boys
914:(1910).
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460:(1868),
450:Our Boys
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274:(1860);
270:(1860);
192:for the
54:Our Boys
1095:at the
909::
752:Aladdin
686:4 April
579:Clapham
513:called
431:Engaged
337:Society
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976:, and
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517:, and
452:, 1875
307:Irving
262:, the
238:Mirth.
111:Buxton
951:Dame
589:Notes
523:Mirth
299:Toole
247:Punch
95:Essex
87:Haiti
876:2021
688:2022
539:and
412:and
305:and
164:and
107:Navy
822:in
568:née
509:'s
476:),
242:Fun
234:Wag
209:Fun
101:in
91:née
37:bar
1108::
1066:,
972:,
968:,
864:.
793:,
782:^
696:^
678:.
627:^
618:,
597:^
535:,
301:,
244:,
228:,
85:,
980:.
924:.
690:.
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