Lives of Shakespearian Actors, Part V:

Beerbohm Tree, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry by their Contemporaries

Herbert Beerbohm Tree, born Herbert Draper Beerbohm was as talented a manager and producer as he was an actor. He enjoyed success in London from his first appearance on the stage, but achieved his greatest distinction as manager of first the Haymarket Theatre and then Her Majesty's Theatre, which he funded and opened in 1897. After successful tenures at both theatres, in which Tree became famous for his productions of Shakespeare and elaborate stage settings, he founded the first Academy of Dramatic Art, now RADA.

Henry Irving was an equally accomplished actor-manager; taking complete responsibility for season upon season at the Lyceum Theatre. Known as "The Governor" to those under his supervision at the Lyceum, Irving was a self-made man and completely devoted to his art- reportedly leaving his wife for her criticism of his profession. Tall, dark, and frequently haunting in his characterizations, Irving is thought to have been the inspiration for the title character in (Lyceum manager) Bram Stoker's, Dracula.

Born into a theatrical family, Ellen Terry enjoyed enormous success on the stage. She toured America and Australia and was adored by the public, despite the numerous controversies of her private life: elopement, cohabitation, single-motherhood and multiple marriages. Brought into partnership with Irving at the Lyceum, she spent two decades as his leading lady, playing roles such as Portia, Beatrice, Ophelia and Lady Macbeth. Speculation as to the nature of her relationship with Irving continued long after his death, when Terry allegedly confessed that they had been “terribly in love for a while”.

Contents

Volume 1: Beerbohm Tree
Edited by Victor Emeljanow
'Herbert Beerbohm Tree', The Theatre (1881); Arthur Goddard, 'Herbert Beerbohm Tree', in Players of the Period (1891); 'Re-opening of the Haymarket', Era (1887); 'The Haymarket Theatre', Saturday Review (1887); 'Captain Swift', Era (1888); 'A Man’s Shadow', Pall Mall Gazette (1889); 'The Dancing Girl', Saturday Review (1891); Julia Nielson, This for Remembrance (1940) [extract]; 'London theatres - The Haymarket', Era (1893); 'The Player’s World', Encore (1893); 'Hypatia', Jewish Chronicle (1893); 'Drama - At His Majesty’s Theatre', Academy (1907); 'The London theatres - The Haymarket Theatre', Era (1893); 'Trilby on the stage at Manchester: first performance in England', Daily News (1895); 'Trilby', Era (1895); 'Enemy of the People', Era (1893); X, 'Mr Tree’s Monday Nights', Fortnightly Review (1890); 'Merry Wives of Windsor', Saturday Review (1889); 'Drama: the Week', Athenaeum (1889); 'King John', Theatre (1889); William Archer, 'King Henry IV on the stage', Daily Chronicle (1896); G B Shaw, 'Henry IV', Saturday Review (1896) repr. Our Theatre in the Nineties (1932); 'Haymarket Theatre: a fine revival and appeal to Mr. Tree', London Echo (1896); Owen Nares, Myself and some Others, (1925) [extract]; Beerbohm Tree, 'Hamlet from an actor’s prompt book', Fortnightly Review (1895) repr. In Thoughts and Afterthoughts (1913); Clement Scott, 'Herbert Beerbohm Tree: Haymarket Theatre, Jan. 21 1892', Some Notable “Hamlets” (1905); 'Hamlet at the Haymarket', Era (1892); 'Haymarket Theatre', Queen (1892); 'Art and Architecture on the stage: Twelfth Night' (1901); 'Her Majesty’s Theatre', The Times (1901); Ellen Terry, Ellen Terry’s memoirs, eds. Edith Craig and Christopher St. John (1932) [extract]; 'The Merry Wives', Daily Mail (1902); 'His Majesty’s Theatre - Miss Ellen Terry’s Jubilee', The Times (1906); 'His Majesty’s Theatre', Morning Post (1908); Raymond Blathwayt, 'Mr. Tree as Shylock: an impression of the great production at His Majesty’s', Black and White (1908); 'Mr. Tree’s Shylock', Daily Telegraph (1908); 'The Ghetto on the Stage: behind the scenes at His Majesty’s', Daily Chronicle (1908); Leon M. Lion, The Surprise of my Life: the lesser half of an autobiography (1948) [extract]; 'A Great Shylock', Evening Standard (1908); S D, 'Shylock in a new garb', Daily Express (1908); 'The New Faust-Mr Tree as Mephistopheles', Daily Telegraph (1908); 'A Memorable Faust night', Referee (1908); H M Walbrook, 'Henry VIII', Nights at the Play (1911); Edward Morton, 'King Henry VIII at His Majesty’s Theatre', Playgoer and Society Illustrated (1910); 'Henry VIII on the film', Daily News (1911); 'Henry VIII on the Bioscope', Morning Post (1911); P C, 'Sir Herbert Tree’s Othello', Manchester Guardian (1912); 'Sir H Tree as Othello', Standard (1912); Beerbohm Tree, 'The New Costume Society and the Stage', The Theatre (1883); Sidney Lee, 'Shakespeare and the Modern Stage', Shakespeare and the Modern Stage and other Essays, (1906) [extract]; Beerbohm Tree, 'The Staging of Shakespeare', Fortnightly Review (1900); William Poel, 'The Staging of Shakespeare', Fortnightly Review (1900) [extract]; W. Hughes Hallett, 'The staging of Shakespeare: a reply to Mr. Beerbohm Tree', Fortnightly Review (1900); Percy Fitzgerald, Shakespearean Representations (1908) London Shakespeare League: 'Report of a Public Discussion on the best method of presenting Shakespeare’s plays' (1905); St. John Hankin, 'Some remarks on Julius Caesar', Academy (1898); Beerbohm Tree, 'An apology for Julius Caesar', Academy (1898); E M R, 'Mr Beerbohm Tree’s Mark Antony', Westminster Review (1898); 'King John', Era (1899); 'King John at Her Majesty’s Theatre', The Times (1899); W Moy Thomas, 'King John', Graphic (1899); 'King John at Her Majesty’s Theatre', Daily News (1899); J T Grein, 'Her Majesty’s: A Midsummer Night’s Dream', Premieres of the Year (1900); 'Her Majesty’s Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream', The Times (1900); 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream', Era (1900) 'His Majesty’s Theatre', The Times (1903); Beerbohm Tree, 'The Tempest in a Teacup', Thoughts and Afterthoughts (1904); 'His Majesty’s Theatre-The Tempest', The Times (1904); Mrs George Cran, 'Shakespearean controversy and The Tempest', Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1907) [extract]; 'New Tempest', Daily Chronicle (1904); Desmond MacCarthy, 'Shakespeare at His Majesty’s', Speaker (1907); 'Drama-The Week', Athenaeum (1907); Harold Hodge, 'Antony and Cleopatra', Saturday Review (1907); 'The Shakespeare Festival', Era, (1905); J T Grein, 'Shakespeare’s Festival at His Majesty’s Theatre', Sunday Times (1905); 'His Majesty’s Theatre-Hamlet', The Times (1905); Carados, 'Shakespeare Celebration', Referee (1906); 'Miss Terry’s Jubilee', Standard (1906); 'His Majesty’s Theatre-Julius Caesar', Morning Post (1906); 'Shakespeare Festival', Daily Graphic (1907); 'Merry Wives of Windsor', Morning Post (1907); 'A Jubilee Night at His Majesty’s Theatre', Standard (1907); 'Dramatic Gossip', Referee (1908); 'Shakespeare and the schools', Education (1909); 'Children at the theatre', Standard (1909); 'His Majesty’s-Shakespeare Festival', Observer (1909); 'His Majesty’s Theatre-Hamlet', Stage (1910); 'An Elizabethan stage performance at His Majesty’s', Morning Post (1910); 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona', Westminster Gazette (1910); 'Fairies, Rabbits and some others', Pall Mall Gazette (1911); 'At His Majesty’s', Globe (1911); 'The London Shakespeare festival', The Times (1912); Mordred, 'Exit Shakespeare', Referee (1912); J T Grein, 'This Week’s premieres', Sunday Times (1912); The Theatre - the Shakespeare Festival at His Majesty’s', Academy (1913); W A, 'His Majesty’s', Star, (1913); 'Sir Herbert Tree: a versatile actor and manager', The Times (1917); William Archer, 'Beerbohm Tree', The Nation, (1917); Desmond MacCarthy, 'From the stalls', in Max Beerbohm (ed) Herbert Beerbohm Tree, (1920) [extract]; H M Walbrook, 'Beerbohm Tree and Shakespearean Theatre', Nineteenth Century, November (1917) [extract]; T P O’Connor, 'Memories of Beerbohm Tree, a personal pen picture' Era Annual (1918) [extract]; Gordon Crosse, Shakespearean Playgoing 1890–1952 (1953) [extracts]

Volume 2: Henry Irving
Edited by Denis Salter
W Archer and R W Lowe, The Fashionable Tragedian: A Criticism With Ten Ilustrations [By G. R. Halkett] (1877) [extracts]; H Irving [Yorick, pseud], A Letter Concerning Mr. Henry Irving Addressed to E. R. H. Edinburgh (1877); F A Marshall [An Irvingite, pseud], Henry Irving Actor and Manager: A Criticism Of A Critic's Criticism (1883) [extract]; E R Russell, 'Mr. Irving's Work', Fortnightly Review 36 (1884) [extracts]; A Ainger, 'The New Hamlet and His Critics', Macmillan's Magazine (1875); E R Russell, Irving As Hamlet (1875); 'Drama. Mr. Irving's Hamlet', Examiner (1874); M Schlesinger, 'A German Critique on Mr. Irving's Hamlet', Times (1875); R H Hutton, 'Mr. Irving's Hamlet', Spectator (1874); F Wedmore, 'The Stage.Irving in "Hamlet"', Academy (1874); M E Braddon, 'Macbeth At The Lyceum Theatre', Belgravia (1876); E R Russell, 'Mr. Irving's Interpretations of Shakspeare [sic],' Fortnightly Review (1883); E R Russell, The True Macbeth. A Paper Read Before The Literary And Philosophical Society Of Liverpool. November 29th, 1875 (1875); 'Drama. Mr Irving's Macbeth', Examiner (1875); ‘Dramatic’, Figaro (1876); '"Othello"', Era (1876); 'Mr Irving's Othello [From '"Bell's Weekly Messenger"]’, Orchestra (1876); H Irving, 'Four Favourite Parts', English Illustrated Magazine (1893) [extracts]; 'Dramatic', Figaro (1877); 'Drama. Mr Irving's Richard III', Examiner (1877); '"Richard The Third" At The Lyceum', Era (1877); 'Theatre Royal. Mr Henry Irving As Richard The Third', North British Daily Mail (1877); 'The Stage. Two Richards', Touchstone; or, The New Era (1877); 'Hamlet', Truth (1879); M Thomas, 'The Stage. Mr Irving and Miss Ellen Terry at the Lyceum', Academy (1879) Lady Hardy, 'The Hamlet of the Day', Theatre (1879); M Oliphant, 'Hamlet', Blackwood's (1879); 'Mr. Irving and Miss Terry in "Hamlet"', Liverpool Daily Post (1883); E A Dithmar, 'The Amusement Season Dramatic. Mr. Irving As Hamlet', New York Times (1884); W Winter, 'The Drama--Music. Henry Irving As Hamlet.', New York Daily Tribune (1884); H Irving [Pseud By An Actor], 'The Round Table. The Character Of Shylock', Theatre (1879); E R Russell, ‘Henry Irving As Shylock’, The Theatre: A Monthly Review Of The Drama, Music, And The Fine Arts (1880); P Fitzgerald, 'Irving's Acting. A Study', Whitehall Review (1880); 'Lyceum Theatre', Era (1879); '"The Merchant Of Venice'", Pall Mall Gazette (1879); T Martin, 'Theatrical Reform: The "Merchant Of Venice" At The Lyceum', Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine (1879); 'Dramatic', London Figaro (1879), 'Dramatic. Mr. Irving's "Shylock"', London Figaro (1880); A B McMahan, 'Mr. Irving's Shylock', Dial (1893); A B Walkley, 'Drury Lane Theatre. "The Merchant Of Venice"', Times (1905); 'Music And The Drama. Bradford Theatre Royal. Sir Henry Irving As "Shylock"', Bradford Daily Telegraph (1905); G A. Sala, 'The Playhouses', Illustrated London News (1881); G A Sala, 'The Playhouses', Illustrated London News (1881); 'Othello At The Lyceum', Saturday Review (1881); 'Othello at the Lyceum', Saturday Review (1881); E. R. Russell, '"Romeo and Juliet" at the Lyceum', Macmillan's Magazine (1882) T H Ward, 'Romeo and Juliet at the Lyceum', Times (1882), 'Romeo and Juliet at the Lyceum', Saturday Review (1882); H Labouchere [Scrutator, pseud], 'That Baggage Juliet', Truth (1882) M Arnold, 'An Old Playgoer At The Lyceum', Pall Mall Gazette (1883); 'The London Theatres. The Lyceum', Era (1882); 'Lyceum Theatre', Times (1882), 'Mr. Irving & Miss Ellen Terry at the Alexandra Theatre', Liverpool Daily Post (1883); 'Amusements. The Haverly', Chicago Daily Inter Ocean (1885), 'The London Theatres. The Lyceum', Era (1891); J R Towse, ‘Henry Irving’, Century (1884); H A Clapp, ‘Henry Irving’, Atlantic Monthly (1884); E R Russell, 'Mr. Irving's Work', Fortnightly Review (1884); F A Marshall, 'Our Play-Box. "Twelfth Night; Or, What You Will"', Theatre (1884); G A Sala, 'The Playhouses', Illustrated London News (1884); W Archer, '"Twelfth Night" At The Lyceum', Macmillan's Magazine (1884); E Aveling, '"Twelfth Night" At The Lyceum', Our Corner (1884); 'The Revival Of "Macbeth"', Era (1888); E R Russell, '"Macbeth" Revisited', Macbeth program for 135th performance (1889) [extracts]; H Labouchere [Scrutator, pseud], 'Macbeth And His Wife’, Truth (1889); J T Grein, ‘M. Irving et Mlle Terry au Lyceum’, Reveue d’Art Dramatique 13 (1889); W Archer, 'The Theatre. "Macbeth"', World (1889); R Towse, Sixty Years Of The Theater [sic]: An Old Critic's Memories (1916); C Meltzer, 'Mr. Irving's Macbeth', World [New York] (1895); J F Nisbet, 'Lyceum Theatre', Times (1892); 'The Drama. Henry VIII. at the Lyceum', Daily News (1892); H Irving 'Four Favourite Parts', English Illustrated Magazine (1893) [extract]; E R Russell, 'Irving's "King Lear": A New Tradition', Nineteenth Century (1893); H J Jennings, '"King Lear" At The Lyceum', Gentleman's Magazine (1892); 'The Week. Lyceum.--"King Lear"', Athenaeum (1892); 'King Lear At The Lyceum', Saturday Review (1892), 'King Lear', Saturday Review (1892); R Warwick Bond, '"Cymbeline" at the Lyceum', Fortnightly Review (1896); 'Drama. The Week. Lyceum. "Cymbeline"', Athenaeum (1896); 'Lyceum Theatre. "Cymbeline"', Daily Graphic (1896); '"Cymbeliine" at the Lyceum', Daily News (1896); FCG, ‘Round the Theatres’, Westminster Gazette (1896); W Wallace, 'Sir Henry Irving's Claims', National Review (1896); G Barlow, 'Talent and Genius on the Stage', Contemporary Review (1892); A B Walkley, Playhouse Impressions (1892); Sir Edward Russell, 'The Round Table. Sir Henry Irving's Richard III', Theatre (1897); '"Richard III." at the Lyceum', Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper (1896); '"Richard III" at the Lyceum', Standard (1896); J F Nisbet, 'Lyceum Theatre', Times (1896) 'Drama', Athenaeum (1896); ‘Theatres. The Lyceum', Era (1896); W Archer, 'The Theatre. "Coriolanus"--"Count Tezma"', World (1901); 'Lyceum Theatre. "Coriolanus"', Daily Graphic (1901); R Dickins, Forty Years Of Shakespeare On The English Stage, August 1867 To August, 1907: A Student’s Memories [1907 or 1908]; J T Grein, Dramatic Criticism (1900-1901) [extract]; A Symons, Plays, Acting, and Music: A Book Of Theory (1909) [extract]; A Warren, London Days: A Book of Reminiscences (1921) [extracts]; Sir J. Martin-Harvey, The Autobiography Of Sir John Martin-Harvey [1933] [extracts];

Volume 3: Ellen Terry
Edited by Katharine Cockin
Charles Dodgson, The Diaries of Lewis Carroll Volume One, ed. Roger Lancelyn Green (1953) [extracts]; Charles Tawse, ‘Charles Kean’s Winter’s Tale', Theatre (1888); Daily News (1858) [extract]; Daily News (1887) [extract]; Frederick Wedmore, ‘The Merchant of Venice at the Prince of Wales’, The Stage, (1875); ‘Theatres’, The Graphic (1875); J S, ‘The Merchant of Venice at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre’, Fraser’s Magazine (1875) Henry James, The Scenic Art of Henry James: Notes on Acting and the Drama 1872-1901 (1949) [extracts]; Charles Hiatt, Ellen Terry and Her Impersonations (1899) [extract]; John Ruskin letter to Henry Irving (1879); Aberdeen Journal, (1879) [extract]; H Savile Clark, To Miss ET as Portia, and review ‘Hamlet at the Lyceum’, The Examiner (1879); ‘Theatrical Reform: The Merchant of Venice at the Lyceum’, Blackwood’s Magazine (1879); ‘The Examiner of Plays The Lyceum’, The Examiner (1879); ‘The Examiner of Plays: The Merchant of Venice at the Lyceum', The Examiner (1879); ‘Theatres’, The Graphic (1879); Anna Lea Merritt, ‘Miss Ellen Terry as Ophelia, Etcher (1879); W Davenport Adams, ‘Ellen Terry as Beatrice', The Theatre (1880); ‘Mr Irving and Miss Terry in Glasgow’, The Era (1883), ‘Miss Ellen Terry’s Benefit', The Era (1887); Dutton Cook, ‘Ellen Terry’, Theatre (1880); [Henry James], ‘The London Theatres’, Scribner’s Monthly: An Illustrated Magazine, conducted by J. G. Holland (1881); ‘Public Amusements’, The Liverpool Mercury (1881); ERR, ‘Ellen Terry as Portia’, Theatre (1880); ‘Helen Faucit and Ellen Terry’, Era (1880); ‘Miss Ellen Terry as Portia’, The Illustrated London News (1880); Charles Hiatt, Ellen Terry and Her Impersonations (1899) [extracts]; Kate Terry Gielgud, An Autobiography (1953) [extract]; Graham Robertson, Time Was: The Reminiscences of W. Graham Robertson (1931) [extract]; ABW, ’The Drama’, The Speaker (1898); ‘King Lear at the Lyceum’, The Times (1892); [GBS] 'Romeo and Juliet', Saturday Review (1895); GBS, ‘Mainly About Shakespeare’, Saturday Review (1897); Marie Corelli, ‘Viola’, Temple Bar (1884); William Archer, ‘Twelfth Night at the Lyceum’, Macmillan’s Magazine (1884); Lewis Carroll, ‘The Stage and the Spirit of Reverence', Theatre (1888) [extract]; William Winter, Shadows of the Stage (1906) [extract]; William Archer, ‘Macbeth and Common Sense’, Murray’s Magazine (1889); A G L ,‘Irving’s Macbeth’, Poet-lore (1889); Percy Fitzgerald, 'Macbeth', Theatre (1889); [Anon review of Macbeth], Morning Post (1888); Edward Gordon Craig, Ellen Terry and Her Secret Self (1931) [extract]; Charles Hiatt, Ellen Terry and Her Impersonations (1899) [extract]; Henry James, The Scenic Art of Henry James: Notes on Acting and the Drama 1872-1901 (1949); George Bernard Shaw, ‘Blaming the Bard’, The Saturday Review (1896); R Warwick Bond, ‘Cymbeline at the Lyceum’, Fortnightly Review (1896); Clement Scott, Ch III Queens of the Stage, in The Drama Of Yesterday and To-Day (1899); Bram Stoker, ‘The Art of Ellen Terry’, Playgoer (1902); Bernard Partridge, ‘Fifty Years A Queen (An Author’s Tribute)’, Punch (1906); Basil Dean, Seven Ages (1970) [extract]; Kate Terry Gielgud, An Autobiography (1953) [extract]; 'Miss Ellen Terry’s Jubilee Benefit’, Review of Reviews (1906); ‘The Winter’s Tale Revived at His Majesty’s Theatre’, Illustrated London News (1906); B W Findon, ‘The Play and Its Story’, Play Pictorial (1906); Christopher St John, Introduction, Four Lectures on Shakespeare by Ellen Terry (1932); Ellen Terry, Four Lectures on Shakespeare (1932) [extract]; Christopher St John, The First Actress (1911) [extract]; ‘Miss Ellen Terry at the Haymarket’, Academy (1911); ‘Shakespeare’s Heroines by Ellen Terry’, Review of Reviews (1910); Basil Dean, Seven Ages (1970); [Anon] ‘The Last Rosalind’, Theatre (1885); Oscar Wilde, ‘Shakespeare and Stage Costume’, The Nineteenth Century (1885); William Archer, ‘A Well-Graced Actress’, National Review (1886); Henry James, ‘The Acting in Mr Irving’s Faust’, The Scenic Art of Henry James: Notes on Acting and the Drama 1872–1901 (1949); Harry How, 'Illustrated Interview No. XVII: Ellen Terry', Strand (1892); [Anon] ‘Miss Ellen Terry on Operatic Acting’, Magazine of Music (1893); Joseph Knight et al, ‘Who is the Greatest Living Actress-And Why?', The Idler (1895); Clement Scott, ‘The New Dictator’, Theatre (1895); GBS, ‘The Silver Key’, Saturday Review (1897); Austin Brereton, ‘Ellen Terry, Player Queen’, English Illustrated Magazine (1897); T Edgar Pemberton, Ellen Terry and Her Sisters (1902) [extract]; Christopher St John, Ellen Terry (1907) [extract]; ‘Henry Irving and Ellen Terry’, The Bookman (1908); H M Walbrook, ‘Great Acting in Shakespeare’, Pall Mall Magazine (1910); Anon, ‘Kate Douglas Wiggin and Ellen Terry’, Bookman (1911); Editorial, The Freewoman (1911); Alice Comyns Carr, ‘Ellen Terry: Recollections of a Long Friendship’, Fortnightly Review (1922); Ivor Brown, ‘To the Goddess’, Saturday Review (1928); Stephen Gwynn, ‘Ebb and Flow’, Fortnightly Review (1928); Edward Gordon Craig, Ellen Terry and Her Secret Self (1931); Virginia Woolf, ‘Ellen Terry’, New Statesman (1941) in Collected Essays by Virginia Woolf Volume Four (1967); Edith Sitwell, ‘Ellen Terry (1847–1928)’ in English Women (1942); Graham Robertson, Time Was: The Reminiscences of W. Graham Robertson (1931) [extract]; Ernest Milton, ‘Heart and Hand’, Edy: Recollections of Edith Craig (1949); Margaret Webster, The Same Only Different: Five Generations of a Great Family (1969) [extracts]; Christopher St John, ‘Ellen Terry’s Shrine’, Sackbut (1933)

Related titles

• Bram Stoker and the Stage : Reviews, Reminiscences, Essays and Fiction
• Ellen Terry, Spheres of Influence
• Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, Twentieth-Century Actress
• The Collected Letters of Ellen Terry

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