Afterwards, in 1894, he was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple, but instead of pursuing a career as a barrister he decided to become an actor, taking the stage name H. B. Irving to distinguish himself from his father.

The production by Otho Stuart, which was a popular success, was presented at the Adelphi Theatre, with Oscar Asche as Claudius, Walter Hampden as Laertes and Lily Brayton as Ophelia.

After his father's death, he established his own company, which included his wife, and toured most provincial cities, playing mainly repeats of Sir Henry Irving's best remembered performances.

During World War I, Irving withdrew from the theatre and returned to the law, writing the study for which he is now most famous, A Book of Remarkable Criminals,[4] originally published in 1918, which examined the lives, motivations and crimes of some infamous murderers.

Originally named "Crimes Club", it continues to flourish in London, where criminals and criminology are discussed at regularly held dinners.

[8] Holdroyd, Michael, A Strange Eventful History – The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and Their Remarkable Families, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York, 2008.