John Lazar

He had considerable stage experience in England, and there is no reason to doubt advertisements which reported him playing at Covent Garden and Drury Lane.

[2] Lazar, his wife Julia, née Solomon, and their seven children emigrated to Sydney aboard Lady Macnaghten, giving his occupation as tailor.

The ship had an outbreak of typhus on board, resulting in the death of around 60 passengers including three of the Lazar children,[3] and some four weeks were to elapse in quarantine before they reached Sydney on 14 April 1837.

[11] Lazar took over management of the Queen's Theatre, taking a lease from late July 1841[12] but after months of losing money dismissed his company and converted the seating to something more appropriate to public meetings.

The supremacy of the "Victoria" in Sydney was challenged by Joseph Simmons and his (Royal) City Theatre on Market Street, which opened in March 1843.

Lazar returned to Sydney that same month aboard the brig Dorset to resume management of the old theatre,[14] which took effect the following May.

[17] This period marked the climax of his theatrical career, achieving a greater degree of popularity than he had enjoyed previously; he even received praise as a comedian.