Laurence Irving (dramatist)

However, instead he took up acting, making his first appearance in 1891[2] as Snug in The Dream in F. R. Benson's theatrical company – not counting childhood performances.

In 1898 he then joined his father's Company at the Lyceum Theatre taking minor roles or juvenile leads as in Peter the Great (1898), Robespierre (1899), as Courriol in The Lyons Mail (1900), Coriolanus (1900–01), Dante (1902–03), Much Ado About Nothing (1904–05), and as Nemours in Louis Xl.

[5] His talents as an actor were recognised in his portrayal of the crafty old Nikolas Arnesson, Bishop of Oslo in Ibsen's tragedy The Pretenders at the Haymarket.

[4] Irving was also a dramatist,[6] his stage plays including Robespierre (1899), Richard Lovelace (1901), Dante (1903), The Fool Hath Said: There Is No God (1908), The Incubus (1909), The Affinity (1910), and The Three Daughters of Monsieur Dupont (1910).

Due to the financial failure of his play Dante his father was forced to sell the Lyceum Theatre, London.

A gaping hole in her side caused the lower decks to flood faster than the crew could handle, made worse by the Empress' ever increasing starboard list.