Robert Courtneidge
In the first years of the 20th century, he began to direct musical theatre pieces and to write or co-write the book for some of his productions, including Tom Jones (1907).
In the 1920s, he returned to producing British provincial tours and became the lessee of the Savoy Theatre, presenting a mixture of productions ranging from Shakespeare to farce.
[1] His other roles included Pepin in Robert Reece's English version of Auguste Coedes's Girouette (1889) and Major Styx in a Scots musical Pim Pom set in a monkey house at the zoo.
[7] In 1892 Courtneidge and his wife went to Australia, where he played comic roles for George Edwardes's Gaiety company in the burlesques, Carmen up to Data, Faust up to Date, Miss Esmeralda and Joan of Arc.
[3] He and his wife remained in Australia during 1893 and 1894; he joined the J. C. Williamson company, appearing in On 'Change, La Mascotte, Sweet Lavender and Princess Ida and in pantomime.
Among the items may be mentioned Charley's Aunt, Morocco Bound, Monte Carlo, Newmarket, Gentleman Joe, a new play by Mr. George Dance, The New Barmaid, The Geisha, Dick Turpin à la Mode, Mr. Edward Terry's season, the visit of the Carl Rosa Company, Miss Olga Nethersole's season, The Lady Slavey, Little Tich in Lord Tom Noddy, The White Elephant, The Ballet Girl, The Circus Girl, Mr. Van Biene in The Broken Melody, Mr. Arthur Roberts in Dandy Dan the Lifeguardsman.
Denny and the tiny role of Peaseblossom was played by Courtneidge's eight-year-old daughter Cicely, making her stage debut.
[13] He soon began collaborating on the books of musicals that he produced, although in some cases he contributed only the minimum needed to allow him to claim an interest in the copyright and royalties of the piece.
The managers believed that a licence from the Lord Chamberlain to present a piece insured them against legal action by the police, local authority or anyone else.
Among those whom Courtneidge joined in this successful opposition were Edwardes, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Charles Frohman, Gerald du Maurier and Rupert D'Oyly Carte.
[17] There was some feeling in theatrical circles that Cicely's elevation to star status was due more to her being Robert Courtneidge's daughter than to any special talent.
It was a hit for Courtneidge and ran to full houses at the Shaftesbury Theatre until Britain and Germany went to war in August 1914; anti-German sentiment brought the run to a premature and abrupt halt.
[21] Following this, Courtneidge took a touring company to Australia, presenting a repertory of comedies including The Man from Toronto, Somerset Maugham's Home and Beauty, and a work by an Australian author, Saving Grace.
[23] In the 1920s Courtneidge returned to producing British provincial tours, including the old-fashioned Gabrielle (1921; composed by George Clutsam, Archibald Joyce and others), which was successful for several years.
[25] During the 1920s, Courtneidge, a lifelong socialist, joined with other managers including Arthur Bourchier in campaigning for fair pay for chorus members and players of small parts.
After a tryout at his old Manchester theatre, the Prince's, he brought the old farce On 'Change to the Savoy, winning good notices for his performance in the leading role of a vain and touchy Scottish professor, which he had first played in the 1880s.
[28][29] Although Cicely had made her career away from his management since World War I, Courtneidge regularly featured his younger daughter Rosaline in his casts, in such plays as The Sport of Kings (1924) and The Unfair Sex (1925), until her early death in 1926 at the age of 23.
[30] Courtneidge returned to presenting West End musical shows in 1927, directing Lehár's The Blue Mazurka (1927) with English lyrics by Harry Graham at Daly's Theatre.
