Turning to the stage, he, after slight training in the country, made his London début in the name of Forrester at the Strand Theatre, under his father's management, on 6 September 1849.

[1] On 28 March 1853, he made his first appearance at the Haymarket, under Buckstone, as Captain Absolute, and was identified with the fortunes of that house either in juvenile tragedy or light comedy until 1867.

His more interesting roles were Guibert in Browning's 'Colombo's Birthday' (25 April 1853), the leading part in Bayle Bernard's new play, 'A Life's Trial,' in March 1857, Mercury in Burnand's farcical comedy, 'Venus and Adonis' (28 March 1864), and Romeo on 31 August 1867, in October 1869 he was engaged by Mrs. John Wood for the St. James's, where he appeared as Brizard in Daly's version of 'Frou Frou' (25 May 1870), and Arthur Minton in 'Two Thorns' (4 March 1871), in which he struck the critic Dutton Cook as happily combining ease of manner with due impressiveness of delivery.On 9 September 1871, Farren migrated to the Vaudeville, with which he was long associated.

Subsequently, he was seen at the Royal Aquarium (afterwards Imperial Theatre) as Grandfather Whitehead (9 November 1878), in which he was deemed inferior in pathos to his father; as young Marlow; as Archer in 'The Beaux' Stratagem' (Oct. 1879); as Sir Robert Bramble in The Poor Gentleman; and as Adam in Miss Litton's revival of 'As You Like It' — a role which he repeated later at the opening of the Shaftesbury Theatre (20 October 1888).

Returning to the Vaudeville, he was Seth Pecksniff in 'Tom Pinch' (10 March 1881) and Sir Peter Teazle in the elaborate revival of 'The School for Scandal' (4 Feb. 1882).

[1] In 1887, in conjunction with H. B. Conway, Farren started the Conway-Farren old comedy company at the Strand, appearing there as Lord Ogleby in 'The Clandestine Marriage,' old Domton, and other characters.