Henry Compton (actor)
Encyclopedia
Henry Compton (22 March 1805 – 15 September 1877) was an English
actor best known for his Shakespearean comic roles.
. His parents were John Mackenzie and his wife, formerly Mrs Elizabeth Symonds, and he was the sixth of eleven children. Through both parents, Compton was related to numerous members of the medical profession. After being educated at Huntingdon and at a boarding school
at Little Baddow
in Essex
, Compton was apprenticed to his mother's brother, who was a cloth merchant in Aldermanbury, near London
. Compton was unhappy with a life in trade and, desiring instead a life on the stage, ran away twice but was returned to his family each time. However, after running away for a third time in 1826, his family finally accepted his wish to become an actor. He took his grandmother's maiden name, Compton, as his stage name
.
. He then began to specialize in low comedy
roles in touring companies
, where he played for over a decade. He first appeared in London at the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House in 1837, as Robin in the musical farce The Waterman. After several further roles there, he joined the company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
in 1838, again playing in Shakespeare. Roles that followed included Tony Lumpkin, Gnatbrain in Douglas William Jerrold
's Black-Eyed Susan
, Silky in Thomas Holcroft
's The Road to Ruin, Bailie Nicol Jarvie, Mawworm in Isaac Bickerstaff
's The Hypocrite, Marrall in Philip Massinger
's A New Way to Pay Old Debts, and Dr Ollapod in George Colman
's The Poor Gentleman.
By the early 1840s, Compton had earned the reputation of being the best Shakespearian clown of his age. He continued in seasons at Dublin, Ireland, at Drury Lane (playing Polonius
, Sir Peter Teazle in The School for Scandal
, Launcelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
, and Foresight in William Congreve
's Love for Love), at Manchester
and elsewhere. At the Princess's Theatre, London
, where he performed for three years, he famously played Touchstone
in Shakespeare's As You Like It
in 1844. He was then at the Olympic Theatre
, where he also remained three years. After the Olympic burned down, he moved to the Royal Strand Theatre
. In 1853 he joined the company of John Baldwin Buckstone
at the Haymarket Theatre
, where he originated the role of Blenkinsop in An Unequal Match by Tom Taylor
, Sir Solomon Frazer in Taylor's The Overland Route, De Vaudray in A Hero of Romance by Westland Marston, and Captain Mountraffe in Home by T. W. Robertson.
In 1848, Compton married actress Emmeline Catherine Montague (d. 1911). She had been a model for Daniel Maclise
's paintings of Shakespearian scenes.
, where he performed in many plays thereafter. Compton's last role was in 1877 at the Prince of Wales's Theatre in Liverpool
as Mawworm in The Hypocrite and Pangloss in George Colman
's The Heir-at-Law. One of his most famous roles was as the Gravedigger in Hamlet
, which he played often in his career, including at the Lyceum Theatre with Henry Irving
in 1875, his last London appearance. Compton was described as "an actor perfectly original in his style, and possessing a fund of dry, quiet humour that never failed to minister to the amusement of the playing public."
When Compton became ill with cancer and was unable to work to support his family, his friends organised two benefit performances for him. The first was held at Drury Lane on 1 March 1877. This performance included scenes from Othello
; Bulwer Lytton's comedy Money, featuring Compton's son, Edward Compton; Sheridan
's The Critic
with Charles Mathews
as Mr. Puff; Morton's Lend me Five Shillings; Macklin's Man of World; and Trial by Jury
. Henry Irving, Joseph Jefferson
, Squire Bancroft
, Ellen Terry
, J. L. Toole, Nellie Farren
and many other leading stars took part. In Trial by Jury, conducted by Arthur Sullivan
, W. S. Gilbert
appeared as the Associate, Pauline Rita
was the Plaintiff, W. H. Cummings was the Defendant and Arthur Cecil
was the Usher. The chorus comprised leading stars such as W. S. Penley
, George Grossmith
, Kate Bishop
and Marion Terry
. The benefit realised over £3250, a large sum by the standards of the day. The second benefit, which was held at Manchester
on 27 March 1877, was nearly as successful.
Compton was the father of the actors Charles and Edward Compton, and the grandfather of actress Fay Compton
. and the novelist Compton Mackenzie
.
Compton died in 1877 after a long struggle with cancer at the age of 72 in Kensington
, London.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actor best known for his Shakespearean comic roles.
Biography
Compton was born in HuntingdonHuntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
. His parents were John Mackenzie and his wife, formerly Mrs Elizabeth Symonds, and he was the sixth of eleven children. Through both parents, Compton was related to numerous members of the medical profession. After being educated at Huntingdon and at a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
at Little Baddow
Little Baddow
Little Baddow is a large thriving village to the east of Chelmsford, Essex. The name Baddow comes from an Old English word meaning 'bad water', although this probably refers to the meadow area in Great Baddow as opposed to any water mass in Little Baddow...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Compton was apprenticed to his mother's brother, who was a cloth merchant in Aldermanbury, near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Compton was unhappy with a life in trade and, desiring instead a life on the stage, ran away twice but was returned to his family each time. However, after running away for a third time in 1826, his family finally accepted his wish to become an actor. He took his grandmother's maiden name, Compton, as his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
.
Early career
Compton's first professional appearances were in Shakespeare plays in the provincesRegions of England
In England, the region is the highest tier of sub-national division used by central Government. Between 1994 and 2011, the nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by elected bodies...
. He then began to specialize in low comedy
Low comedy
Low comedy is a type of comedy characterized by "horseplay", slapstick or farce. Examples include somebody throwing a custard pie in another's face. This definition has also expanded to include lewd types of comedy that rely on physical jokes, for example, the wedgie.- History :This type of comedy...
roles in touring companies
Touring theatre
A touring company is an independent theatre or dance company that travels, often internationally, being presented at a different theatre in each city....
, where he played for over a decade. He first appeared in London at the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House in 1837, as Robin in the musical farce The Waterman. After several further roles there, he joined the company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
in 1838, again playing in Shakespeare. Roles that followed included Tony Lumpkin, Gnatbrain in Douglas William Jerrold
Douglas William Jerrold
Douglas William Jerrold was an English dramatist and writer.-Biography:Jerrold was born in London. His father, Samuel Jerrold, was an actor and lessee of the little theatre of Wilsby near Cranbrook in Kent. In 1807 Douglass moved to Sheerness, where he spent his childhood...
's Black-Eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susan; or, All in the Downs is a comic play in three acts by Douglas Jerrold. The story concerns a sailor, William, who returns to England from the Napoleonic Wars and finds that his wife Susan is being harassed by her crooked landlord uncle and later by his drunken, dastardly captain,...
, Silky in Thomas Holcroft
Thomas Holcroft
Thomas Holcroft was an English dramatist and miscellaneous writer.-Early life:He was born in Orange Court, Leicester Fields, London. His father had a shoemaker's shop, and kept riding horses for hire; but having fallen into difficulties was reduced to the status of hawking peddler...
's The Road to Ruin, Bailie Nicol Jarvie, Mawworm in Isaac Bickerstaff
Isaac Bickerstaff
Isaac Bickerstaff Esq was a pseudonym used by Jonathan Swift as part of a hoax to predict the death of then famous Almanac–maker and astrologer John Partridge....
's The Hypocrite, Marrall in Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes.-Early life:The son of Arthur Massinger or Messenger, he was baptized at St....
's A New Way to Pay Old Debts, and Dr Ollapod in George Colman
George Colman
George Colman may refer to:*George Colman the Elder , English dramatist*George Colman the Younger , English dramatist, son of the above-See also:*George Coleman, American musician...
's The Poor Gentleman.
By the early 1840s, Compton had earned the reputation of being the best Shakespearian clown of his age. He continued in seasons at Dublin, Ireland, at Drury Lane (playing Polonius
Polonius
Polonius is a character in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. He is King Claudius's chief counsellor, and the father of Ophelia and Laertes. Polonius connives with Claudius to spy on Hamlet...
, Sir Peter Teazle in The School for Scandal
The School for Scandal
The School for Scandal is a play written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on May 8, 1777.The prologue, written by David Garrick, commends the play, its subject, and its author to the audience...
, Launcelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, and Foresight in William Congreve
William Congreve
William Congreve was an English playwright and poet.-Early life:Congreve was born in Bardsey, West Yorkshire, England . His parents were William Congreve and his wife, Mary ; a sister was buried in London in 1672...
's Love for Love), at Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and elsewhere. At the Princess's Theatre, London
Princess's Theatre, London
The Princess's Theatre or Princess Theatre was a theatre in Oxford Street, London. The building opened in 1828 as the "Queen's Bazaar" and housed a diorama by Clarkson Stanfield and David Roberts. It was converted into a theatre and opened in 1836 as the Princess's Theatre, named for then Princess...
, where he performed for three years, he famously played Touchstone
Touchstone (As You Like It)
Touchstone is an interesting fictional character in Shakespeare's play As You Like It. Touchstone is the court fool or jester, portrayed as a wise man with a dry, cynical wit. Throughout the play he comments on the other characters of the play and thus, contributes to a better understanding of the...
in Shakespeare's As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
in 1844. He was then at the Olympic Theatre
Olympic Theatre
The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street, and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout much of its existence...
, where he also remained three years. After the Olympic burned down, he moved to the Royal Strand Theatre
Royal Strand Theatre
The Royal Strand Theatre was located in Strand in the City of Westminster. The theatre was built on the site of a panorama in 1832, and in 1882 was rebuilt by the prolific theatre architect Charles J. Phipps...
. In 1853 he joined the company of John Baldwin Buckstone
John Baldwin Buckstone
John Baldwin Buckstone was an English actor, playwright and comedian who wrote 150 plays, the first of which was produced in 1826....
at the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
, where he originated the role of Blenkinsop in An Unequal Match by Tom Taylor
Tom Taylor
Tom Taylor was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of Punch magazine...
, Sir Solomon Frazer in Taylor's The Overland Route, De Vaudray in A Hero of Romance by Westland Marston, and Captain Mountraffe in Home by T. W. Robertson.
In 1848, Compton married actress Emmeline Catherine Montague (d. 1911). She had been a model for Daniel Maclise
Daniel Maclise
Daniel Maclise was an Irish history, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England.-Early life:...
's paintings of Shakespearian scenes.
Later years
In 1870, he was back at the Olympic in Taylor's Handsome is that Handsome Does, and in 1871 was in Partners for Life by H. J. Byron at the old Globe TheatreGlobe Theatre (Newcastle Street)
The Globe was a Victorian theatre built in 1868 and demolished in 1902. It was the third of five London theatres to bear the name. It was also known at various times as the Royal Globe Theatre or Globe Theatre Royal. Its repertoire consisted mainly of comedies and musical shows...
, where he performed in many plays thereafter. Compton's last role was in 1877 at the Prince of Wales's Theatre in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
as Mawworm in The Hypocrite and Pangloss in George Colman
George Colman the Younger
George Colman , known as "the Younger", English dramatist and miscellaneous writer, was the son of George Colman "the Elder".-Life:...
's The Heir-at-Law. One of his most famous roles was as the Gravedigger in Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, which he played often in his career, including at the Lyceum Theatre with Henry Irving
Henry Irving
Sir Henry Irving , born John Henry Brodribb, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility for season after season at the Lyceum Theatre, establishing himself and his company as...
in 1875, his last London appearance. Compton was described as "an actor perfectly original in his style, and possessing a fund of dry, quiet humour that never failed to minister to the amusement of the playing public."
When Compton became ill with cancer and was unable to work to support his family, his friends organised two benefit performances for him. The first was held at Drury Lane on 1 March 1877. This performance included scenes from Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
; Bulwer Lytton's comedy Money, featuring Compton's son, Edward Compton; Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford , Westminster and Ilchester...
's The Critic
The Critic (play)
The Critic: or, a Tragedy Rehearsed is a satire by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first staged at Drury Lane Theatre in 1779. It is a burlesque on stage acting and play production conventions, and Sheridan considered the first act to be his finest piece of writing...
with Charles Mathews
Charles Mathews
Charles Mathews was an English theatre manager and comic actor, well-known during his time for his gift of impersonation and skill at table entertainment...
as Mr. Puff; Morton's Lend me Five Shillings; Macklin's Man of World; and Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury is a comic opera in one act, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was first produced on 25 March 1875, at London's Royalty Theatre, where it initially ran for 131 performances and was considered a hit, receiving critical praise and outrunning its...
. Henry Irving, Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson, commonly known as Joe Jefferson , was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous of all American comedians....
, Squire Bancroft
Squire Bancroft
Sir Squire Bancroft , born Squire White Butterfield, was an English actor-manager. He and his wife Effie Bancroft are considered to have instigated a new form of drama known as 'drawing-room comedy' or 'cup and saucer drama', owing to the realism of their stage sets.-Early life and career:Bancroft...
, Ellen Terry
Ellen Terry
Dame Ellen Terry, GBE was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Among the members of her famous family is her great nephew, John Gielgud....
, J. L. Toole, Nellie Farren
Nellie Farren
Nellie Farren was an English actress and singer best known for her roles as the "principal boy" in musical burlesques at the Gaiety Theatre.Born into a theatrical family, Farren began acting as a child...
and many other leading stars took part. In Trial by Jury, conducted by Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
, W. S. Gilbert
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...
appeared as the Associate, Pauline Rita
Pauline Rita
Pauline Rita was an English soprano and actress. During her early career, she was best known known for her performances in operettas and comic operas at the Opera Comique and was associated with impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte...
was the Plaintiff, W. H. Cummings was the Defendant and Arthur Cecil
Arthur Cecil
Arthur Cecil Blunt, better known as Arthur Cecil was an English actor, comedian, playwright and theatre manager. He is probably best remembered for playing the role of Box in the long-running production of Cox and Box, by Arthur Sullivan and F. C...
was the Usher. The chorus comprised leading stars such as W. S. Penley
W. S. Penley
William Sydney Penley was an English actor, singer and comedian best remembered as producer and star of the phenomenally successful 1892 Brandon Thomas farce, Charley's Aunt and as the Reverend Robert Spalding in many productions of The Private Secretary.-Life and career:Penley was born at...
, George Grossmith
George Grossmith
George Grossmith was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. His performing career spanned more than four decades...
, Kate Bishop
Kate Bishop
Kate Bishop may refer to:* Hawkeye , a comic book character* Kate Bishop , 19th century actress...
and Marion Terry
Marion Terry
Marion Bessie Terry was an English actress. In a career spanning half a century, she played leading roles in more than 125 plays. Always in the shadow of her more famous sister Ellen, Terry nevertheless achieved considerable success in the plays of W. S...
. The benefit realised over £3250, a large sum by the standards of the day. The second benefit, which was held at Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on 27 March 1877, was nearly as successful.
Compton was the father of the actors Charles and Edward Compton, and the grandfather of actress Fay Compton
Fay Compton
Fay Compton was an English actress from a notable acting lineage; her father was actor/manager Edward Compton; her mother, Virginia Bateman, was a distinguished member of the profession, as were her sister, the actress Viola Compton, and her uncles and aunts. Her grandfather was the 19th-century...
. and the novelist Compton Mackenzie
Compton Mackenzie
Sir Compton Mackenzie, OBE was a writer and a Scottish nationalist.-Background:Compton Mackenzie was born in West Hartlepool, England, into a theatrical family of Mackenzies, but many of whose members used Compton as their stage surname, starting with his grandfather Henry Compton, a well-known...
.
Compton died in 1877 after a long struggle with cancer at the age of 72 in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London.