Alfred Dampier (28 February 1843? 1847? – 23 May 1908) was an English-born
actor-manager
An actor-manager is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages the business, sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used co ...
Australian Dictionary of Biography
The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...
'', Vol. 4, Melbourne University Press, 1972, p. 13. Retrieved 28 August 2014
Dampier was born in
Horsham, Sussex
Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
, England, the son of John Dampier, a builder, and his wife Mary, ''née'' Daly. Dampier had a stage career in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
before moving to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia in 1873, under contract to the Harwood syndicate, consisting of H. R. Harwood,
George Coppin
George Selth Coppin (8 April 1819 – 14 March 1906) was a comic actor, a theatrical entrepreneur, a politician and a philanthropist, active in Australia.Sally O'Neill,Coppin, George Selth (1819–1906), '' Australian Dictionary of Biography'', ...
,
Richard Stewart
Richard Stewart (born 1959) is the mayor for the city of Coquitlam, British Columbia. He was elected to Coquitlam City Council in 2005, and became mayor in 2008.
Personal life
He was married in 1983 to Anna Rosa, they have four children. Stewa ...
(father of
Nellie Stewart
Nellie Stewart, born Eleanor Stewart Towzey (20 November 1858 – 21 June 1931) was an Australian actress and singer, known as "Our Nell" and "Sweet Nell".
Born into a theatrical family, Stewart began acting as a child. As a young woman, she ...
), and
John Hennings
John Hennings (c. 1833 – 13 October 1898) was a theatrical scene painter and theatre manager in Melbourne, Australia.
He has been identified as Johann Friederich Hennings, probably born on 6 July 1835, son of Danish-born parents Johann Hennings, ...
, managers of Melbourne's Theatre Royal.
His first role was as
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles (, ), also known as Mephisto, is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend, and he has since appeared in other works as a stock character (see: Mephistopheles in t ...
in his own adaptation of ''
Goethe's Faust
''Faust'' is a tragic play in two parts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, usually known in English as '' Faust, Part One'' and ''Faust, Part Two''. Nearly all of Part One and the majority of Part Two are written in rhymed verse. Although rarely s ...
'', followed by leading roles in Shakespearean dramas. After three years he undertook his own management and toured major towns in Australia and New Zealand, followed by America and England.
On his return to Australia, Dampier formed his own company, often producing plays with an Australian theme. He staged five plays by F. R. C. Hopkins between 1876 and 1882, and adapted ''
For the Term of His Natural Life
''For the Term of His Natural Life'' is a story written by Marcus Clarke and published in '' The Australian Journal'' between 1870 and 1872 (as ''His Natural Life''). It was published as a novel in 1874 and is the best known novelisation of life ...
'' (1886), ''
Robbery Under Arms
''Robbery Under Arms'' is a bushranger novel by Thomas Alexander Browne, published under his pen name Rolf Boldrewood. It was first published in serialised form by ''The Sydney Mail'' between July 1882 and August 1883, then in three volumes in ...
'' (1890), and ''
The Miner's Right
''The Miner's Right'' is an 1891 play by Alfred Dampier and Garnet Walch based on a story by Rolf Boldrewood. It was highly successful and one of the most popular Australian plays of the 1890s.Alfred Rolfe, George Buller,
Edmund Holloway
Edmund Holloway (c. 1820 – 18 August 1906) was an Australian actor.
History
Edmund "Old Ned" Holloway was born in Hull, England, and came out to Australia as a sailor "jumping ship" at Hobart. He worked on the Melbourne stage for some years be ...
, Julia Merton, Helen Nugent, J. B. Atholwood, Walter Baker,
Watkin Wynne
Watkin Wynne (11 May 1844 – 8 July 1921) was an Australian journalist, local government councillor, local government head and newspaper owner. Wynne was born in Black Notley, Essex, England and died in Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales
)
...
, Alfred Boothman, Ada Rochfort, May Holt (sister of
Bland Holt
Bland Holt (born Joseph Thomas Holt, (24 March 1851 – 28 June 1942)Dennis Shoesmith,, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4, MUP, 1972, pp 413-414. Accessed 1 August 2009 was a comedian and theatrical producer, active in Australia.
...
), Harry Stoneham and Barry Marschall.
The two roles with which Dampier was most associated were
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...
in ''Valjean'', an adaptation of ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'', and
Captain Starlight
Frank Pearson (1837–22 December 1899) was an Australian bushranger, operating under the pseudonym ''Captain Starlight.''
Pearson claimed he was the inspiration for a fictional figure of the same pseudonym: the character Captain Starlight in ...
in ''Robbery Under Arms''.
He wrote (as "Adam Pierre") the
jingoistic
Jingoism is nationalism in the form of aggressive and proactive foreign policy, such as a country's advocacy for the use of threats or actual force, as opposed to peaceful relations, in efforts to safeguard what it perceives as its national inter ...
''Briton and Boer'', which was a "hit" at the
Alexandra
Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...
in 1900.
The Popular Australian Dramatic Company (1889–90) and Australian Dramatic Company (1890–1897), not to be confused with
George Darrell
George Frederick Price Darrell (1851–1921) was an Australian playwright best known for '' The Sunny South'' (1883), which was made into a film ''The Sunny South or The Whirlwind of Fate''.
Darrell began his professional career with Simonsen's ...
's "Australian Dramatic Company" (1878–1888), were affiliated with the Holloway company.
Dampier died at his resident in
Paddington
Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...
, Sydney on 23 May 1908.
Family
In 1866 Dampier married the actress Katherine Alice Russell (c. 1848 – 8 March 1915), who continued using that name professionally. She was author of a play, ''The Phantom Ship''.
She died from a stroke in
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...
while touring America with her daughter Rose and son Fred. They had two daughters and one son.
*Katherine Annabel Lily Dampier, known as
Lily Dampier
Katherine Annabel Lily Dampier (1867 or 1868 – 6 February 1915), known as Lily Dampier, was an Australian actor of stage and screen. She was the daughter of Alfred Dampier and married to Alfred Rolfe.
Her best known stage parts were Sylvia i ...
(died February 1915) was a noted actor in her own right. She was briefly married to actor William Watkins, known as Watkin Wynn. She subsequently married actor and director Alfred Rolfe, who adapted several of Dampier's plays to the screen.
*Rose Dampier died while on tour in Nebraska in May 1919.
*Alfred Julian "Fred" Dampier was also an actor, but never as successful as his father, sisters or brother in law. Fred had a secret marriage to one Vera (born c. 1885), also an actor, in 1905. They never lived together and she was granted a divorce in 1914.
Select writing credits
*''Valjean'' (1869) – adaptation of ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
''
*''Faust and Marguerite'' (1873) – adapted from the legends
*''Saint or Sinner'' (1876)
*''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1879) - adapted from ''
the novel
''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...
*''The Nihilists'' (1880)
*''Under the Southern Cross'' (1885)
*''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1886) – with John F Sheridan, adapted from the novel
*''Our Emily'' (1886)
*''An English Lass'' (1886) – filmed as ''
The Romantic Story of Margaret Catchpole
''The Romantic Story of Margaret Catchpole'', generally referred to as ''Margaret Catchpole'', is a 1911 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford and starring Lottie Lyell. It is based on the true story of Margaret Catchpole, an advent ...
'' (1912)
*''Jess'' (1886)
*''For the Term of His Natural Life'' (1886) – with Thomas Somers, adapted from
the novel
''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...
– later filmed as ''
The Life of Rufus Dawes
''The Life of Rufus Dawes'' is a 1911 Australian silent film based on Alfred Dampier's stage adaptation of the 1874 novel ''For the Term of His Natural Life'' produced by Charles Cozens Spencer.
It was also known as ''The Story of Rufus Dawes, ...
'' (1911)
*''Marvellous Melbourne'' (1886) – with J H Wrangham and Thomas Somers
*''Shamus O'Brien'' (1889)
*''East Lynn'' (1889)
*''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (1890) – with
Garnet Walch
Garnet Walch (1 October 1843 in Broadmarsh (Tasmania) – 3 January 1913 in Melbourne), was an Australian writer, dramatist, journalist and publisher. From 1872 on, he became very popular as author of numerous pantomimes, burlesques, melodramas ...
, adapted from the novel
*''Robbery Under Arms'' (1890) – with Garnet Walch, adapted from the novel
the novel
''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...
– filmed as ''
Captain Starlight, or Gentleman of the Road
''Captain Starlight, or Gentleman of the Road'' is a 1911 Australian silent film about the bushranger Captain Starlight. It was based on Alfred Dampier's stage adaptation of the 1888 novel ''Robbery Under Arms''. It is considered a lost film.
...
'' in 1911
*''For Love and Life'' (1890)
*''
The Miner's Right
''The Miner's Right'' is an 1891 play by Alfred Dampier and Garnet Walch based on a story by Rolf Boldrewood. It was highly successful and one of the most popular Australian plays of the 1890s.The Scout'' (1891)
*''The Trapper'' (1891)
*''This Great City'' (1891)
*''For Love and Life'' (1891)
*''Wilful Murder'' (1892)
*''Help One Another'' (1892)
*''Thou Shalt Not Steal'' (1896)
*''To the West'' (1896)
*''Briton and Boer'' (as "Adam Pierre", 1900) — not to be confused with the George Griffith book ''Briton or Boer''
*'' The Bush King'' (1901) – rewrite of 1893 play – filmed in 1911