Susannah Fowler (31 July 1847 – 1897), known by her stage name Emily Fowler, was an English actress, singer and theatre manager. Beginning in musical burlesques, she later played in contemporary drama and English classics. Although she was well-known on the London stage from 1869 to 1881, she is probably best remembered today for creating roles in three of

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...

's early works.

Early life and career

Fowler was born in

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

, the daughter of a cabinet-maker, Samuel Matthew Fowler, and his wife Sophia ''née'' Fox. She took her stage name, Emily, in honor of her grandmother. She had three siblings, Clarissa, Sophia and Samuel. Her family moved to London before 1860, when her father died. As a teen, Fowler appeared in

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

. Gänzl, Kurt
"'Putting Emily in order: W S Gilbert's forgotten lady producer"
Kurt of Gerolstein, 11 June 2018 In 1867, she joined the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

as a chorister and was soon made a replacement in the breeches role of Gnatbrain in

F. C. Burnand Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (29 November 1836 – 21 April 1917), usually known as F. C. Burnand, was an English comic writer and prolific playwright, best known today as the librettist of Arthur Sullivan's opera ''Cox and Box''. The son of ...

's long-running musical burlesque of ''

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 heroic sailor, William, who has been away from England for three years fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, his wife, Susa ...

''.Adams, William Davenport
''A Dictionary of the Drama''
London: Chatto & Windus (1904) pp. 339, 453, 545 and 567 The same year she married John Frederick Fenner, a chorister at the Royalty. The union did not last long, and both parties later married bigamously; he died in 1877. She soon created another burlesque breeches role at the Royalty, Florestein, in

's ''

The Merry Zingara ''The Merry Zingara; Or, The Tipsy Gipsy & The Pipsy Wipsy'' was the third of W. S. Gilbert's five burlesques of opera. Described by the author as "A Whimsical Parody on ''The Bohemian Girl''", by Michael Balfe, it was produced at the Royalty Th ...

'' (1868).

Peak career

In 1869, at the Gaiety Theatre, she created the role of Alice in Gilbert's ''

Robert the Devil Robert the Devil () is a legend of medieval origin about a Norman knight who discovers he is the son of Satan. His mother, despairing of heaven's aid in order to obtain a son, had asked for help from the devil. Robert's satanic instincts propel h ...

'' (1869) and also played Butts (a maid) in the companion piece, a play, ''On the Cards''. There she also originated the roles of Paraquita ("Queen of Kokatouka") in ''Columbus'' (1869). Now aged 22, Fowler took over the management of the

Charing Cross Theatre The Charing Cross Theatre is a theatre under The Arches off Villiers Street below Charing Cross station. Founded in 1936, the venue occupied several premises in the West End of London before locating to its present site. The current site was o ...

for the 1869–1870 season. There she played

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 a new burlesque, ''Very Little Faust and More Mephistopheles'' (1869) and starred as the hero, Hassan, in a burlesque by Arthur O'Neil of '' Arabian Knights'' and several more plays and burlesques, some by

Wybert Reeve Wybert Reeve (c. 1831 – 21 November 1906) was an English actor and impresario, important in the history of the theatre in South Australia. History Reeve was born in London, the only child of well-to-do parents who died when he was around five ...

. The theatre historian

Kurt Gänzl Kurt-Friedrich Gänzl (born 15 February 1946) is a New Zealand writer, historian and former casting director and singer best known for his books about musical theatre. After a decade-long playwriting, acting and singing career, and a second ca ...

speculates that Reeve was Fowler's financial backer. She also originated the leading part of Hans in the last piece of the season, ''

The Gentleman in Black ''The Gentleman in Black'' is a two-act comic opera written in 1870 with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Frederic Clay. The "musical comedietta" opened at the Charing Cross Theatre on 26 May 1870. It played for 26 performances, until th ...

'', a

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

written in 1870, with a libretto by

and music by

Frederic Clay Frederic Emes Clay (3 August 1838 – 24 November 1889) was an English composer known principally for songs and his music written for the stage. Although from a musical family, for 16 years Clay made his living as a civil servant in HM Treasury ...

. Later in 1870 she played in ''Free Labour'' by

Charles Reade Charles Reade (8 June 1814 – 11 April 1884) was a British novelist and dramatist, best known for '' The Cloister and the Hearth''. Life Charles Reade was born at Ipsden, Oxfordshire, to John Reade and Anne Marie Scott-Waring, and had at leas ...

at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

Blanchard, Edward L., et al
''The life and reminiscences of E. L. Blanchard''
pp. 384, 417, 431, 435–36, 448–49, 460, 479 and 509, London: Hutchinson & Co. (1891) and at Christmas, she starred at the

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 m ...

as Prince Lardi Dardi in a

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

of '' The White Cat''. She began to build a reputation in drama playing, for example, Kate Bertram in ''The Rights of Woman''.Sherson, Erroll
''London's lost theatres of the nineteenth century''
London: John Lane (1925), pp. 106–08 In 1871, she toured with

Henry Neville Henry Neville or Nevile may refer to: *Henry Neville (died c.1415), MP for leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency), leicestershire *Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland (1525–1564), English peer *Henry Neville (Gentleman of the Privy Chamb ...

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

's ''Elfie'', playing Rosie Aircastle and Sam Willoughby in '' The Ticket-of-Leave Man''. In 1872 she was Alfonzo in a burlesque of ''

Zampa ''Zampa'','' ou La fiancée de marbre'' (''Zampa, or the Marble Bride'') is an opéra comique in three acts by French composer Ferdinand Hérold, with a libretto by Mélesville. The overture to the opera is one of Hérold's most famous works an ...

'' at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

. With Neville's company in 1873 at the Olympic, she played Florence in ''Mystery'', Kate in ''Sour Grapes'', Martha Gibbs in ''All That Glitters'' and Suzanne in ''The School for Intrigue'', an adaptation of ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premie ...

''. The next season at the Olympic, she was Lady Betty Noel in ''Lady Clancarty'' by

Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literature and language a ...

and Beatrice in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

''.

Rutland Barrington Rutland Barrington (15 January 1853 – 31 May 1922) was an English singer, actor, comedian and Edwardian musical comedy star. Best remembered for originating the lyric baritone roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1877 to 1896, his ...

, who appeared with Fowler in ''Lady Clancarty'', called her "one of the most delightful

soubrette A soubrette is a type of operatic soprano voice ''fach'', often cast as a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy". Theatre In theatre, a soubrette is a c ...

s that ever graced the stage"., pp. 16 and 18 In 1875 she played Deborah in ''The Spendthrift'' and May Edwards, the heroine, in ''The Ticket-of-Leave Man''. She also portrayed Louise in ''The Two Orphans'' at the Olympic. Around this time Fowler wed John Callin Pemberton, the son of the actress Amy Sedgwick. She had never divorced her husband, however, and the marriage ended in 1879 on the grounds of illegality. At the Queen's Theatre in 1876, she was Princess Katherine in ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

''. This was followed by a season at the

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A succ ...

. In 1878, she played the title role in

W. G. Wills William Gorman Wills (28 January 182813 December 1891), usually known as W. G. Wills, was an Irish dramatist, novelist and painter. Early life and career Wills was born at Blackwell lodge in the neighbourhood of Kilmurry, County Kilkenny, Ire ...

's ''Nell Gwynne'' under her own management at the Royalty, and the Viscountess Lidesdale in ''Scandal'' at the same theatre, followed by Perdita in ''

A Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

. At the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

in 1879 she played in ''Ellen; or Love's Cunning''. That year she also appeared in ''The Gay Deceivers'' at the Royalty. She also toured during this period and played in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' with Neville.

Last years

Fowler married a third time, in 1880, to a Captain (later Major) Walter Latham Cox, who appears to have been quartered in Oxfordshire for a time. In 1881 she joined

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

's company to play Emily de L'Esparre in a revival of ''

The Corsican Brothers ''The Corsican Brothers'' (french: Les Frères corses) is a novella by Alexandre Dumas, père, first published in 1844. It is the story of two conjoined brothers who, though separated at birth, can still feel each other's physical distress. It h ...

'' at the Lyceum Theatre. Then, for more than a decade Fowler disappeared from the London stage. She seems to have been in China, from where she returned to Britain in 1894 to play Lady Winifred Skipton in ''An Aristocratic Alliance'', an adaptation of ''Le Gendre de M. Poirier'', at the

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began development ...

for Charles Wyndham. She is not known to have returned to the stage. She died in

Shoreditch Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area. In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an impor ...

in the June quarter, 1897, around her 50th birthday.

Notes

References

Clippings about Fowler
at Footlightnotes.com
Photograph of Fowler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, Emily English musical theatre actresses 19th-century British women singers People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan 1847 births 1896 deaths 19th-century English actresses