Frederick Thomas Thorne (1862 – 26 November 1922), stage name Eric Thorne, was an English singer and actor in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

and

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 ...

. His professional career began in 1884 with the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Th ...

where he worked for almost two years, and then he played roles for more than a decade at London theatres in plays, operettas and

Edwardian musical comedies Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...

such as '' In Town'' and ''

Gentleman Joe ''Gentleman Joe, The Hansom Cabbie'' is a farcical musical comedy with music by Walter Slaughter and a libretto by Basil Hood. The original production of the musical opened at the Prince of Wales's Theatre on 2 March 1895 and ran for a very su ...

''. From 1897, he became better known on tour, especially as Hilarius in ''

La Poupée ''La poupée'' (''The Doll'') is an opéra comique in a prelude and three acts composed by Edmond Audran with a libretto by Maurice Ordonneau. The libretto was based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's ''Der Sandmann'', about a friar who falsely promises to ...

'', Baron Popoff in ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...

'' and Mr. Bulgar in ''

The Dollar Princess ''The Dollar Princess'' is a musical in three acts by A. M. Willner and Fritz Grünbaum (after a comedy by Gatti-Trotha), adapted into English by Basil Hood (from the 1907 ''Die Dollarprinzessin''), with music by Leo Fall and lyrics by Adrian Ro ...

''. He was still performing in the early 1920s.

Career

In February 1884, Thorne joined the chorus of a

touring company. In the summer of that year, while the company performed at Portsea, he married another member of the company, Ada Dorée.Stone, David
Eric Thorne
Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at gsarchive.net, accessed 9 April 2020"Thorne Eric & Earee Ada Catherine E" in Marriages for Portsea, vol. 2b (1884), p. 840 In March 1885, Thorne briefly performed the role of King Hildebrand in

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

's ''

Princess Ida ''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, for a ru ...

'', and in May he was given the part of Florian in that production, and in ''

The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas story, ''An Elixir of Lo ...

'' he added the role of Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre. In June 1885, ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which ...

'' was added to the company's repertoire, and Thorne was cast as Dick Deadeye. He left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in December 1885. In early 1888, Thorne played the part of the Lord Chamberlain in a touring production of ''The Punch Bowl'', a musical comedy about a prince who believes he is invisible. In September of the same year, he appeared in ''Carina'' at the

Opera Comique The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, between Wych Street, Holywell Street and the Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and Kingsway. ...

in London. On 29 April 1889, Thorne opened at the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

in the comic opera ''Faddimir'', playing the lead part of Faddimir the First, with his wife also in the company. In July 1890, he played Wilson in

Brander Matthews James Brander Matthews (February 21, 1852 – March 31, 1929) was an American academic, writer and literary critic. He was the first full-time professor of dramatic literature at Columbia University in New York and played a significant role in est ...

's melodrama ''A Gold Mine'' at the Gaiety Theatre, which closed in August. In 1892, he shared the role of the Duke of Duffshire in the musical '' In Town'' at the

Prince of Wales's Theatre The Scala Theatre was a theatre in Charlotte Street, London, off Tottenham Court Road. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire. From 1865 to 1882, the theatre was kn ...

. Between March 1895 and March 1896, Thorne had a long run in ''

'' at the Prince of Wales's, originating the role of Dawson, then from April to June 1896 performed the part of General Tomassino in

Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) an ...

's ''Biarritz'', at the same theatre. On 11 September 1897, Thorne played Hilarius, the dollmaker, in a single matinee performance of ''

'' at the Prince of Wales, which was to launch a provincial tour, an unusual event arranged at the suggestion of

Henry Lowenfeld Henry Lowenfeld in Polish, ''Henryk Loewenfeld'', (1 September 1859 - 4 November 1931) was a Polish-born British entrepreneur and theatrical impresario. He founded the Kops Brewery, the UK's first UK brewer of non-alcoholic beer, and built Lo ...

. He continued in the part for several years; in 1899, the ''Musical News'' reported that "Miss Stella Gastelle and Mr Eric Thorne, as Alesia and Hilarius, are still delightful in the two principal parts". In 1905, ''

The Oxford Magazine ''The Oxford Magazine'' is a review magazine and newspaper published in Oxford, England.''The Oxford Magazi ...

'' gave both Thorne and Gastelle warm reviews for the show; and an obituary stated that Thorne played for eight years in the part."Death of Mr. E. Thorne" in ''

Western Morning News The ''Western Morning News'' is a daily regional newspaper founded in 1860, and covering the West Country including Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Somerset and Dorset in the South West of England. Organisation The ''Western Mo ...

'', 29 November 1922, p. 5 However, Thorne also sang other roles during those years. Over the ensuing decades, Thorne continued to make a name for himself in musical theatre on tour in Britain, and he also worked overseas, in France, Holland, Germany, Belgium, and the United States. He played leading parts in ''

The Casino Girl ''The Casino Girl'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts. The story concerns a former chorus girl at the Casino Theatre in New York, who flees to Cairo under an assumed name to escape amorous advances of an admirer. It opened at the Cas ...

'', '' The Lady Dandies'', ''

The Little Michus ''Les p'tites Michu'' (The Little Michus) is an opérette in three acts, with music by André Messager and words by Albert Vanloo and Georges Duval (journalist), Georges Duval. The piece is set in Paris in the years following the French Revolutio ...

'', and ''

A Waltz Dream ' (''A Waltz Dream'') is an operetta by Oscar Straus with a German libretto by and , based on the novella ' (''Nux, the Prince Consort'') by Hans Müller-Einigen from his 1905 book ' (''Book of Adventures''). The young Jacobson presented Strau ...

''. In 1908, Thorne was Baron Popoff in a touring production of ''

'', and his performance, "clothed by his characteristic gesture and mannerism", was praised in the ''

Yorkshire Evening Post The ''Yorkshire Evening Post'' is a daily evening publication (delivered to newsagents every morning) published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The paper provides a regional slant on the day's news, and traditio ...

''. A later theatre history comments that "Thorne made a big hit on tour in George Graves' part of Baron Popoff in ''The Merry Widow''."Forbes-Winslow, D., ''Daly's: the Biography of a Theatre'' (London: W. H. Allen, 1944), p. 91 Between 1909 and 1910, he toured in a

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

production of ''

'' as Mr Bulgar, with the ''

Leeds Mercury The ''Leeds Mercury'' was a newspaper published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was published from 1718 to 1755 and again from 1767. Initially it consisted of 12 pages and cost three halfpennies. In 1794 it had a circulation of about 3,00 ...

'' reporting that he "gagged with conspicuous daring and success". In 1912, Thorne played the part of Grand Duke Rutzinov in a production of

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

's ''

The Count of Luxembourg ''The Count of Luxembourg'' is an operetta in two acts with English lyrics and libretto by Basil Hood and Adrian Ross, music by Franz Lehár, based on Lehár's three-act German operetta ''Der Graf von Luxemburg'' which had premiered in Vienna in 1 ...

'', as one of the five principals, together with

Daisy Burrell Daisy Burrell (born Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton; 16 June 1892 – 10 June 1982) was a British stage actress and Edwardian musical comedy performer who also appeared as a leading lady in silent films and in pantomime. In 1951 she appeared i ...

Lauri de Frece Lauri de Frece (3 March 1880 – 25 August 1921) was an English actor and singer who appeared in musical theatre and in films of the silent era. His original name was Maurice de Frece. He was the younger brother of Walter de Frece and the husban ...

Robert Michaelis Robert Armand René Michaelis (22 December 1878 – 29 August 1965) was a French-born actor and singer who worked in musical theatre, mainly in England, but he also made appearances on Broadway. By 1901, Michaelis and his parents had settled in ...

and Phyllis le Grand, who were collectively described by the ''Musical News'' as "all consummate artists in their own style". Between February and September 1913, Thorne starred on tour in

Robert Courtneidge Robert Courtneidge (29 June 1859 – 6 April 1939) was a British theatrical manager-producer and playwright. He is best remembered as the co-author of the light opera ''Tom Jones (Edward German), Tom Jones'' (1907) and the producer of ''The Arc ...

's ''

Princess Caprice ''Princess Caprice'' is a musical theatre work described as a "comedy with music", in three acts, with music by Leo Fall. The book was adapted by Alexander M. Thompson from Fall's operetta ''Der liebe Augustin'' by Rudolf Bernauer and Ernst Welisc ...

'', and from January to March 1914 he was in

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeev ...

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

'' Nuts and Wine'' at the Empire Theatre, Leicester Square. In March 1915, Thorne played the principal role of Richard Thistle in the musical comedy ''Rosebuds'', at the Palace Theatre,

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. From 1920 to 1921, he performed in ''The Little Dutch Girl'' at the Prince's Theatre,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. D. Forbes-Winslow's ''Daly's: the Biography of a Theatre'' (1944), states that "Thorne was a great favourite in the provinces" and adds that he was "certainly a great comedian". An obituary in the ''

'' on 29 November 1922 said of him:

Private life

Thorne married Ada Earée, whose stage name was Ada Dorée, in Portsea in August 1884. Her father, William Earée, was a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

clergyman, and the

Banns of marriage The banns of marriage, commonly known simply as the "banns" or "bans" (from a Middle English word meaning "proclamation", rooted in Frankish and thence in Old French), are the public announcement in a Christian parish church, or in the town cou ...

were published three times in July in the names of Frederick Thomas Thorne "of this parish", and Ada Catherine Elizabeth Earée, of

Alphamstone Alphamstone is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located south of Sudbury in Suffolk and is northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Braintree and in the parliamentary constituency of S ...

. Her father was the Rector there. Ada was born in

Cockermouth Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cocke ...

, Cumberland, in 1850, and trained at the

Guildhall School of Music The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

, going on to sing roles in

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

Victorian burlesque Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as travesty or extravaganza, is a genre of theatrical entertainment that was popular in Victorian era, Victorian England and in the New York theatre of the mid-19th century. It is a form of parody music, parod ...

, and

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 ...

between the 1870s and the 1890s.Potted History No 2: Earlsferry House – Part 2 – The Glovers
eliehistory.com; Stone, David

Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, at gsarchive.net, 6 May 2007, accessed 11 April 2020 The couple's daughter Gladys Edith Hilda Earée Thorne was born at Alphamstone on 17 June 1885."Doree-Thorne Gladys Edith H 17JE1885" in Deaths for Worthing, vol. 18 (1979), p. 2,496 Her parents' names were stated for the christening as Frederic Thorne and Ada Catherine Elizabeth Thorne. On 2 April 1911, as Ada Dorée-Thorne, his wife made a Census return for 4, Wharfedale Street,

Earl's Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...

, stating herself as head of the household. With her was her unmarried daughter Gladys Dorée-Thorne and a visitor. On 28 April 1916, Ada died at St Saviour's Hospital,

St Pancras, London St Pancras () is a district in north London. It was originally a medieval ancient parish and subsequently became a metropolitan borough. The metropolitan borough then merged with neighbouring boroughs and the area it covered now forms around ...

, aged 66. Within a few weeks, Thorne married again, in

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...

, to Katie Seager Murdoch, also known as Sybil. She died in 1936 with an address in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

. Thorne died on 26 November 1922 at a nursing home in Marylebone. His home address was stated as Castletown Road, West Kensington. He left an estate valued for probate at £10,968, . Thorne's daughter Gladys remained unmarried and died at the age of 94 in

Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...

on 22 December 1979. Probate was granted in the amount of £4,860, in the name of Gladys Edith Hilda Earee Doree-Thorne."Doree-Thorne, Gladys Edith Hilda Earee", Probate Index for England and Wales, 1980, probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 11 April 2020

Notes

External links

Eric Thorne
at National Portrait Gallery
Eric Thorne
at theatricalia.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Thorne, Eric 1862 births 1922 deaths 19th-century British male singers 20th-century British male singers English male musical theatre actors