Henry Hamilton (c. 1854 – 4 September 1918) was an English playwright, lyricist and actor. He is best remembered for his

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 ...

libretti, including ''

The Duchess of Dantzic ''The Duchess of Dantzic'' is a comic opera in three acts, set in Paris, with music by Ivan Caryll and a book and lyrics by Henry Hamilton, based on the play '' Madame Sans-Gêne'' by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau. Additional lyrics by Adr ...

'' (1903), '' The School Girl'' (1903), '' Véronique'' (1905) and '' The Little Michus'' (1907), often adapting foreign works for the British stage. He began as an actor in 1873 but turned to writing plays in 1881 and was especially successful in the first decade of the 20th century. He was also the author of the popular song "Private

Tommy Atkins Tommy Atkins (often just Tommy) is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. It was certainly well established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with the First World War. It can be used as a term of reference ...

" (1893). Away from his professional life, Hamilton studied

theosophy Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

Early life and acting

Hamilton was born in late 1854 or early 1855 at

Nunhead Nunhead is a suburb in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England.Southwark Council Nunhead and Peckham Rye Community Council It is an inner-city suburb located southeast of Charing Cross. It is the location of the Nunhead Cemetery.BB ...

, Surrey, to James Hamilton and his second wife Janette (''née'' Ferguson) and baptised 14 March 1855 at St Mary Magdalen,

Peckham Peckham () is a district in southeast London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon place name meaning the vil ...

, Surrey. His father is described as a gentleman, a merchant and, in his death announcement, formerly of the Hon. East Indian Civil Service. Within a year of Henry's baptism, James had died, aged 46. Hamilton's mother married Daniel Ilett in October 1865, and Hamilton was sent to

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553. ...

for his education.Pascoe, Charles Eyr
''The Dramatic List: A Record of the Performances of Living Actors and Actresses of the British Stage''
D. Bogue (1880), p. 164 As an actor, he debuted in 1873 at the

Theatre Royal, Edinburgh The history of the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh involves two sites. The first building, on Princes Street, opened 1769 and was rebuilt in 1830 by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd. The second site was on Broughton Street. History The first Theatre Royal wa ...

under J. B. Howard's management. Later that year he joined the touring comedy company of

Wilson Barrett Wilson Barrett (born William Henry Barrett; 18 February 1846 – 22 July 1904) was an English manager, actor, and playwright. With his company, Barrett is credited with attracting the largest crowds of English theatregoers ever because of his suc ...

, and he was engaged by Craven Robertson's ''

Caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultur ...

'' touring company in 1874. In 1876, Hamilton formed the Pitt-Hamilton comedy drama company with Henry Mader Pitt, which toured the North of England for two years. His first appearance in London was at the Lyceum Theatre in 1878 playing Snodgrass in the Pickwickian farcical comedy ''Jingle'', with

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 ...

, and he appeared later that year 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 ...

for a season. By 1880, Hamilton had joined

Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to: *Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor *Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia *Barry Sullivan (lawyer) Barry Sullivan is ...

's Shakespearan company, with which he played

Horatio Horatio is an English male given name, an Italianized form of the ancient Roman Latin '' nomen'' (name) '' Horatius'', from the Roman ''gens'' (clan) '' Horatia''. The modern Italian form is '' Orazio'', the modern Spanish form '' Horacio''. It ap ...

in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' and Gratiano in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' at

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

's Theatre Royal. Later that year, he played minor roles in a comedy, ''False Shame'', at the Royalty Theatre, and after Christmas he appeared in a short season "of favourite pieces" starring Helen Barry at the Warrior Square Concert Rooms in

St Leonards-on-Sea St Leonards-on-Sea (commonly known as St Leonards) is a town and seaside resort in the Borough of Hastings in East Sussex, England. It has been part of the borough since the late 19th century and lies to the west of central Hastings. The origi ...

. In 1881 Hamilton joined the touring company of Miss Wallis, playing Shakespeare and other works, before taking a variety of roles in a summer season at

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

's Theatre Royal. Later that year he played Alfred de Maynard in a revival of '' The Corsican Brothers'' at the Queens Theatre,

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 ...

. The play initiated a professional relationship between Hamilton and

Marie Litton Marie Litton (1847 – 1 April 1884) was the stage name of Mary Jessie Lowe,Goldsmith's Goldsmith's was a department store founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1870 by German immigrant brothers Jacob and Isaac Goldsmith. It grew into a chain largely located in the Memphis metropolitan area, until 2005, when the nameplate was eliminated ...

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays from the 18th ...

'' and Merivale's ''The Cynic'', both produced under her management at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

in London. They acted together again in Hamilton's ''Moths'' and took the play on tour until December 1882.

Playwright and lyricist

"Not being a great actor","To-day's Gossip"
''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its Masthead (British publishing), masthead was simpl ...

'', 5 September 1918, p. 6, accessed 20 March 2018, via British Newspaper Archive Hamilton began to diversify. In November 1881 he sold his first play, ''A Shadow Sceptre'', to the producer Charles Bernard for his leading lady Annie Alleyn. His second play, ''Moths'', was an adaptation of the 1880 novel of the same name by Ouida centred on the idle and pleasure-seeking European aristocracy.Bradley, Hayley Jane
Chapter 4
in ''Ouida and Victorian Popular Culture'', Andrew King and Jane Jordan (eds.) Routledge (2016) The two plays were staged within three weeks of each other – ''Moths'' at the Globe Theatre on 25 March 1882"Globe Theatre"
''Morning Post'', 27 March 1882, p. 2, accessed 7 June 2018 via British Newspaper Archive and ''A Shadow Sceptre'' at the

Prince's Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

, Manchester, on 13 April.''A Shadow Sceptre''
''The Era'', 22 April 1882, p. 6, accessed 27 February 2018, via British Newspaper Archive The production of ''Moths'' was prefaced by a virulent argument between Ouida and Hamilton conducted publicly in '' The Era'' concerning copyright theft and the right to adapt works. The dispute inadvertently benefited both novel and play. One reviewer of ''Moths'' declared that "a more inartistic finale has seldom been put on the stage", while another thought the treatment "appropriate and undeniably dramatic"."Literary and Art Notes"
''Nottingham Evening Post'', 29 March 1882, p. 4, accessed 7 June 2018, via British Newspaper Archive A third critic concluded that Hamilton, having followed the plot of the novel closely, "produced a passable play, which promises to become a popular but ... certainly not an artistic, success" and lost the spirit of Ouida's work. Moths transferred to 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 ...

where it continued to attract large audiences. ''A Shadow Sceptre'' was a four-act historical play, set in the world of

Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey ( 1537 – 12 February 1554), later known as Lady Jane Dudley (after her marriage) and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman who claimed the throne of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. Jane was ...

in the Court of Queen Mary. ''The Era'' thought it well written and staged, with only minor faults. The paper stated that, although Hamilton's inexperience meant that this work could "scarcely be spoken of in terms of unqualified praise", it admired the "courage which has led him to take so high a flight". It looked forward "with both interest and pleasure" to further work from Hamilton. His next play, ''Our Regiment'', was a farce adaptation of the 1881 German play, ''Krieg im Frieden'' by Gustav von Moser and Franz von Schönthau, which had previously been adapted in English as ''The Passing Regiment'' in New York. Hamilton's adaptation was first staged at a Vaudeville Theatre matinée on 13 February 1883; it also had two London revivals and a successful provincial run the next year. Hamilton then wrote the libretto for William Fullerton's successful comic opera ''Lady of the Locket'', staged at The Empire Theatre on 11 March 1885,"Empire Theatre"
''Morning Post'', 12 March 1885, p. 3, accessed 3 March 2018, via British Newspaper Archive before penning "an independent and ambitious dramatic work of his own", ''Harvest'', that premiered at the Princess's Theatre on 18 September 1886. The plot centres around Scottish marriage law."Harvest at the Princess's Theatre"
'' Sporting Life'', 20 September 1886, p. 4, accessed 11 April 2018, via British Newspaper Archive Hamilton then staged the play in New York at

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the stock company managed by actors James W. Wallack and his son, Lester Wallack. During its 35-ye ...

beginning on 12 October 1886, playing the character Bevil Brooke; it closed on 3 November 1886. His 1897

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

, ''

The White Heather ''The White Heather'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Holmes Herbert, Ben Alexander and Ralph Graves. It was based on an 1897 play of the same title by Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton. Th ...

'', written with

Cecil Raleigh Cecil Raleigh was the pseudonym of Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands (27 January 1856 – 10 November 1914, London, England), an English actor and playwright. Personal life Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands was born on 27 Janu ...

, at the

, achieved success in both London and New York."The Theatrical World – ''The White Heather'' at Drury Lane"
''St James's Gazette'', 17 September 1897, p. 12, accessed 15 April 2018, via British Newspaper Archive It was adapted as an American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

in 1919. Thereafter he collaborated with Raleigh several times. His most popular theatre libretti included ''

'' (1903) and '' The School Girl'' (1903), and English adaptations of the French operettas '' Véronique'' (1905) and '' The Little Michus'' (1907). According to the obituary writer of the ''

'', Hamilton "was a workmanlike constructor of melodrama, as the records of many Drury Lane successes testify. He was also a deft adaptor of French libretti into English and a lyric-writer of no small capability." He was also the author of the popular song ''Private

'', music by Samuel Potter, introduced when interpolated into the musical '' A Gaiety Girl'' in 1893. Another jingoistic song penned by Hamilton was ''Sons of the Motherland'', with music by Lionel Monckton, introduced in 1901 into ''

San Toy ''San Toy, or The Emperor's Own'' is a "Chinese" musical comedy in two acts, first performed at Daly's Theatre, London, on 21 October 1899, and ran for 768 performances (edging out the same composer's ''The Geisha'' as the second longest run fo ...

'' a year into its run.

Personal life

Away from his professional life, Hamilton studied

and was the first chairman, and latterly the president, of the

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

Lodge of the

Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...

and a man of deep spiritual convictions. He never married and lived for many years at The Haven,

Sandgate, Kent Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone and Hythe Urban Area in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. It had a population of 4,225 at the 2001 census.Sir Squire Bancroft Sir Squire Bancroft (14 May 1841 – 19 April 1926), born Squire White Butterfield, was an English actor-manager. He changed his name to Squire Bancroft Bancroft by deed poll just before his marriage. He and his wife Effie Bancroft are consid ...

was a chief mourner.

Works

The_White_Heather_The_Graphic_25_Sept_1897_Crop

*''Moths'', adaptation of Ouida's 1880 novel, mounted at the

in London on 25 March 1882. *''A Shadow Sceptre'', a blank verse historical play in four acts, first performed at the

Prince's Theatre, Manchester The Prince's Theatre in Oxford Street, Manchester, England, was built at a cost of £20,000 in 1864. Under the artistic and managerial leadership of Charles Calvert, "Manchester's most celebrated actor-manager", it soon became a great popular suc ...

on 13 April 1882. *''Our Regiment'', a farcical comedy adapted from a German piece, which was first performed at the Vaudeville Theatre in London on 13 February 1883. *''The Lady of the Locket'', comic opera composed by William Fullerton, first staged at the Empire Theatre on 11 March 1885. *''Harvest'', play, premiered at the Princess's Theatre on 18 September 1886. *''Handfast'', play, written with Mark Quinton, first performed at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 13 December 1887. Revised, it reopened at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was ...

on 16 May 1891. *''The Royal Oak'', a play, written with Sir

Augustus Harris Sir Augustus Henry Glossop Harris (18 March 1852 – 22 June 1896) was a British actor, impresario, and dramatist, a dominant figure in the West End theatre, West End theatre of the 1880s and 1890s. Born into a theatrical family, Harris briefl ...

and first performed at the

on 23 September 1889. Adapted as a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

of the same name in 1923. *'' La Tosca'', an English adaptation of Sardou's 1887 five-act melodrama in French. It was first produced at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ' ...

on 28 November 1889. *'' Dick Whittington and His Cat'', a Drury Lane Theatre

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-speakin ...

version of this tale, co-written with Augustus Harris and

, which opened on Boxing Night 1894. *''The Derby Winner'', a sporting melodrama written with Harris and Raleigh, first performed at The Grand Theatre,

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ...

on 25 February 1895. Retitled, it was mounted as '' The Sporting Duchess'' at the New York Academy of Music on 29 August 1895. It was adapted as silent films in

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". * January ...

and

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

. *''Carmen'', from the eponymous novel by

Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...

, a play opening on 24 December 1895 at the Empire Theatre, New York, and 6 June 1896 at the

Gaiety Theatre, London The Gaiety Theatre was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was first established as the Strand Musick Hall in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. In 1868, it became known ...

based on (and including segments from) the

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', whi ...

. *''

'',

written with Raleigh, opening on 16 September 1897 at the Drury Lane. Adapted as an American

in 1919. *''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'', English play, adapting the

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

, opening at the Theatre Metropole,

Camberwell Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a common of which Goose Green is a remnant. This e ...

on 12 September 1898. Renamed ''The King's Musketeer'', it was mounted at the Knickerbocker Theatre in New York on 22 February 1899. *''The Great Ruby'', a melodramatic play written with Raleigh, was first performed 15 September 1898 at Drury Lane. Adapted as a film of the same name in 1915. *''

'', light opera libretto, with music by

Ivan Caryll Félix Marie Henri Tilkin (12 May 1861 – 29 November 1921), better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian-born composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language, who made his career in London and later N ...

, was based on the play '' Madame Sans-Gêne'', by

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 18318 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-centur ...

, and opened at the Lyric Theatre, 17 October 1903. *'' The School Girl'',

Edwardian musical comedy 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 ...

, with book co-written with

Paul M. Potter Paul Meredith Potter (June 3, 1853 - March 7, 1921) was an American playwright and journalist, best known for adapting the popular novel ''Trilby'' into a stage play.(8 March 1921)Paul M. Potter, Playwright, Dead: Dramatist of "Trilby" Stricken i ...

and music by

Leslie Stuart Leslie Stuart (15 March 1863 – 27 March 1928) born Thomas Augustine Barrett was an English composer of Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII ...

. It opened on 9 May 1903 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. *'' Veronique'', comic opera with music by

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéra comique, opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage wo ...

. English adaptation of French libretto by Vanloo and Duval. It opened at the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

in London on 18 May 1904. *'' The Little Michus'', musical comedy with score by Messager. An English adaptation of Albert Vanloo and Georges Duval's libretto which opened at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresar ...

on 29 April 1905. *''The Sins of Society'', a melodrama written with Raleigh, first staged at Drury Lane from 12 September 1907. It opened on 31 August 1909 at the New York Theatre and was also made into an American silent film of the same name in 1915. *''The Whip'', a drama in four acts, written with Raleigh, first performed at Drury Lane on 9 September 1909. It was also made into American silent films in 1917 and

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

. *''A Russian Tragedy'', a one act melodrama taken from the German of Adoph Glass's play, produced at His Majesty's Theatre from 25 November 1909. It was first produced in America at New York's Colonial Theatre on 14 February 1910 under the title of ''Expiation''. *''The Hope'', play written with Raleigh and first performed at the Drury Lane on 14 September 1911. Adapted as a film of the same name in 1920. *''

The Crown of India ''The Crown of India'', was a masque, an elaborate theatrical presentation, staged in 1912 to celebrate the visit the preceding December of King George V and Queen Mary to Delhi for their coronation as Emperor and Empress of India. For this ma ...

'', an elaborate masque first presented at the

Coliseum Theatre The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre o ...

on 11 March 1912, for which Hamilton wrote the libretto, including lyrics for songs set to music by

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

. *''Autumn Manoeuvres'', musical play adapted from ''

Tatárjárás :''See also The Gay Hussar restaurant, and Tatárjárás (disambiguation)'' ''The Gay Hussars'' is an operetta in three acts by Emmerich Kálmán. The piece was Kalman's first operetta and a hit throughout Europe and America. The first version, ...

'' by

Emmerich Kalman Emmerich may refer to: Places * Emmerich am Rhein, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany ** Emmerich Rhine Bridge ** Emmerich station * Emmerich, Wisconsin, unincorporated community in the town of Berlin, Wisconsin, United States Other uses * ...

with a Hungarian libretto by Karl von Bakony and R. Bodanskistaged, staged 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 ...

on 25 May 1912, with lyrics by

Percy Greenbank Percy Greenbank (24 January 1878 – 9 December 1968) was an English lyricist and librettist, best known for his contribution of lyrics to a number of successful Edwardian musical comedies in the early years of the 20th century. His older brothe ...

. A version of ''Tatárjárás'' had been produced as ''

The Gay Hussars :''See also The Gay Hussar restaurant, and Tatárjárás (disambiguation)'' ''The Gay Hussars'' is an operetta in three acts by Emmerich Kálmán. The piece was Kalman's first operetta and a hit throughout Europe and America. The first version, i ...

'' at the Knickerbocker Theatre in 1909. *''Sealed Orders'', a three-act melodrama written with Raleigh and staged at Drury Lane on 11 September 1913. Produced as ''Stolen Orders'' on 24 September 1915. made into an American silent film, ''Stolen Orders'' in 1918. *''The Best of Luck'', play, written with Raleigh and Arthur Collins, which opened on 27 September 1916 at Drury Lane. Adapted as a silent film in America in 1920.''"Capitol B'way 51 St"''
''New-York Tribune'', 3 July 1920, p. 7, accessed 20 April 2018, via Library of Congress

Sources

* Coffin, C. Hayden. ''Hayden Coffin's Book: Packed with Acts and Facts'', London: Alston Rivers (1930)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Henry 1850s births 1918 deaths English male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights People from Nunhead 19th-century English male writers 20th-century English male writers