Horace Mills (1 September 1864 – 14 August 1941) was a British singer, actor and dramatist who specialised in playing

pantomime dame A pantomime dame is a traditional role in British pantomime. It is part of the theatrical tradition of ''travesti'' portrayal of female characters by male actors in drag. Dame characters are often played either in an extremely camp style, or else ...

s in the early 20th-century. Born in Portsea in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

in 1864, he was the oldest of six children born to Elizabeth Ann ''née'' Jolly and Herbert James Mills, a Colonel in the Ordnance Supply Board.Horace Mills in the London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns Register 1754–1932

Theatre career

He co-wrote the book for the musical play '' Miss Esmeralda'' (1887) to music by

Meyer Lutz Wilhelm Meyer Lutz (19 May 1829 – 31 January 1903) was a German-born British composer and conductor who is best known for light music, musical theatre and burlesques of well-known works. Emigrating to the UK at the age of 19, Lutz started as ...

and first performed at the Gaiety Theatre in London. His stage appearances include Bertie Fitz Bunnyon in ''As Large as Life'' (1890) at

Terry's Theatre Terry's Theatre was a West End theatre in the Strand, in the City of Westminster, London. Built in 1887, it became a cinema in 1910 before being demolished in 1923. History The theatre was built in 1887, near Fountain's Court, on the site of a ...

, Remendado in ''

Carmen up to Data ''Carmen up to Data'' is a musical burlesque with a score written by Meyer Lutz. The piece was a spoof of Bizet's 1875 opera ''Carmen''. The libretto was written by G. R. Sims and Henry Pettitt. After a tryout in Liverpool in September 1890, the ...

'' (1890) at the Gaiety Theatre Tom Edge in ''Zephyr'' (1891) at the Avenue Theatre, touring in ''

The Circus Girl ''The Circus Girl'' is a musical theatre, musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Walter Apllant (Palings), with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and Adrian Ross, music by Ivan Caryll, and additional music by Lionel Monckton. ...

'' (1897),

Widow Twankey Widow Twankey (originally Twankay, sometimes Twanky) is a female character in the pantomime '' Aladdin''. She is a pantomime dame, played by an older man. History The story of Aladdin is drawn from the '' Arabian Nights'', a collection of Midd ...

in ''Aladdin'' at the Prince’s Theatre 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 ...

(1900) with

Ada Reeve Ada Reeve (born Adelaide Mary Reeves, 3 March 1874 – 5 October 1966) was an English actress of both stage and film. Reeve began to perform in pantomime and music hall as a child. She gained fame in Edwardian musical comedies in the 1890s. R ...

and G. P. Huntley, in the Comedy Oddity ‘Mashing the Misses’ (1904) at the Argyle Music Hall in

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...

, Adolphus Dudd in ''

The Girl Behind the Counter ''The Girl Behind the Counter'' is an Edwardian musical comedy with a book by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson and Leedham Bantock, music by Howard Talbot and lyrics by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson (and additional lyr ...

'' (1906), Valet in ''The Hon'ble Phil'' with

Denise Orme Jessie Smither, Duchess of Leinster (25 August 1885 – 20 October 1960),Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd (2003), p. 2300 known by her stage name Denise Orme, was ...

and G. P. Huntley at the Hicks Theatre (1908), and Swaak in ''

A Persian Princess ''A Persian Princess'' is an oriental-themed Edwardian musical comedy in two acts, with a book by Leedham Bantock and P. J. Barrow, lyrics by Percy Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, with additional numbers by Marie Horne. It premiered on 27 A ...

'' (1909).

Pantomime

For some years he appeared as the

Dame ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...

in the annual

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

, playing the Dame in ''Humpty Dumpty'' (1906) and ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (1911),Prince's Theatre, Bristol: the Home of Pantomime
/ref> the widow Mrs Tutt in the pantomime ''Goody Two Shoes'' (1915),

Old Mother Hubbard "Old Mother Hubbard" is an English-language nursery rhyme, first given an extended printing in 1805, although the exact origin of the rhyme is disputed. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19334. After a notable nursery success, it was eventu ...

in ''Mother Hubbard'' at Bristol (1922), and Mrs Tippett in ''Goldilocks and the Three Bears'' (1924).

Personal life

He married Jessie Julia Raynes at the church of St John the Baptist in

Plumstead Plumstead is an area in southeast London, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, England. It is located east of Woolwich. History Until 1965, Plumstead was in the historic counties of England, historic county of Kent and the detail of mu ...

in London on 18 February 1892. They retired to

Bexhill-on-Sea Bexhill-on-Sea (often shortened to Bexhill) is a seaside town and civil parish situated in the county of East Sussex in South East England. An ancient town and part of the local government district of Rother, Bexhill is home to a number of arc ...

where they were living in 1939. Mills died at the

Derbyshire Royal Infirmary The Derbyshire Royal Infirmary was a hospital in Derby that was managed by the Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Following the transfer of community services to the London Road Community Hospital located further south-east along Lo ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

in 1941 aged 76. In his will he left £6,324 9s 2d.Horace Mills in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Horace 1864 births 1941 deaths People from Portsea, Portsmouth 19th-century British male singers 20th-century British male singers English male stage actors 19th-century English male actors 20th-century English male actors English male dramatists and playwrights