L. Radley Flynn
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L. Radley "Rad" Flynn (June 14, 1902 – March 9, 1978) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...
roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company from 1928 to 1951. He married D'Oyly Carte contralto
Ella Halman Ella Louise Halman (July 18, 1906 – March 20, 1995) was an English opera singer and actress, best known for her performances in the contralto roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. She married another D'Oyly Carte p ...
in 1940. In 1951, the Flynns toured in America and continued to play 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 ...
operas with Martyn Green. They retired to England where they retired to Penrith and were involved with amateur operatic societies. Flynn recorded five of his D'Oyly Carte roles.


Life and career

Radley Flynn was born in Rochdale, Lancashire. He joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1928 and was initially assigned the small role of Giorgio in '' The Gondoliers''."Radley Flynn and Ella Halman"
''Memories of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', accessed 11 February 2014
The following year, he added the roles of Go-To in '' The Mikado'', the Carpenter's Mate in '' H.M.S. Pinafore'', and Scynthius in '' Princess Ida''. In 1931, Flynn added the role of Old Adam Goodheart in '' Ruddigore'' and had the opportunity to substitute for
Sydney Granville Sydney Granville (born Walter Dewhurst; 1880 – 27 December 1959) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. After early theatrical work in musical comedy, straight ...
as Private Willis in ''
Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...
''.Stone, David
"Radley Flynn"
''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte'', 24 August 2007, accessed 11 February 2014
Flynn left the company in 1933 to perform 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 ...
, returning in 1934 to play the same roles. During the next five years, he continued playing these small roles and sometimes substituted as Private Willis, Pirate King in '' The Pirates of Penzance'', the title role in '' The Mikado'', and Sir Roderic in ''Ruddigore''. In 1941, he took over Willis from Granville and the Usher in '' Trial by Jury'' from Richard Walker. In 1946, Flynn gave up Private Willis and temporarily traded the Usher for the Foreman of the Jury. When Walker left the company in 1948, Flynn reacquired the Usher and played the Lieutenant of the Tower in '' The Yeomen of the Guard'' occasionally. Flynn also substituted for
Darrell Fancourt Darrell Louis Fancourt Leverson (8 March 1886 – 29 August 1953), known as Darrell Fancourt, was an English bass-baritone and actor, known for his performances and recordings of the Savoy operas. After a brief concert career, Fancourt joine ...
on numerous occasions between 1946 and 1951 as the Pirate King, Dick Deadeye in '' H.M.S. Pinafore'', the Mikado, Sir Roderic, and Sergeant Meryll in ''Yeomen''. After 23 years with the D'Oyly Carte organisation, Flynn left in 1951, moving to America where he and
Ella Halman Ella Louise Halman (July 18, 1906 – March 20, 1995) was an English opera singer and actress, best known for her performances in the contralto roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. She married another D'Oyly Carte p ...
toured with Martyn Green in a series of
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 ...
productions presented by S. M. Chartock. His roles on this 1952 tour included the Usher, the Carpenter's Mate, and Go-To. The Flynns lived in America for a time before returning to England where they settled in Penrith and were involved with amateur operatic societies, founding the Penrith Savoyards in 1959. In 1975, during the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's centennial season, the Flynns were invited to participate in the final performance of ''Trial by Jury'', in which the regular D'Oyly Carte chorus was augmented by fourteen former stars of the company.''The Savoyard'', Vol. 14, No. 2, September 1975 The Flynns maintained a lifelong friendship with former D'Oyly Carte tenor, John Dean. Flynn died while fishing in the River Eden, in Cumbria.


Recordings

Flynn's roles recorded with D'Oyly Carte included Go-To in ''The Mikado'' (1936 and 1950), the Carpenter's Mate in ''Pinafore'' (1949), the Usher in ''Trial'' (1949), Giorgio in ''The Gondoliers'' (1950), and Old Adam in Ruddigore (1950). He also appeared on the radio as the Mikado in a 1951 BBC broadcast.


References

* Introduction by Martyn Green.


External links


Photo of Flynn in ''Iolanthe''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Radley 1902 births 1978 deaths People from Rochdale 20th-century British male opera singers