Ellen "Nellie" Farren (16 April 1848 – 29 April 1904) was an English actress and singer best known for her roles as the "

principal boy In pantomime, a principal boy role is the young male protagonist of the play, traditionally played by a young actress in boy's clothes. The earliest example is Miss Ellington who in 1852 appeared in ''The Good Woman in the Wood'' by James Planch ...

" in musical burlesques at the Gaiety Theatre. Born into a theatrical family, Farren began acting as a child. She made her professional adult debut in 1864 and joined the company at London's

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 ...

, performing in Shakespeare, contemporary comedies, dramas and musical burlesques. From 1868 to 1892, she performed at the Gaiety Theatre, which specialised in musical burlesque, becoming famous in the male and principal boy roles, which permitted an actress in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

theatre to show her legs in tights. Farren gained a large following among the theatre's mostly male audience. Farren created the role of Mercury 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 first collaboration, ''

Thespis Thespis (; grc-gre, Θέσπις; fl. 6th century BC) was an Ancient Greek poet. He was born in the ancient city of Icarius (present-day Dionysos, Greece). According to certain Ancient Greek sources and especially Aristotle, he was the first pe ...

'' and created or played roles in works by

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 ...

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a min ...

and

Henry James Byron Henry James Byron (8 January 1835 – 11 April 1884) was a prolific English dramatist, as well as an editor, journalist, director, theatre manager, novelist and actor. After an abortive start at a medical career, Byron struggled as a provincial ...

, among many others. In the 1880s, she created roles in the series of famous Gaiety burlesques with musical scores 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 ...

, often written by

Fred Leslie Frederick George Hobson, known as Fred Leslie (1 April 1855 – 7 December 1892), was an English actor, singer, comedian and dramatist. Beginning his career in operetta, Leslie became best known for starring in, and writing (under the pseudony ...

. Some of her most famous of these later roles were the title characters in ''

Little Jack Sheppard ''Little Jack Sheppard'' is a Victorian burlesque, burlesque melodrama written by Henry Pottinger Stephens and William Yardley (cricketer), William Yardley, with music by Meyer Lutz, with songs contributed by Florian Pascal,Florian Pascal was a ps ...

'' and ''

Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué ''Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué'' is a Victorian burlesque, burlesque written by A. C. Torr and Herbert F. Clark with music by Meyer Lutz. It is based on the Victor Hugo drama ''Ruy Blas''. The piece was produced by George Edwardes. As with man ...

''. She also became a co-producer of the Gaiety Theatre. After Farren suffered an attack of

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...

in 1891, her health forced to retire from the stage in 1892. A gala benefit for her was arranged 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 ...

in 1898. It was attended by nearly the entire theatrical community at which the most famous actors of the day performed, and which raised the astonishing sum of £7,000 () for her retirement.

Early life and career

Farren was born in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

to a theatrical family. Her grandfather,

William Farren William Farren (13 May 1786 – 24 September 1861) was an English actor, who was the son of an actor (born 1725) of the same name, who played leading roles from 1784 to 1795 at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Life Raised on Gower Street in Lo ...

, was a well-known actor. Her father, Henry Farren, and her uncle,

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, were both actors.Hollingshead, John. ''Gaiety Chronicles'' (1898) A. Constable & Co., London Her mother was Ellen ''nee'' Smithson. Farren married actor and stage manager Robert Soutar in 1867, and the couple had two sons, Henry Robert Soutar (1868–1928), an actor who ended his days as a general labourer, and the actor Joseph Farren Soutar (1870–1962). Her first role was as the young

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

in ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' in 1853 at the

Theatre Royal, Exeter The Theatre Royal, Exeter was the name of several Theater (structure), theatres situated in the city centre of Exeter, Devon, England in the United Kingdom. Early theatres and fires The name "Theatre Royal" was first applied in Exeter by the ...

. She first appeared on the London stage at the age of seven, at the Victoria Theatre, playing Genie of the Ring in ''

Dick Whittington Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal, City of London, was an English merchant and a politician of the late medieval period. He is also the real-life inspiration for the English folk tale ''Dick ...

''. Although she played other juvenile singing and acting roles in London and the British provinces, she completed her education.Reid, Erskine and Herbert Compton. ''The Dramatic Peerage'' (1892) Raithby, Lawrence & Co. Ltd., London, pp. 80–81 In 1862, she played the Fairy Star in ''The Rose of Blarney'' at

Sadler's Wells Theatre Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...

, receiving good notices, followed by a series of other parts at the Victoria Theatre. One of her last roles there is considered her adult debut, as Ninetta in ''The Woman in Red'' in 1864.Information from Footlight Notes website
Later in 1864, Farren moved to the

, where she stayed for several years, playing in a number of pieces, including ''The Hidden Hand'' 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 ...

; ''My Wife's Bonnet'' by

John Maddison Morton John Maddison Morton (3 January 1811 – 19 December 1891) was an English playwright who specialised in one-act farces. His most famous farce was '' Box and Cox'' (1847). He also wrote comic dramas, pantomimes and other theatrical pieces. Biog ...

; the

burlesques A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

''Prince Camaralzaman, or, the Fairies' Revenge'' and ''Faust and Marguerite''; and

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'', as the Clown. She also played the title role in ''Lydia Languish'', Charlotte in ''

High Life Below Stairs ''High Life Below Stairs'' is a 1759 comedy play by the British writer James Townley.Worrall p.30 An afterpiece, it premiered at Drury Lane on a double bill with a revival of Dryden's ''The Mourning Bride''. A popular hit, it was frequently revive ...

'', Nerissa 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 ...

'', Nan in ''Good for Nothing'' by

J. B. Buckstone John Baldwin Buckstone (14 September 1802 – 31 October 1879) was an English actor, playwright and comedian who wrote 150 plays, the first of which was produced in 1826. He starred as a comic actor during much of his career for various periods ...

, Jo in ''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'', and Sam Willoughby in '' The Ticket-of-Leave Man'', again earning praise for her comic portrayals. The manager of the Olympic,

Horace Wigan Horace Wigan (1815/16 – 7 August 1885) was an actor, dramatist and theatre manager. He was the original Hawkshaw, the detective in the play ''The Ticket-of-Leave Man (play), The Ticket-of-Leave Man'' by Tom Taylor. Early career He was born in B ...

, and playwright Tom Taylor, each of whom directed shows at the theatre, taught Farren much about stagecraft and encouraged her to experiment and expand her acting. During this time, she also played roles in other theatres, such as Pert in ''

London Assurance ''London Assurance'' (originally titled ''Out of Town'') is a five-act comedy by Dion Boucicault. It was the second play that he wrote but his first to be produced. Its first production was by Charles Matthews and Madame Vestris's company and ...

'' in 1866. In the second half of 1868, she joined the company at the

Queen's Theatre, Long Acre The Queen's Theatre in London was established in 1867 as a theatre on the site of St Martin's Hall, a large concert room that had opened in 1850. It stood on the corner of Long Acre (formerly Charles Street) and Endell Street, with entrances in ...

, playing, among other things, Nancy Rouse in a

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 burlesque ''Fowl Play''.

Gaiety Theatre years

Farren began her long tenure at the Gaiety Theatre in December 1868, at the re-opening of the theatre under new management by

John Hollingshead John Hollingshead (9 September 1827 – 9 October 1904) was an English theatrical impresario, journalist and writer during the latter half of the 19th century. After a journalism career, Hollingshead managed the Alhambra Theatre and was later th ...

, playing Sprightly in ''On the Cards'' and the title role in its companion piece, ''

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 ...

'', by

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 ...

, a burlesque of the opera ''

Robert le Diable ''Robert le diable'' (''Robert the Devil'') is an opera in five acts composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer between 1827 and 1831, to a libretto written by Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne. ''Robert le diable'' is regarded as one of the first grand o ...

''. This ran until May 1869. Her husband, Robert Soutar, joined the theatre at the same time and served as an actor, stage manager and writer there.Stewart, Maurice. "The spark that lit the bonfire", in ''Gilbert and Sullivan News'' (London) Spring 2003. Farren next played the title role in Alfred Thompson's ''Columbus!, or the Original Pitch in a Merry Key'' (1869). Farren continued at the Gaiety for the next 25 years, playing in comedies of all kinds and in Shakespearean dramas, first under Hollingshead and then under

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 ...

, performing the lead in dozens of shows, many also starring Edward Terry,

Kate Vaughan Kate Vaughan (1852 – 21 February 1903) was the stage name of Catherine Alice Candelin, a British dancer and actress. She was best known for developing the skirt dance and has been called the "greatest dancer of her time".St Johnston, pp. 170� ...

and

E. W. Royce Edward William Royce (11 August 1841 – 24 January 1926) was a British actor, singer and dancer noted for playing in Victorian burlesque at London's Gaiety Theatre, London, Gaiety Theatre, usually alongside Nelly Farren, Edward O'Connor Terry an ...

. She was most acclaimed in the "principal boy" roles. These roles permitted the actress to show her legs in tights, and Farren became very popular with the young men of the Gaiety audience, who would wear a coloured scarf to show support for their favourite actress. Farren's colours were dark blue, light blue and white, and she could look out over the audience to compare the number of fans displaying her colours as compared to the colours of the other actresses. According to Hollingshead, Farren developed a "spinal complaint, which troubled her in her early Gaiety career nddeveloped into locomotor ataxy" later.Hollingshead, John. ''Good Old Gaiety'' (1903) London, p. 14 Some of her best known roles in the 1870s included Tilly Slowboy in ''Dot'' (

's version of ''The Cricket on the Hearth''); Miss Prue in ''Love for Love''; ''Princess of Trebizonde'' (1870), based on the

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...

operetta; Sam Weller in ''Bardell v. Pickwick''; Mercury in

's first operatic collaboration, '' Thespis, or, the Gods Grown Old'' (1871); ''Ali Baba''; Polly Neefit in ''Shilly-Shally'' (1872), by

and

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 ...

; Leporello in

Robert Reece Robert Reece (2 May 1838 – 8 July 1891) was a British comic playwright and librettist active in the Victorian era. He wrote many successful musical burlesques, comic operas, farces and adaptations from the French, including the English-lang ...

's ''Don Giovanni''; ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (1873); Clemency Newcome in ''The Battle of Life'', (based on

's Christmas story of that title); the title role in

's ''Little Don Caesar de Bazan'' (1876, a send-up of Boucicault's play); Thaddeus in Byron's ''

The Bohemian G-yurl and the Unapproachable Pole ''The Bohemian G-yurl and the Unapproachable Pole'' is a musical burlesque in two acts, with a score by Meyer Lutz to a libretto by Henry James Byron, which played under the management of John Hollingshead at the Gaiety Theatre in London in 1877 ...

'' (1877); and title roles in Byron's farce ''Little Doctor Faust'' (1878) his ''Handsome Hernani, or The Fatal Penny-Whistle'' (1879); and ''Robbing Roy'' (1879). Farren's Gaiety pieces in the 1880s included Lutz and

's burlesques of ''The Forty Thieves'' (1880), as Ganem; the title roles in ''Aladdin'' (1881) and ''Little Robin Hood'' (1882); ''Ariel'' (1883, by

, based on '' The Tempest''); ''Blue Beard'' (1882); ''Camaralzaman'' and ''Mazeppa'' (1884); perhaps her most famous role as ''

'' (1885); Richard Henry's ''

Monte Cristo Jr. ''Monte Cristo Jr.'' was a Victorian burlesque with a libretto written by Richard Henry, a pseudonym for the writers Richard Butler and Henry Chance Newton. The score was composed by Meyer Lutz, Ivan Caryll, Hamilton Clarke, Tito Mattei, G. ...

'', as Edmond Dantes (1886); Dr. Frankenstein in ''

Frankenstein, or The Vampire's Victim ''Frankenstein, or The Vampire's Victim'' (sometimes called ''Frankenstein, or The Model Man'') is a musical burlesque written by Richard Henry (a pseudonym of Richard Butler and Henry Chance Newton). The music was composed by Meyer Lutz. The ...

'' (1887); ''Miss Esmeralda, or The Maid and the Monkey'' (1887); ''Fra Diavolo'', ''Gulliver'', ''Rip Van Winkle'', ''Sonnambula''; the title role in ''

Cinder Ellen up too Late ''Cinder Ellen up too Late'' is a musical Victorian burlesque, burlesque written by Frederick Hobson Leslie (writing under the pseudonym A. C. Torr) and W. T. Vincent, with music arranged by Meyer Lutz from compositions by Lionel Monckton, Sidney ...

'' (1891); and dozens of others. Perhaps the most successful of her later roles was the title role in ''

'' (1889, by Fred Leslie and H. F. Clarke, a take-off of

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's play ''

Ruy Blas ''Ruy Blas'' is a tragic drama by Victor Hugo. It was the first play presented at the Théâtre de la Renaissance and opened on November 8, 1838. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, the play was initially met with only average ...

''), which she and Fred Leslie toured in Australia (with Sidney Jones) and elsewhere in 1891. In 1888–89, she, Leslie,

Letty Lind Letitia Elizabeth Rudge (21 December 1861 – 27 August 1923), known professionally as Letty Lind, was an English actress, singer, dancer and acrobat, best known for her work in burlesque at the Gaiety Theatre, and in musical theatre at Daly's ...

Sylvia Grey Sylvia Grey (1866–1958) was an English actress and dancer best remembered for her roles in Victorian burlesque, burlesque productions in London during the Victorian era. Life and career Grey was born in London, England, partly of Swiss ancestr ...

Marion Hood Marion Hood (1 April 1854 – 14 August 1912) was an English soprano who performed in opera and musical theatre in the last decades of the 19th century. She is perhaps best remembered for creating the role of Mabel in Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Th ...

and the Gaiety company had toured the US and Australia with ''Monte Christo, Jr.'' and ''Miss Esmeralda''. In addition to these burlesques, Farren also appeared in other comedies such as ''The Man of Quality'' (an adaptation of Vanbrugh's ''Relapse''), as Miss Hoyden (1870);

's ''Love for Love'', as Miss Prue (1871); Bickerstaff's ''The Hypocrite'', as Charlotte (1873); ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'' (1874) as Lillian Languish (1874) and as Lucy (1877); ''The Critic'', as Tilburina (1874); Ursula 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 ...

'' (1874); Maria in ''

'' (1876); ''The Grasshopper'' (1877, an adaptation of

Henri Meilhac Henri Meilhac (23 February 1830 – 6 July 1897) was a French dramatist and opera librettist, best known for his collaborations with Ludovic Halévy on Georges Bizet's ''Carmen'' and on the works of Jacques Offenbach, as well as Jules Massenet's ...

and

Ludovic Halévy Ludovic Halévy (1 January 1834 – 7 May 1908) was a French author and playwright, best known for his collaborations with Henri Meilhac on Georges Bizet's ''Carmen'' and on the works of Jacques Offenbach. Biography Ludovic Halévy was born in P ...

's ''La Cigale''); and a number of farces.

James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading pr ...

saw ''The Grasshopper'' and was charmed by Farren as the 'grasshopper', a girl who escapes from a circus troupe. In January 1878, Whistler made drawings of her in performance. Another success was her Smike in ''

'' (1886). On 3 May 1886, the Gaiety Theatre was host to a benefit concert for its music director, composer

, including a scene from his burlesque ''Little Jack Sheppard'', in which Farren performed. The same year, Farren helped George Edwards obtain the lease to the Gaiety and became co-producer of the Gaiety company's shows. She toured in the US and Australia with Fred Leslie in 1888–89.

Last years

Her last regular role at the Gaiety was Nan in ''Good for Nothing'' in a benefit for Lutz in April 1891. Later in 1891, Farren suffered an attack of

while in Australia, performing in ''

Cinder Ellen up too late ''Cinder Ellen up too Late'' is a musical Victorian burlesque, burlesque written by Frederick Hobson Leslie (writing under the pseudonym A. C. Torr) and W. T. Vincent, with music arranged by Meyer Lutz from compositions by Lionel Monckton, Sidney ...

'', which aggravated her spinal disease. She had to withdraw from the London production of ''Cinder Ellen up too late''. The spinal disease progressively crippled her, and by 1892, Farren had become too crippled to work steadily and was mostly retired from the stage. In 1895, Farren had a partial recovery and managed her own company 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. ...

but had little success. One piece by this company that was well reviewed was ''A Model Trilby; or, A Day or Two After Du Maurier'', by Charles H. E. Brookfield and

William Yardley William Yardley (1632 – 6 May 1693) was an early settler of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is the namesake of the borough of Yardley, Pennsylvania. As a persecuted Quaker minister, Yardley and his wife, Jane ( nee Heath) moved from Ranscloug ...

, with music by

. The piece was a

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

of 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 ...

's hit ''

Trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. Barnes & Noble. and ...

'', an adaptation of the 1894

George du Maurier George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (6 March 1834 – 8 October 1896) was a Franco-British cartoonist and writer known for work in ''Punch'' and a Gothic novel ''Trilby'', featuring the character Svengali. His son was the actor Sir Gerald d ...

novel of the same name. However, Farren lost her savings on the venture. George Edwardes organised a gala benefit for Farren at the

on 17 March 1898. The star-studded event, attended by a standing-room only crowd of 3,000 people (including her long-time fan, the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

), lasted six hours.Account of the benefit by an audience member
/ref> It included a performance of ''

Trial by Jury A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions. Jury trials are used in a significant ...

'' in which W. S. Gilbert played the Associate and

Effie Bancroft Marie Effie Wilton, Lady Bancroft (1839–1921) was an English actress and theatre manager. She appeared onstage as Marie Wilton until after her marriage in December 1867 to Squire Bancroft, when she adopted his last name. Bancroft and her husb ...

played the "Associate's Wife", the barristers were all playwrights, the jury included many well-known comic actors, the bridesmaids included well-known leading ladies of the day mixed with real chorus girls from the Gaiety; a huge "crowd in court" made up of

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 ...

principals and other actors was also assembled. Principals included Barrington, Pounds,

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

, Passmore, Lytton and

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...

. Also given was the premiere of a

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

playlet, "A Platonic Friendship". Kate Vaughan danced, after an absence from the stage of twelve years.

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 ( ...

recited ''The Dream of Eugene Aram'',

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry, (27 February 184721 July 1928), was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and tour ...

played Ophelia, Chevalier sang Mrs. Hawkins,

Dan Leno George Wild Galvin (20 December 1860 – 31 October 1904), better known by the stage name Dan Leno, was a leading English music hall comedian and musical theatre actor during the late Victorian era. He was best known, aside from his music hall ...

gave Hamlet,

Marie Tempest Dame Mary Susan Etherington, (15 July 1864 – 15 October 1942), known professionally as Marie Tempest, was an English singer and actress. Tempest became a famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, sh ...

sang "The Jewel of Asia", and

Hayden Coffin Charles Hayden Coffin (22 April 1862 – 8 December 1935) was an English actor and singer known for his performances in many famous Edwardian musical comedies, particularly those produced by George Edwardes. Hayden achieved fame as Harry Sh ...

sang "Tommy Atkins." In a pantomime,

Ellaline Terriss Mary Ellaline Terriss, Lady Hicks (born Mary Ellaline Lewin, 13 April 1871 – 16 June 1971), known professionally as Ellaline Terriss, was a popular British actress and singer, best known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies. Sh ...

played the Fairy Queen,

played Columbine, Arthur Roberts was a policeman, and

Edmund Payne Edmund James "Teddy" Payne (14 December 1863 – 15 July 1914), was an English actor, comedian and singer best known for creating comic roles in a series of extremely successful Edwardian musical comedies. He was often paired with the comic act ...

played

Clown A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. History The most ancient clowns have been found in ...

Marie Lloyd Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922), professionally known as Marie Lloyd (), was an English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress. She was best known for her performances of songs such as " T ...

and several

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 ...

stars danced, Coffin appeared again, and Farren herself was discovered on stage with Charles Wyndham.

Lydia Thompson Lydia Thompson (born Eliza Thompson; 19 February 1838 – 17 November 1908), was an English dancer, comedian, actor and theatrical producer. From 1852, as a teenager, she danced and performed in pantomimes, in the UK and then in Europe and soo ...

Kate Santley Evangeline Estelle Gazina (c. 1837Culme, John ''Footlight Notes'', No. 361, 14 August 2004, accessed 7 September 2012; an"Kate Santley by Sarony Cabinet Card" ''Remains to Be Seen'', accessed 7 September 2012 – 18 January 1923), better known u ...

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progra ...

, John Hare,

Clara Butt Dame Clara Ellen Butt, (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936) was an English contralto and one of the most popular singers from the 1890s through to the 1920s. She had an exceptionally fine contralto voice and an agile singing technique, and imp ...

, and many other famous actors performed, as did the choruses of ''

The Geisha ''The Geisha, a story of a tea house'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Ph ...

'', ''

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. ...

'' and other popular shows. Barely able to walk with the aid of crutches though only aged 49, Farren said a few words and made a joke. The benefit raised an estimated £7,000 () for her retirement. Farren's retirement, coupled with Fred Leslie's death, brought to an end the type of Gaiety burlesque associated with them, at the same time that

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 ...

was taking over London theatre. Farren made a few appearances in her last years at benefits. Her last public appearance was at a "Nellie Farren Night" at the Gaiety Theatre on 8 April 1903. A performance of ''

The Toreador ''The Toreador'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Harry Nicholls, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank and music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. It opened at the Gaiety Theatre in London, mana ...

'' was followed by ''The Linkman'', a revue of old Gaiety hits in which she performed, written by, and featuring,

George Grossmith Jr. George Grossmith Jr. (11 May 1874 – 6 June 1935) was an English actor, theatre producer and Actor-manager, manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was also a ...

At the end of the evening, Farren gave a speech from the stage. Nellie Farren Grave Brompton

Death and legacy

Farren died in London in 1904, aged 56, of cardiac failure and was buried in

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Estab ...

. Her gravesite was restored in 2014. Her son Joseph was buried alongside her when he died in 1962. In 1908, a racehorse was named after her.Nellie Farren, Standardbred racehorse
/ref>

Gallery

File:NellieFerren.jpg, Photo and signatures of Farren, Terry, Vaughan and Royce at the Gaiety File:FarrenRB.jpg, Farren as ''Ruy Blas'' File:Montecristofarren.jpg, Sheet music from ''Monte Cristo, Jr.'' File:Ellen Soutar (Nellie Farren) Joseph F Soutar gravestone Brompton Cemetery.jpg, Farren's grave in

References

Bibliography

*Hilton, George W. ''Nellie Farren'' (1997
Sir Arthur Sullivan Society
*Hollingshead, John. ''Good Old Gaiety: An Historiette & Remembrance'' (1903) London: Gaity Theatre Co.

External links

Images of Farren Farren's obituary in the New York TimesNew York Times article about the anticipated 1898 benefitPhoto of Nellie Farren and Fred Leslie in ''Little Jack Sheppard''Another photo of Leslie and Farren in ''Little Jack Sheppard''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farren, Nellie English stage actresses 19th-century British women singers English musical theatre actresses English people of Irish descent Actresses from Lancashire Actresses from London 1848 births 1904 deaths 19th-century English actresses Burials at Brompton Cemetery