Shaun Glenville (born John Browne; 16 May 1884 – 28 December 1968) was an Irish actor who specialised in

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 ...

performances - he would play the dame while his wife

Dorothy Ward Dorothy Ward (26 April 1890 – 30 March 1987) was an English actress who specialised in pantomimes, playing the principal boy roles, while her husband Shaun Glenville would play the dame roles. She had a successful 52 year career and played i ...

would play the principal boy. The music hall historian Christopher Pulling called him one of the 'grand comedians of the music-halls'. He had a successful 62-year career and played in over 40 pantomimes.

Early life

He was born as John Browne in Little Denmark Street,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

in Ireland where his mother Mary Browne ( Lynch) was the manager of the

Mechanics' Theatre The Mechanics' Hall, also known as the Hibernian Theatre of Varieties, was a theatre and music hall in Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. It stood at the site of the current Abbey Theatre at 26 Lower Abbey Street. A theatre or circus has stood on this ...

, a theatre and music hall that stood on the site later occupied by the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the p ...

. Mary Concepta Lynch (Sister Mary Concepta) was a maternal cousin. His father, Henry Browne, was an accountant. He took the stage name 'Glenville' from Glenville House in County Wicklow. His first stage appearance was aged two weeks at the

Theatre Royal, Birmingham The Theatre Royal, until 1807 the New Street Theatre, or, colloquially, New Theatre, was a 2000-seat theatre located on New Street in Birmingham, England. It was erected in 1774 and demolished in 1956. The theatre was damaged by fire in 1792 ...

when he was carried on in

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 ...

's play ''Arrah-Na-Pogue''. By 1895, as Shaun Glenville-Luck he had joined the music hall entertainers, burlesque and sketch artists The Six Brothers Luck. By 1906 he was appearing in Variety, and made his London début at the

Holborn Empire Weston's Music Hall was a music hall and theatre that opened on 16 November 1857 at 242-245 High Holborn in London, England. In 1906, the theatre became known as the Holborn Empire. History Early years The theatre was constructed on the site of ...

in 1907. In 1907 with The Six Brothers Luck he toured the United States in their 'farcical sketch' 'The Demon of the Cellar' and a number of other variety acts. The critic of ''Variety'' wrote:

"Shaun Glenville Luck makes a capital grotesque comedian and might, under more kindly circumstances, be really funny, but the seltzer-bottle-bladder-slapstick mess that makes up 'The Demon in the Cellar' leaves him stranded. The audience hopes for a minute that the introduction of acrobatics of some sort might enliven the proceedings, but they hoped in vain. It was just childish horseplay and buffoonery, almost without a redeeming virtue."

For a period Glenville was with the company of Fred Karno, and by 1909 he was appearing in

s across Britain. In 1910 he was playing the Dame in the pantomime ''Little Jack Horner'' at Newcastle in which the principal boy was played by

. The two were to marry on 13 May 1911 in a registry office. After Dorothy converted to Catholicism they held a Catholic marriage ceremony in Dublin the following year. Their son was actor/director

Peter Glenville Peter Glenville (born Peter Patrick Brabazon Browne; 28 October 19133 June 1996) was an English film and stage actor and director. Biography Born in Hampstead, London, into a theatrical family, Glenville was the son of Shaun Glenville (born J ...

(1913–1996). As a couple they had a long and successful career in

, Ward as one of the leading principal boys and Glenville as 'a

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 els ...

without equal'. For 50 years they played mother and son.

Acting career

His stage appearances included: ''The Gay Lothario'' (1913); ''After The Girl'' and ''The Light Blues'' 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 a ...

(1914); the

''Humpty Dumpty'' with his wife

at the

Prince's Theatre, Bristol The Prince's Theatre was a theatre on Park Row in Bristol in England which was built in 1867 and was destroyed by bombing in 1940 in the Bristol Blitz during World War II. Owned by members of the Chute family for most of its existence, at one tim ...

(1914–15); ''Razzle Dazzle'' 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 ...

(1916); tour of ''Happy Go Lucky'' with Dorothy Ward (1918); Sergeant O’Toole in '' Quality Street'' at the Shubert Theatre and Doc Sniffkins in ''

The Whirl of New York ''The Whirl of New York'' is a Broadway musical that premiered at Winter Garden Theatre on June 13, 1921. It was an expanded and substantially re-worked version of '' The Belle of New York'' (1897, music by Gustave Kerker with book and lyrics by ...

'' at the

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...

in New York (1921); The American critic

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

was savage in her criticism of Ward's performance in ''Quality Street'' - and Glenville fared little better, with Parker writing: 'They have also imported a comedian named Shaun Glenville to add a touch of humor to the proceedings. It is better to say nothing of Mr. Glenville's methods of comedy. One cannot speak of these whiffs of the dead past without breaking down'. Glenville was in the

''Mother Goose'' at the Palace Theatre, Manchester (1922); with his wife in ''Jenny'' at the Empire Theatre, London (1922) and ''The Apache'' at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

and subsequently on tour (1926–27); ''The Blue Train'' at the Grand Theatre, Hull with his wife (1927); he was in America (1929); in ''De La Folie Pure'' (1930); 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 ...

'' 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 ...

(1932); in ''Frivolity'' (1933); in ''Private Road'' at the

Theatre Royal, Newcastle The Theatre Royal is a historic theatre, a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. History The theatre was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger's grand design for the c ...

(1934); in '' No, No Nanette'' at the

Hippodrome, London The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survi ...

(1936); Mrs. Hubbard in the

''Jack and the Beanstalk'' at the

(1936); in ''Venus In Silk'' and '' Maritza'' (1938); in ''Roses of Piccadilly'' at the Palace Theatre of Varieties (1944); and in the touring revue ''Do You Remember?'' with

George Robey Sir George Edward Wade, CBE (20 September 1869 – 29 November 1954), Harding, James"Robey, George" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 10 May 2014. known professionally as George Robey, was an ...

and Buster Keaton (1951). In 1940 he made two films, playing Marius O'Dowd in '' Dr. O'Dowd'' and Colonel Pepper in '' Jailbirds''.

Pantomime

His pantomime appearances, with and without his wife, included: ''Humpty Dumpty'' at the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh (1910); ''Jack Horner'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1910); ''Jack Horner'' (Ward & Glenville)

Theatre Royal, Glasgow The Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in Glasgow and the longest running in Scotland. Located at 282 Hope Street, its front door was originally round the corner in Cowcaddens Street. It currently accommodates 1,541 people and is owned by Scott ...

(1911); ''Tommy Tucker'' (Ward & Glenville)

Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool The Royal Court Theatre is a theatre located at 1 Roe Street in Liverpool, England. The current Royal Court Theatre was opened on 17 October 1938, after fire destroyed its predecessor. It was rebuilt in Art Deco style and soon became Liverpool's ...

(1912); ''Humpty Dumpty'' (Ward & Glenville)

Theatre Royal, Manchester The Theatre Royal in Manchester, England, opened in 1845. Situated next to the Free Trade Hall, it is the oldest surviving theatre in Manchester. It was commissioned by Mancunian businessman John Knowles who wanted a theatre venue in the city. ...

(1913); ''Humpty Dumpty'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1914); ''Old King Cole'' (Ward & Glenville)

Grand Theatre, Leeds The Grand Theatre, also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, is a theatre and opera house in Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It seats approximately 1,500 people. Building It was designed by James Ro ...

(1915); ''Boy Blue'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1916); ''Babes in the Wood'' (Ward & Glenville) Palace Theatre, Manchester (1917); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville) Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow (1918); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville)

Liverpool Olympia The Eventim Olympia (originally the Liverpool Olympia) is a venue in Liverpool, England, situated on West Derby Road next to The Grafton Ballroom. History The Liverpool Olympia was built in 1905 For Moss Empires Ltd by architect Frank Match ...

(1919); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville) Palace Theatre, Manchester (1920); ''Mother Goose'' Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow (1921); ''Mother Goose'' (Ward & Glenville) Palace Theatre, Manchester (1922); ''Mother Goose'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1923); ''Mother Goose'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1924); ''Mother Goose'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1925); ''The Apache'' (Ward & Glenville) on tour - playing the Christmas Season at the

(1926); ''Mother Goose'' (Ward & Glenville) Hippodrome, Sheffield (1927); ''Cinderella'' (Ward & Glenville)

Liverpool Empire Theatre The Liverpool Empire Theatre is a theatre on the corner of Lime Street in Liverpool, England. The playhouse, which opened in 1925, is the second one to be built on the site. It has the largest two-tier auditorium in the United Kingdom and can ...

(1928), and ''Robinson Crusoe'' (Ward & Glenville) Palace Theatre, Manchester (1929). From 1930 onwards he was in ''Robinson Crusoe'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1930); ''Queen of Hearts'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1931); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville)

King's Theatre, Edinburgh The King's Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. History of the theatre The King's became famous for being a venue belonging to the theatre empire Howard & Wyndham. The theatre was originally commissioned by the Edinburgh Building Comp ...

(1932); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville)

(1933); ''Jack and the Beanstalk''(Ward & Glenville) Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (1934); ''Jack and the Beanstalk''

(1935); ''Jack and the Beanstalk''

(1936); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' Streatham Hill (1937); ''Jack and the Beanstalk''

Golders Green Hippodrome The Golders Green Hippodrome was built in 1913 by Bertie Crewe as a 3,000-seat music hall, to serve North London and the new London Underground Northern line expansion into Golders Green in the London Borough of Barnet, London, England. Taken ...

(1938); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville) Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (1939); ''Puss in Boots'' (Ward & Glenville) Wimbledon (1941); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville) Garrick Theatre, Southport (1942); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville) Empire Theatre, Sheffield (1944); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville) Empire Theatre, Leeds (1947); ''Mother Goose'' (Ward & Glenville) Empire Theatre, Kingston (1948); ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Ward & Glenville)

Chiswick Empire The Chiswick Empire was a theatre facing Turnham Green in Chiswick that opened in 1912 and closed and was demolished in 1959. A venue for touring artists, some of the greatest names in drama, variety and music hall performed there including Geor ...

(1949); ''Dick Whittington'' (Ward & Glenville) Empire Theatre, Kingston (1953).

Song writer

Glenville wrote several songs with his and Ward's friend,

Fred Godfrey Fred Godfrey (17 September 1880 – 22 February 1953) was the pen name of Llewellyn Williams, a World War I songwriter. He is best known for the songs " Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" (1916) and " Bless 'Em All" (1917), a 1940s hit reco ...

. It is believed that Glenville also performed them but he recorded just two, both in 1915: 'Where Did You Get The Name Of Hennessy?' (Regal G-7607) and 'The Yiddisher Irish Baby' (Levi, Carney, Jacob, Barney, Michael Isaacstein) (Regal G-7221). Various extant sheet music covers and other sources show that Glenville performed at least five other Godfrey songs on stage: 'When An Irishman Goes Fighting' (1914); 'Tommy's Learning French' (sung at a concert in France for the troops in June 1915 during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

); 'Calling Me Home' (1922); 'My Little-Da-Monk' (1930); and 'It Takes An Irish Heart To Sing An Irish Song' (1932).Shaun Glenville (1884-1968) - the Songs of Fred Godfrey website
/ref>

Later years

Glenville was a heavy drinker, and various stories are told of his mishaps while under the influence. These include occasional 'memory lapses' during performances including one occasion when as Dame Trott he forgot the words to a song he had sung numerous times on previous performances and had to be prompted by one of the actors in the cow costume. The actor Roy Hudd related an occasion when Binnie Hale as principal boy was appearing as Jack in panto with Glenville as Mrs. Hubbard in ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' at the

in 1936:

'One lunchtime Shaun arrived at the theatre twenty-five minutes late for the matinee - he had over imbibed. The totally professional Binnie collared Shaun and said “Really Shaun, it’s too bad. You come in here twenty-five minutes late, stumbling around in a drunken stupor, smelling like a brewery, slurring your words with your flies undone – and I’ve got to call you Mother!'Hudd, Roy. ''Roy Hudd’s Book of Music-Hall, Variety and Showbiz Anecdotes'', Robson Books (1998) p. 68

Shaun Glenville died in 1968, following his and his wife's joint retirement to London in 1957. He was survived by his wife and their son

(1913–96), an actor, film director and producer of

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

shows.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gleville, Shaun 1884 births 1968 deaths Male actors from Dublin (city) Irish male singer-songwriters 20th-century Irish male actors 20th-century Irish male singers English male film actors Pantomime dames