Remembering & celebrating Sir Henry Irving (1838-1905), the greatest actor of his time & the first ever to be knighted. Co-star with Ellen Terry at the Lyceum.
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Happy Birthday to Sir Henry Irving, born John Brodribb OTD 6 Feb 1838
His middle name Henry was added at his christening
His parents lived in a cottage that still stands on Castle St, Keinton Mandeville, Somerset, in 2 rooms: 1 to the left of the front door, the other above
English actor, Sir Henry Irving, was born #OnThisDay in 1838. He wore this theatrical ensemble of a silk doublet and hose, embellished with seed pearls, as Benedick in the 1882 Lyceum production of Much Ado About Nothing alongside Ellen Terry. @V_and_A#actor#theatre#costume
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Happy Birthday to Sir Henry Irving, born John Brodribb OTD 6 Feb 1838
His middle name Henry was added at his christening
His parents lived in a cottage that still stands on Castle St, Keinton Mandeville, Somerset, in 2 rooms: 1 to the left of the front door, the other above
IRVING UNDEAD - written and performed by @jamescswanton - is up and running at @LndnHorrorFest at @SpaceArtsCentre until 9 Nov
You can see it either live or live streamed until then
Details and booking info are in the tweets below:
One day before IRVING UNDEAD opens at @SpaceArtsCentre for the @LndnHorrorFest. Have you got your tickets? 8.30pm, Friday through Sunday (with an extra 4pm performance thrown in on Sunday). There's also a livestream for those who can't reach London! Details below.
I'm thrilled, delighted and terrified to be reprising Henry Irving in IRVING UNDEAD at @LndnHorrorFest. Four shows at @SpaceArtsCentre - 22nd to 24th October - with the last also being livestreamed. Book now for your audience with the real-life Dracula: https://t.co/faqmVEu4MM
Just 18 yrs later, famous #Bradford#MusicHall star Jack Pleasants (1874-1924) died on stage at the Princes Theatre, Little Horton Lane. Still remembered, his renditions of ‘I’m Shy Mary Ellen, I’m Shy’ & ‘Twenty-One Today’. #NotJust Henry Irving.
It's pretty standard now for Richard to play the prison scene in a ragged shirt or gown, but it's not always been the case. The scene for this design isn't identified, but the prison scene would be a reasonable guess. Edwin Austin Abbey for Richard II dir. Henry Irving, 1898.
In honour of this, and to thank @CostumeUni for inviting me to speak to them about #EllenTerry. Here's a brief thread of a 'great Shakespearean actress' in some great Shakespearean Costumes (images @V_and_A and @SmallhytheNT)
Join us for our next Online Talk 'Sir Henry Irving: why he matters, and why he came to Bournemouth', with Michael Dobson, Director of The Shakespeare Institute @ShakesInstitute
📅 Sunday 9 May, 2pm
💻 Online Talk via Zoom
Find out more & book:
https://t.co/mkSxaz0g3T
And of course THE COSTUME COLLECTION which is incredibly diverse and absolutely fascinating. It includes the largest collection of Henry Irving's Costume in Britain - perhaps the world. A highlight is this costume for his performance as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (1882)
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To finish, the gothic theatricality of his paintings is explored by Louise Welsh in her article:
'James Pryde: The Edgar Allan Poe Of Painting'
for Scottish Journal @The_Bottle_Imp
https://t.co/brJfuTF7wB
James Pryde,
by Herbert James Gunn
City Art Centre @EdinCulture
Born #OTD 30 March
Scottish artist James Ferrier Pryde (1866–1941)
[thread 1/8]
Edward Gordon Craig called this one of the 3 best paintings of Sir Henry Irving:
Irving as Dubosc in The Lyons Mail
pencil & gouache on paper laid on board, c.1906
https://t.co/oOsJBsQzkm
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Pryde was interested in ‘ordinary’ people and outsiders:
"bus drivers, bowler hats, music halls, the man in the street" & produced a series of 'Celebrated Criminals or Notable Rascals' & a 12 part series 'The Human Comedy'
The Cinder
The Doctor
The Red Ruin
The Blue Ruin