Henry Pottinger Stephens

Henry Pottinger Stephens, also known as Henry Beauchamp (1851 – February 11 1903) was an English dramatist and journalist.

Life and career

"Pot" Stephens was born in Barrow-on-Soar Leicestershire. He started his career as a journalist, working for The Daily Telegraph and Tit-Bits, among others, and was the first editor of Topical Times.

Stephens wrote his first burlesque, "Back from India" in 1879 under the aegis of the German Reed's management at St. George's Hall. He soon wrote lyrics for F. C. Burnand's "Robbing Roy" burlesque at the Gaiety Theatre and collaborated with Burnand on a couple of other burlesques.

After Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore" became a hit, Stephens was inspired to collaborate with composer Edward Solomon on a comic opera, "Billee Taylor" (1880), which opened the same year as "The Pirates of Penzance". "Billee Taylor" received favourable comparisons with Gilbert and Sullivan's piece in the press and caused its authors to be hailed briefly as the equals of Richard D'Oyly Carte's prized writing team. Solomon and Stephens also had a success in "Claude Duval" (1881). [ [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9906E5D7133EE433A25752C1A96F9C94609FD7CF&oref=slogin Review of "Claude Duval"] ] Carte produced successful tours of "Claude Duval" and "Billee Taylor" in America.

Stephens returned to burlesque with "Galatea, or Pygmalion Reversed" in 1883, with music by Meyer Lutz). His "The Vicar of Wide-awake-field" and "Little Jack Sheppard" (both 1885, with music by Lutz) under George Edwardes's management at the Gaiety Theatre, set the fashion for the 'new burlesque' in London. Stephens had one more international success, also in tandem with Solomon, with "The Red Hussar" (1889). Stephens also wrote novels, plays, pantomimes, and a revue, "A Dream of Whittaker's Almanack", with Walter Slaughter, Florian Pascal, Georges Jacobi, and Walter Hedgecock, in 1899. He also acted in some of these. He died in London.

Notes

External links

* [http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/british/authors/stephens.html Profile and list of major stage works]
* [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/S/SolomonEdward.htm Discusses the Stephens and Solomon successes]
* [http://www.halhkmusic.com/victorian.html Edwardian theatre site]
* [http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/british/musicals.html Listing of English musicals with links]