W. H. Denny

.

Life and career

W. H. Denny was born William Henry Leigh Dugmore at Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England. His mother, Mrs. H. Leigh, was the original Diana in Gilbert and Sullivan's first collaboration, "Thespis" (1871).Stone, David. [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/D/DennyWH.htm "W. H. Denny",] "Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company" (2003)]

Early career

Denny appeared as the child in "The Stranger" in Worcester at the age of six. He played juvenile parts for several years, tackling his first adult role in "Dundee" in 1870.

Denny's first role in London was at Sadler's Wells Theatre in an 1872 revival of "Mazeppa", a dramatization of Byron's poem based on a legend about Ivan Mazeppa. He played the role of Simple in 1874 in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" at the Gaiety Theatre, London. After a series of roles in Shakespeare plays and in works by H. J. Byron, he was engaged by Richard D'Oyly Carte in 1876 for a tour as Trenitz in "La fille de Madame Angot", Barthel in "The Duke's Daughter", and Tarapote in "La Perichole". Denny then toured America for three years with Lydia Thompson, also appearing in Philadelphia under the management of Mrs. John Drew.

Returning to London in 1879, Denny appeared in a number plays with Marie Litton, John Hare and the Kendals. At the Imperial Theatre, London, he played the role of Sir Charles in "She Stoops to Conquer" and Corporal Foss in "The Poor Gentleman", both in 1879.Adams, p. 392] The same year, he created the role of Filippo in Alfred Tennyson's "Falcon". Next, he created the role of Slater in "William and Susan" in 1880. He played Angus Macalister in an 1881 revival of W. S. Gilbert's "Engaged", before going on tour with Lillie Langtry in 1882. He was back in New York in 1884–85, but returned to the London stage in 1886–87. He created the role of Hamish in Hamilton's "Harvest" (1886) and Noah Topping in "Dandy Dick" (1887).

avoy Theatre years

Denny joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Savoy Theatre upon the departure of Rutland Barrington in 1888 and remained there until 1893. He created the roles of Wilfred Shadbolt in "The Yeomen of the Guard" (1888), the Grand Inquisitor, Don Alhambra del Bolero, in "The Gondoliers" (1889) and Bumbo in "The Nautch Girl" (1891). He next played Bedford Rowe in the revival of "The Vicar of Bray" (1892), and he created the character of The McCrankie in "Haddon Hall" (1892), leaving the company when the run was completed. In 1893, he appeared in an Edwardian musical comedy called "Poor Jonathan" before returning to D'Oyly Carte to create the part of Scaphio in "Utopia, Limited" (1893). He again left the company at the end of the run of that show.

Later years

After leaving the Savoy, Denny appeared again in musicals in London from 1895 to 1897. He created the roles of Pilkington Jones in "Gentleman Joe" (1895) and Robert White in "Dandy Dan" (1897). He later toured Australia and New Zealand in a Shakespeare company. He returned to London in 1900 but was back on the New York stage beginning in 1905, appearing on Broadway in "Julius Caesar" (1902), "The Proud Laird" (a comedy, 1905), "The Earl and the Girl" (a musical, 1906), "The Hypocrites" (a drama, 1906), "The Beauty Spot" (a musical, 1909), "The Gay Hussars" (an operetta, 1909), "Madame X" (a melodrama, 1910), and "The Blue Bird" (a play, 1911). He once more returned to London, making his last appearance there as Stuff, a theatre manager, in Walter Browne's "Everywoman" in 1912.

Denny also wrote several one-act plays, the best-known of which was "A Mutual Mistake" (1891). In addition, he wrote song lyrics, such as "How sweet thou art to me" ("Sleep, gentle sleep"), with music by Arthur Weld (1909). Denny was the father of popular film actor Reginald Denny. He died in Herne Bay, Kent.

Notes

References

*Adams, William Davenport (1904). [http://books.google.com/books?id=tjwOAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22Imperial+Theatre%22+London+-York+-Broadway&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "A Dictionary of the Drama",] Chatto & Windus
*cite book|last=Ayre|first=Leslie|year=1972|title=The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion|location=London|publisher=W.H. Allen & Co Ltd Introduction by Martyn Green.

External links

* [http://pinafore.www3.50megs.com/wh-denny-p.html Photos]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=67320 IBDB list of Broadway shows]