Arthur Bourchier

Arthur Bourchier (1864 – 1927), English actor, was born in Berkshire and educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. At the university he became prominent as an amateur actor in connection with the O.U.A.D.C., which he founded.

His first professional appearance was with Lillie Langtry in 1889, as Jaques, in "As You Like It". Later Shakespearian roles included Shylock, Macbeth, and Falstaff. He also acted with Charles Wyndham at the Criterion and was for a while in Daly's company in America. He created the part of Bairnsfather's "Old Bill".

In 1894 he married the actress Violet Vanbrugh, elder sister of the no less well-known actress Irene Vanbrugh, and he and his wife subsequently took the leading parts under his management of the Garrick theatre. He later married Kyrle Bellow in 1918.

In the fall of 1895 he took the Royalty Theatre, producing among other plays "The Chili Widow", an adaptation of his own, which ran for over 300 nights. He managed the Strand Theatre from 1919. Both as tragedian and comedian Bourchier took high rank on the London stage, and his career as actor-manager was remarkable for the production of a number of successful and (at the time) modern plays, by Alfred Sutro and others.

In 1921 he appeared in the Hugh Ford film "The Great Day".

He died in 1927 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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