Dion Boucicault Jr.
Dion Boucicault Jr. (born Darley George Boucicault; 23 May 1859 – 25 June 1929) was an actor and stage director. A son of the well-known playwright Dion Boucicault and actress Agnes Robertson, he followed his father into the theatrical profession and made a career as a character actor and a director. In addition to extensive work in the West End of London, he spent considerable time in Australia, where he went into management in the 1880s.
As an actor, his greatest successes included
Early life
Boucicault was born in New York,[1] the third child of Dion Boucicault, the well-known actor and dramatist, and his wife, Agnes Kelly née Robertson (1833–1916), who was also well known on the stage. He had two elder siblings, Dion William (1855–1876), Eva (1857–1909), and three younger siblings, Patrice (1862-?1890), Nina (1867–1950), the first actress to play Peter Pan, and Aubrey (1868–1913) a handsome and dashing matinee idol. Boucicault was educated at Esher, Cuddington and Paris, and served briefly in the militia.[2] After his elder brother Dion William died in the Abbots Ripton rail accident, Boucicault adopted his name Dion.[3][1]
Theatrical career
Boucicault made his stage début in his father's play, Louis XI at
Boucicault had invaluable experience both as a producer and as an actor, and when he returned to London in 1896 he was capable of taking any part that his lack of height, 5 ft 7 in (170 cm), did not disqualify him for. On 20 January 1898 he played one of his most successful parts, Sir William Gower, in Trelawney of the Wells, and a long succession of important parts followed, including many characters of "crusty senility".[2] He directed the first production of Peter Pan and other well-known plays by Barrie, Milne and various leading dramatists of the time.[1] From 1901 to 1922, Boucicault was active as a producer, first in partnership with Charles Frohman, and, after Frohman's death, on his own.[1] His last successful production was Lilac Time in December 1922.[1]
Boucicault visited Australia again in 1923 with his wife
Late life and legacy
Boucicault's health began to deteriorate in Australia, and returning to England via New Zealand, he died at his home in Berkshire on 25 June 1929, survived by his wife.[1]
Boucicault was a great producer of comedy and paid great attention to detail. In Australia he set a standard that has seldom, if ever, been surpassed. He was a most finished actor in a wide range of parts and in his later years became the legitimate successor of Sir John Hare in playing old men's parts. News of his death in Australia had critics mourning his death.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Banerji, Nilanjana, "Boucicault, Dion, the younger (1859–1929)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2008, accessed 13 January 2011 (subscription required)
- ^ )
- ^ "Dreadful Railway Accident". Evening Standard. London. 24 January 1876. p. 5. Retrieved 20 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ TURNED UP (11 October 1886). "The Lorgnette (Melbourne, Vic. : 1878 - 1898) p. 2 Edition: Edition 3". Lorgnette. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
Serle, Percival (1949). "Boucicault, Dion". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
External links
- Dion Boucicault Jr. at the Internet Broadway Database
- Dion Boucicault Jr. at IMDb
- Dion Boucicault Jr. portrait New York Public Library
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