Herbert Farjeon
Herbert Farjeon (5 March 1887 – 3 May 1945)[1] was a major figure in the British theatre from 1910 until his death. He was a presenter of revues in London's West End, a theatre critic, lyricist, librettist, playwright, theatre manager and researcher.[2]
Early life
His father was the novelist Benjamin Leopold Farjeon. His mother, Margaret Jefferson, was the daughter of the American actor, Joseph Jefferson. His sister was Eleanor Farjeon, the writer of children's verse and stories. His brothers were Harry Farjeon, the composer, and J. Jefferson Farjeon, who wrote novels. He was a conscientious objector in the First World War.[3]
Career
His first play to be performed, Friends, was put on at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin in 1917. Subsequently he had several plays performed in London. He was better known for his revues than for his "straight" plays, however. These included: Spread It Abroad, The Two Bouquets, Nine Sharp, Little Revue, Diversion and Light and Shade. He is credited with discovering Joyce Grenfell, whose first stage appearance was in Light and Shade. In 1938, he joined the management of the Little Theatre in London, and his revues were performed there.[2] His songs included "I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales".
He wrote reviews of plays and articles about the theatre for a number of British newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Mirror, Vogue, The Listener and the Radio Times. He was interested in the history of the theatre, and wrote about the Elizabethan theatre, Shakespeare and his plays, and edited a seven volume publication of the text of the First Folio. In the 1940s he helped to save the Theatre Royal, Bristol when it was put up for sale and might have ceased to be a theatre.[2]
He collaborated with his sister on a number of books, including Kings and Queens (1932), The Two Bouquets (1938), An Elephant in Arcady (1939), and The Glass Slipper (1944).
Personal life
In October 1914 he married Joan Thornycroft (Sept 1888 - April 1989), daughter of Sir Hamo Thornycroft RA, sculptor. Joan was also, via her aunt Theresa Sassoon née Thornycroft, first cousin to Siegfried Sassoon, war poet (and also a keen cricketer).
Their daughter, Annabel Farjeon, was a ballerina and author.[4]
He was a cricket enthusiast, and had a collection of pieces about the game published.
Bibliography
His books included:[5]
- Advertising April, Or the Girl Who Made the Sunshine Jealous: a Comedy in Three Acts, with Horace Horsnell, Kessinger Publishing, 2007 (first published 1922).
- Dramatic Sequels, with John Hankin, Secker, 1926.
- Works of Shakespeare: the Text of the First Folio With Quarto Variants and a Selection of Modern Readings, 7 vols, editor, Nonesuch Library, 1929.
- Kings and Queens, with Eleanor Farjeon, EP Dutton, 1932.
- Heroes and Heroines, with Eleanor Farjeon, J M Dent & Sons, 1933.
- The Comedies, Histories & Tragedies of William Shakespeare, editor, Limited Editions Club, 1939.
- Herbert Farjeon's Cricket Bag, Macdonald, 1946.
References
- ↑ New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Profile of Farjeon
- ↑ Grenfell, Joyce (1988): Edited by James Roose-Evans. Darling Ma. London: Hodder & Stoughton
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ List of his books
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- 1887 births
- 1945 deaths
- British conscientious objectors
- British theatre managers and producers
- British theatre critics
- English Jews
- English musical theatre librettists
- Cricket historians and writers
- Jewish dramatists and playwrights
- Farjeon family
- Writers from London
- 20th-century British dramatists and playwrights
