Dame Irene Vanbrugh DBE ( Barnes; 2 December 1872 – 30 November 1949) was an English actress. The daughter of a clergyman, Vanbrugh followed her elder sister Violet into the theatrical profession and sustained a career for more than 50 years. In her early days as a leading lady she was particularly associated with the plays of

Arthur Wing Pinero Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (24 May 185523 November 1934) was an English playwright and, early in his career, actor. Pinero was drawn to the theatre from an early age, and became a professional actor at the age of 19. He gained experience as a supp ...

and later had parts written for her by J. M. Barrie, Bernard Shaw,

Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

, A. A. Milne and

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combina ...

. More famous for comic rather than dramatic roles, Vanbrugh nevertheless played a number of the latter in both modern works and the classics. Her stage debut was in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, but she seldom acted in his works later in her career; exceptions were her Queen Gertrude in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

'' in 1931 and her Meg Page in ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'', opposite her sister Violet as Alice Ford, in 1937. Vanbrugh appeared frequently in fundraising shows for various charities. She was active over many years in the support of the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sena ...

in London, of which her brother was principal. After her death the Academy's new theatre was named The Vanbrugh Theatre in honour of her and her sister.

Biography

Early years

Vanbrugh was born Irene Barnes in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...

, the youngest daughter and fifth child of six of the Rev. Reginald Henry Barnes (1831–1889),

Prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of t ...

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 14 ...

and Vicar of

Heavitree Heavitree is a historic village and parish situated formerly outside the walls of the City of Exeter in Devon, England, and is today an eastern district of that city. It was formerly the first significant village outside the city on the road to ...

, and his wife, Frances Mary Emily, ''née'' Nation.Littlewood, S. R.
"Vanbrugh, Dame Irene (1872–1949)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, accessed 7 January 2011 Irene's eldest sister Violet and younger brother

Kenneth Kenneth is an English given name and surname. The name is an Anglicised form of two entirely different Gaelic personal names: ''Cainnech'' and '' Cináed''. The modern Gaelic form of ''Cainnech'' is ''Coinneach''; the name was derived from ...

were also to make theatrical careers. Another sister Edith married, as his second wife, Hugh Shakespear Barnes, an official in the colonial service and became a pillar of the British Raj, and Angela was a professional violinist. Irene was educated at Exeter High School and at schools in Paris. When the Barnes family moved to London, she attended a school near Earls Court recommended by the actress

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry, (27 February 184721 July 1928), was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and tour ...

, a family friend. It was also at Terry's suggestion that Violet, on starting a theatrical career, had adopted the stage name Vanbrugh. Irene did the same. Violet's early success encouraged Irene to follow her into the theatrical profession. Sir John Gielgud described the two:

The Vanbrugh sisters were remarkably alike in appearance. Tall and imposing, beautifully spoken, they moved with grace ... They were elegantly but never ostentatiously dressed, entering and leaving the stage with unerring authority ... Violet never struck me as a natural comedienne, as Irene was.

As her elder sister had done, Irene enrolled at Sarah Thorne's school of acting, based at

Margate Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook. The town has been a significant m ...

, which gave her a thorough practical grounding. She recalled, "We played every kind of play there; comedy, farce, and drama of the deepest dye; while at Christmas there came the pantomime, so that the Juliet of a week ago might be the Prince Paragon of the Yule-tide extravaganza."Bacchus, Reginald, "Miss Irene Vanbrugh: Her Art and Herself," ''The Ludgate'', October 1899, p. 501 As a student at the school, her first appearance on stage was in August 1888, as the capricious shepherdess Phoebe in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has ...

'' at the Theatre Royal, Margate, opposite the Rosalind of her sister Violet."Dame Irene Vanbrugh", ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'', 1 December 1949, p. 7

Early roles

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...

, a college friend of Vanbrugh's father, saw her performing in Margate and was impressed. On his recommendation she made her London début in December 1888, playing the White Queen and the Knave of Hearts in a revival of ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...

'' at the old

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

. Her sister Edith joined her in this production. Violet's early theatrical engagements had been with

J. L. Toole John Lawrence (J. L.) Toole (12 March 1830 – 30 July 1906) was an English comic actor, actor-manager and theatrical producer. He was famous for his roles in farce and in serio-comic melodramas, in a career that spanned more than four decades, ...

, and Irene emulated her and joined his company. For Toole, she played in established comedy successes including

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

's ''Dot'' and H. J. Byron's ''Uncle Dick's Darling''. Irene-vanbrugh-quex

When Toole toured Australia in 1890, Vanbrugh was a member of his company, acting in every play in its repertoire. She later commented, "I think this was even better training than Miss Thorne's school; not only was I constantly playing a new part, but I was constantly playing to a different type of audience. We visited all sorts of Australian cities, large and small, and one was pretty certain before long to find out the weak points in one's method." On her return, she remained with Toole's company, and played her first original roles as Thea Tesman in

James Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

's, burlesque ''Ibsen's Ghost'' (1891), and as Bell Golightly in Barrie's ''Walker, London'' (1892). In 1893, Vanbrugh joined

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous programm ...

at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

as Lettice in ''The Tempter'' (1893) by

Henry Arthur Jones Henry Arthur Jones (20 September 1851 – 7 January 1929) was an English dramatist, who was first noted for his melodrama '' The Silver King'' (1882), and went on to write prolifically, often appearing to mirror Ibsen from the opposite (conserva ...

. The play was not popular and was soon taken off, but she had more success in Jones's next play, ''The Masqueraders'', and in 1894 she was engaged by George Alexander at the

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham (tenor), John Braham; it lost mon ...

where she played a number of secondary parts, and in 1895 created the role of Gwendolen Fairfax in ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

''. When

Arthur Bourchier Arthur Bourchier (22 June 186314 September 1927) was an English actor and theatre manager. He married and later divorced the actress Violet Vanbrugh. Bourchier was noted for roles both in classical drama, particularly Shakespeare, and in con ...

, who had married Violet Vanbrugh, launched himself as an actor-manager, Vanbrugh joined them at the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

, winning good notices in ''The Chili Widow'' and in the title role of the comedy ''Kitty Clive.'' She went with the Bourchier company to America, and on her return in 1898 she created Rose in '' Trelawny of the Wells'' by

Arthur Pinero Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (24 May 185523 November 1934) was an English playwright and, early in his career, actor. Pinero was drawn to the theatre from an early age, and became a professional actor at the age of 19. He gained experience as a supp ...

, and, during the same season, Stella in Robert Marshall's ''His Excellency the Governor.'' After a short break she then played the role that made her name, Sophy Fullgarney in Pinero's ''The Gay Lord Quex'' (1899). This part, a little Cockney manicurist, was quite different from any she had played before, but Pinero was insistent that she should play it. In the words of the biographer S. R. Littlewood, "Vanbrugh's intelligence, sympathy, and alertness avoided extravagance in a subtle expression of class-contrast. This gave the character an intensity of appeal that was at the time something quite new." The play was regarded as risqué, and one critic commented that had Lewis Carroll still been alive, he would have approved of "Miss Vanbrugh's greatest triumph," but probably not of the play.

Early 20th century

In 1901 Vanbrugh married the actor Dion Boucicault Jr., son of his more famous

namesake A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another. History The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake", which originates in English Bible translations ...

. They frequently appeared together for the rest of his life, and he became her manager in 1915. There were no children of the marriage. Between the turn of the century and World War I she had leading roles in new plays by J. M. Barrie ('' The Admirable Crichton'', 1902; and ''Rosalind'', 1912), Pinero (''Letty'', 1903; ''His House in Order'', 1906; and ''Mid-Channel'', 1909), and Maugham (''Grace'', 1910; and ''The Land of Promise'', 1914). She also starred in new plays by Charles Haddon Chambers (''Passers-By'', 1911), and

A. E. W. Mason Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 – 22 November 1948) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, ''The Four Feathers'' and is also known as the creator of Inspecto ...

(''Open Windows'', 1913). In 1913 she played Lady Gay Spanker in a revival of Boucicault senior's ''

London Assurance ''London Assurance'' (originally titled ''Out of Town'') is a five-act comedy by Dion Boucicault. It was the second play that he wrote but his first to be produced. Its first production was by Charles Matthews and Madame Vestris's company and ...

'' in an all-star cast including Tree, Charles Hawtrey, Bourchier, Weedon Grossmith and Marie Tempest. This was one of the many charity fund-raising productions in which Vanbrugh appeared throughout her career. During World War I, Vanbrugh took a succession of leading roles in the West End, beginning with The Spirit of Culture in Barrie's war play ''Der Tag'' (1914). Following this, she played Lady Falkland in ''The Right to Kill'' (1915); the title role in ''Caroline'' (1916); Mrs Lytton in ''The Riddle'' (1916); Emily Ladew in ''Her Husband's Wife'' (1916); Leonora in Barrie's ''Seven Women'' (1917); and the title role in A. A. Milne's ''Belinda'' (1918)."Vanbrugh, Dame Irene"
''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 8 January 2011 In 1916, she appeared in her first film, '' The Real Thing at Last'' (1916); the following year she made a silent film version of '' The Gay Lord Quex'', as Sophy Fullgarney.

Inter-war years

From its early days, Vanbrugh was closely connected with the

(RADA). Her younger brother, Kenneth Barnes, had been its principal since 1909. In 1919, to raise funds for the Academy's theatre, then under construction, she had the play ''Masks and Faces'' filmed with a star cast, including not only leading actors but the playwrights Shaw, Pinero and Barrie in cameo appearances. Dion Boucicault & Irene Vanburgh - Punch cartoon - Project Gutenberg eText 16107

Dion Boucicault & Irene Vanburgh - Punch cartoon - Project Gutenberg eText 16107

Vanbrugh's first big stage success of the post-war years was in Milne's ''Mr Pim Passes By'' in 1920. She and her husband opened it in Manchester, and such was its reception that they brought it into the West End. From 1927 to 1929, she toured Australia and New Zealand, playing a variety of parts. Her other appearances in the inter-war years included Gertrude to Henry Ainley's

in 1931, Millicent Jordan in ''Dinner at Eight'' (1933), the Duchess of Marlborough in ''

Viceroy Sarah ''Viceroy Sarah'' is a 1935 historical play by the British writer Norman Ginsbury. It is based on the relationship between Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough and Queen Anne during the time of the War of the Spanish Succession. Its West End run l ...

'', (1935) and Mistress Page in ''

'' with her sister Violet as Mistress Ford (1937). In 1939, she created the role of Catherine of Braganza in Shaw's ''In Good King Charles's Golden Days''. Vanbrugh appeared in ten talkies from 1933 to 1945: ''

Head of the Family ''Head of the Family'' is an American 1996 B movie black comedy released by Full Moon Features. It concerns a Southern couple who blackmail a family of mutants to get money and revenge. Plot Howard (Gordon Jennison Noice) is the meanest nasties ...

''; '' Catherine the Great''; ''Girls Will Be Boys''; ''

The Way of Youth ''The Way of Youth'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Norman Walker and starring Irene Vanbrugh, Aileen Marson and Sebastian Shaw. It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios as a quota quickie."Quota quickies" was an allitera ...

''; ''Youthful Folly''; '' Escape Me Never''; '' Wings of the Morning''; '' Knight Without Armour''; '' It Happened One Sunday''; and '' I Live in Grosvenor Square''. In 1938, during the run of

's '' Operette'', in which she played Lady Messiter, Vanbrugh celebrated her golden jubilee as an actress. It was celebrated at a gala charity matinée attended by the

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

His Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre may refer to: *Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Australia, known as His Majesty's Theatre 1901–1952, demolished 1983 * His Majesty's Theatre, London, England, known as Her Majesty's Theatre 1952–2023 *His Majesty's Theatre, ...

; Violet Vanbrugh, Coward,

Edith Evans Dame Edith Mary Evans, (8 February 1888 – 14 October 1976) was an English actress. She was best known for her work on the stage, but also appeared in films at the beginning and towards the end of her career. Between 1964 and 1968, she was no ...

, Gladys Cooper,

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and ...

and many other leading performers took part.

Later years

During the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended ...

, the Vanbrugh sisters carried out what Littlewood calls "a characteristic piece of war work" by giving, with

Donald Wolfit Sir Donald Wolfit, KBE (born Donald Woolfitt; Harwood, Ronald"Wolfit, Sir Donald (1902–1968)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008; accessed 14 July 2009 20 April 1902 � ...

, lunchtime performances of extracts from ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' at the Strand Theatre. Throughout the war, Vanbrugh appeared in the West End and on tour in new plays, revivals of her earlier successes, and classics. Almost 50 years after her first appearance in a Wilde play, she played Lady Markby in ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' in 1943–1944, giving a performance characterised by ''

'' as "comic perfection". Vanbrugh appeared as Mrs. Mildred Catchpole in the 1945 film '' I Live in Grosvenor Square'', a British romance directed and produced by

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best known for the films he made with his third wife ...

. Her co-stars were Dean Jagger and

Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play '' French Without Tears'', in what ...

. Vanbrugh was working to the end of her life. In November 1949, she appeared in ''Mary Bonaventure'' in its pre-London run in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, but she was taken ill before the London opening and died within days, several days before her 77th birthday.

Honours and commemorations

Vanbrugh was created a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(DBE) in 1941. After her death, the new theatre for the

was named the Vanbrugh Theatre in honour of Vanbrugh and her sister. Located in Gower Street, London, the theatre was opened in 1954 by

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was th ...

. At a matinée marking RADA's golden jubilee in 1954, in the presence of Irene Vanbrugh's brother, Sir Kenneth Barnes, who was still the principal of the Academy, Edith Evans read a poem by A. P. Herbert in which Vanbrugh was celebrated among the leading names of British theatre: :All the great names that give our past a glow, :Bancroft and Irving, Barrie and Boucicault, :Vanbrugh and Playfair,

Terry Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Ame ...

, Kendal, Maude, :

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South A ...

and

Grossmith Grossmith is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *George Grossmith (1847–1912), English comedian, writer, and musician *Weedon Grossmith (1854–1919), English artist, writer, and actor; younger brother of George Grossmith, Sr. *G ...

loudly we applaud."R.A.D.A. Jubilee Matinée – Sir Alan Herbert's Prologue", ''The Times'', 21 May 1954, p. 2

Notes and references

;Notes ;References

Sources

External links

Biography on Theatrical Guild

Performance details from the theatrical archive, University of Bristol