Harold Harley (20 June 1860 – 11 August 1937), known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Mark Ambient, was an English actor and dramatist. He is particularly noted as a writer of the musical comedy '' The Arcadians'', first produced in 1909. He was born in Rastrick, Yorkshire, son of Robert Harley, a Congregational minister and mathematician. He was educated at

Mill Hill School Mill Hill School is a 13–18 mixed independent, day and boarding school in Mill Hill, London, England that was established in 1807. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. History A committee of Nonconformis ...

in London, where his father was vice-principal, and

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...

, graduating BA in 1884.''Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students, Graduates and Holders of Office at the University of Cambridge, from the Earliest Times to 1900''
Volume 2, page 246.

Works

* ''Oh! Susannah!'' "A Farcical Comedy" in three acts: first produced at the Eden Theatre,

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, opening on 6 September 1897, afterwards at the Royalty Theatre, London. * ''A Little Ray of Sunshine'', a play in three acts by Ambient and Wilton Heriot, was first performed in the Assembly Rooms,

Yeovil Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somerset's southern border with ...

, opening on 3 May 1898. The first London performance was at the Royalty Theatre, opening on 31 December 1898; it featured

W. S. Penley William Sydney Penley (19 November 1851 – 11 November 1912) was an English actor, singer and comedian who had an early success in the small role of the Foreman in Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Trial by Jury''. He later achieved wider fame as produce ...

as Lord Markham. In New York it opened at

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the stock company managed by actors James W. Wallack and his son, Lester Wallack. During its 35-ye ...

on 28 August 1899, running for 22 performances. It was the inaugural production of the Great Queen Street Theatre, London, after its reconstruction; it ran from 24 May to 6 July 1900 (44 performances). * ''A Snug Little Kingdom'', "A Comedy of Bohemia" in three acts, was performed at the Royalty Theatre, running from 31 January to 28 February 1903 (28 performances). It featured Charles Warner,

Lyn Harding David Llewellyn Harding (12 October 1867 – 26 December 1952), known professionally as Lyn Harding, was a Welsh actor who spent 40 years on the stage before entering British made silent films, talkies and radio. He had an imposing and menac ...

and H. B. Warner. * '' The Arcadians'', "A Fantastic Musical Play" in three acts: book by Ambient and

Alexander M. Thompson Alexander Mattock Thompson (9 May 1861 – 25 March 1948), sometimes credited as A. M. Thompson, was a German-born English journalist and dramatist. From the 1880s, Thompson wrote for socialist newspapers and journals, co-founding ''The Clarion'' ...

, lyrics by

Arthur Wimperis Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...

, music by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot. It was first produced at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was ...

, London, opening on 29 April 1909 and running for 809 performances. In New York it opened at the

Liberty Theatre The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant and built for Klaw and Erlanger, the partnersh ...

on 17 January 1910, running for 136 performances. * ''The Light Blues'', a musical comedy: book by Ambient and

Jack Hulbert John Norman Hulbert (24 April 189225 March 1978) was a British actor, director, screenwriter and singer, specializing primarily in comedy productions, and often working alongside his wife (Dame) Cicely Courtneidge. Biography Born in Ely, Ca ...

, lyrics by Adrian Ross, music by Howard Talbot and

Herman Finck Herman Finck (November 4, 1872 – April 21, 1939) was a British composer and conductor of Dutch extraction. Born Hermann Van Der Vinck in London, he began his studies training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and established a care ...

. It was first seen on a provincial tour in 1915. At the Shaftesbury Theatre in London it ran from 14 September to 30 September 1916 (20 performances).London Musicals 1915–1919
Over the Footlights, accessed 19 August 2017.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ambient, Mark 1860 births 1937 deaths Alumni of King's College, Cambridge 19th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights English musical theatre librettists People from Rastrick