Sarah Thorne
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Sarah Thorne (10 May 1836 – 27 February 1899) was a British actress and actress-manager of the 19th century who managed the Theatre Royal at
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
for many years. She ran a school for acting there which is widely regarded as Britain's first formal drama school.Thorne on the Theatre Royal Margate Archive website
/ref> The Sarah Thorne Theatre Club in Broadstairs is named in her memory.


Early life

Sarah Thorne was born in London in 1836, the eldest of ten children born to Richard Samuel Thorne (1813–1875), an actor and
theatre manager Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicat ...
who managed the
Surrey Theatre The Surrey Theatre, London began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, one of the many circuses that provided entertainment of both horsemanship and drama ( hippodrama). It stood in Blackfriars Road, near the j ...
, and his wife, Sarah née Rogers (1812–1896). Two of her younger brothers were
Thomas Thorne Thomas Thorne (1841–1918) was an English actor and theatre manager. Thomas Thorne was one of the founding managers of London's Vaudeville Theatre, along with David James (actor, born 1839), David James and Henry James Montague, and performe ...
, one of the founding managers of London's
Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Opening in 1870, the theatre staged mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. The theatre was rebuilt twice, although each new buildin ...
, and George Thorne, the singer and actor, best known for his performances in the comic
baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
roles of the
Savoy Operas Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which imp ...
with the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. The ...
. Sarah Thorne made her stage debut aged 12 on 26 December 1848 in a
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...
produced by her father at the
Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel The Pavilion Theatre at 191–193 Whitechapel Road, London, was the first major theatre to open in London's East End. It was destroyed by fire in 1856 and rebuilt as the New Royal Pavilion Theatre, which operated until 1935. History The theatre ...
. Over the next few years she went on to appear in stock companies all over Great Britain. On 6 August 1855 she joined her father's company for the summer season at
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
. Thorne then moved to Ireland where she stayed for three seasons, appearing as the leading lady at the
Theatre Royal, Dublin Over the centuries, there have been five theatres in Dublin called the Theatre Royal. In the history of the theatre in Great Britain and Ireland, the designation "Theatre Royal", or "Royal Theatre", once meant that a theatre had been granted a ...
as
Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venice, Italy, Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello (char ...
in ''
Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...
'' opposite
Charles Kean Charles John Kean (18 January 181122 January 1868) was an Irish-born English actor and theatre manager, best known for his revivals of Shakespearean plays. Life Kean was born at Waterford, Ireland, a son of actor Edmund Kean and actress Mary ...
, and playing
Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...
to
Gustavus Vaughan Brooke Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (25 April 1818 – 11 January 1866), commonly referred to as G. V. Brooke, was an Irish stage actor who enjoyed success in Ireland, England, and Australia. Early life Brooke was born in Dublin, Ireland, the eldest son o ...
's ''
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
''. Thorne then toured Ireland and
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. She married the Irish political author and biographer Thomas Macknight. They had two children during their three years together, Edmund (born 1860) and Elizabeth (born 1862), but due to incompatibility the couple separated soon after the birth of their daughter.


Actress-manager

Returning to the United Kingdom, from August 1863 to 1865 she appeared in leading roles in Paisley and Edinburgh. She also appeared in
Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
. From October 1865 to March 1866 she played the leading female roles in the plays of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 ...
at the National Standard Theatre in
Shoreditch High Street Shoreditch High Street is the old main street of Shoreditch, London. It is part of the A10 road and connects Norton Folgate to the south with Kingsland Road to the north. It constitutes a segment of the Roman Ermine Street, which ran direct ...
. She became an actress-manager in 1867 when she took over the lease of the Theatre Royal,
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
from her father, Richard Samuel Thorne. Sarah Thorne declared that, under her management, she intended to offer the "newest pieces approved in the metropolis as occasion permits" but also would not forget to produce "old and legitimate productions". When the theatre's lease was sold at auction in August 1873 she was forced to hold a less responsible managerial role during 1874. Christmas 1874 saw her return to Margate during the tour of her annual pantomime. In March 1876 Thorne took over the Theatre Royal at
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...
as actress-manager. Here she booked touring companies as well as having her own company of actors producing both classical and new drama. When the Theatre Royal burnt down in November 1877 Thorne founded a touring company which included the veteran actor
Charles James Mathews Charles James Mathews (26 December 1803 – 24 June 1878) was a British actor. He was one of the few British actors to be successful in French-speaking roles in France. A son of the actor Charles Mathews, he achieved a greater reputation th ...
. The lease of the Theatre Royal in
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
becoming once again available, in January 1879 Thorne returned to that venue, booking touring companies which included that of her brother
Thomas Thorne Thomas Thorne (1841–1918) was an English actor and theatre manager. Thomas Thorne was one of the founding managers of London's Vaudeville Theatre, along with David James (actor, born 1839), David James and Henry James Montague, and performe ...
, one of the founding managers of London's
Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Opening in 1870, the theatre staged mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. The theatre was rebuilt twice, although each new buildin ...
. In late 1879 she leased
Astley's Amphitheatre Astley's Amphitheatre was a performance venue in London opened by Philip Astley in 1773, considered the first modern circus ring. It was burned and rebuilt several times, and went through many owners and managers. Despite no trace of the thea ...
in London for a short period. Here she appeared with another brother, George Thorne, who had trained under her as an actor. It is claimed that Thorne had a "somewhat imperious manner"


School of acting

Thorne opened her 'School of Acting' in 1885, based at the Theatre Royal in
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
. Open to both men and women, her apprentices included
Harley Granville-Barker Harley Granville-Barker (25 November 1877 – 31 August 1946) was an English actor, director, playwright, manager, critic, and theorist. After early success as an actor in the plays of George Bernard Shaw, he increasingly turned to directing a ...
, Louis Calvert,
Gertrude Kingston Gertrude Kingston (born ''Gertrude Angela Kohnstamm''; 24 September 1862 – 7 November 1937) was an actress, an English actor-manager and artist. Early life Kingston was born in Islington in London, the daughter of merchant Heiman Kohnstamm a ...
, Julia Stewart,
Evelyn Millard Evelyn Mary Millard (18 September 1869 – 9 March 1941) was an English William Shakespeare, Shakespearean actress, actor-manager and "stage beauty" of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries perhaps best known for creating the role o ...
,
Janet Achurch Janet Achurch (17 January 1863 – 11 September 1916) was an English stage actress and actor-manager. She made her London debut in 1883. She played many Shakespearean roles, but is best known as a pioneer of major roles in the works of Ibsen a ...
, Adelaide Neilson, her brother George Thorne and
Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...
and
Violet Vanbrugh Violet Augusta Mary Bourchier, Barnes (11 June 1867 – 11 November 1942), known professionally as Violet Vanbrugh, was an English actress with a career that spanned more than fifty years. Vanbrugh was from a family with theatrical connections ...
. Thorne's 'School of Acting' is widely regarded as being Britain's first formal drama school.


Later years

In 1894 Thorne leased the Chatham Lecture Hall, renaming it the Opera House; it became an alternative venue for her theatrical company. Her last theatrical appearance was in Margate during her benefit in September 1898. Sarah Thorne died at 3 New Road Avenue,
Chatham, Kent Chatham ( ) is a town within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. In 2020 it had a population of 80,596. Th ...
on 27 February 1899. She was buried at
Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is since 1852 the first (and only) London cemetery to be Crown Estate, Crown property, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington a ...
,
West Brompton West Brompton is an area of west London, England, that straddles the boundary between the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The centuries-old boundary traced by Counter's Creek, probably marke ...
, London on 3 March 1899. After her death her son and business manager, Edmund Macknight, took over the leases of the Opera House at Chatham and the Theatre Royal in Margate. Her daughter Elizabeth married the
actor-manager An actor-manager is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages the business, sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used co ...
Henry Dundas in 1883. Thorne's nephew, the son of her sister Emily (died 5 March 1907)"Death of a Well Known Actress – By the death of Miss Emily Thorne, the well remembered and, in her time, popular actress, another of Margate's notable successes in the profession of drama has been removed from us. Miss Emily Thorne, who in private life was Mrs Gillmore, and the mother of Frank Gillmore, a prominent actor and playwright, was one of the numerous family of the late Mr Richard Thorne, a favourite actor in his day. Lessee of the Theatre Royal, Margate and afterwards of the Pavilion in London. Her sister, Sarah, who died a few years since, was intimately connected with the stage and in her 'school' at Margate some of our best known present day performers were trained. Miss Thorne was a sister of Mr Thomas Thorne, one of the original proprietors of the Vaudeville Theatre, also of Mr Fred Thorne and of Mr George Thorne an actor long identified with 'Grossmith parts' in the
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
operas on tour. Miss Thorne made her appearance in London in 1859, as Sally Scraggs in the old farce 'Stage Struck'. Her last appearance was at the Strand seven or eight years ago, when nearly the whole of the Thorne family took part in a farcical comedy at a matinee." ''Isle of Thanet Gazette'' 16 March 1907
and her husband, actor Frank Parker Gillmore, was the actor and playwright
Frank Gillmore Frank Parker Gillmore (May 14, 1867 – March 29, 1943) was an American playwright and a stage and early film actor. He was a founder and former President of Actor's Equity. He was born in New York City to John Parker Gillmore and his actr ...
. His daughters were the actresses Ruth Gillmore and Margalo Gillmore.


References


External links


Playbill from 1868 for the Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel – East London Theatre Archive
University of East London University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford, London, Stratford and London Docklands, Docklands, following the opening of University Squar ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorne, Sarah 1836 births 1899 deaths 19th-century English actresses Actor-managers Actresses from London Actresses from Margate Women of the Victorian era Burials at Brompton Cemetery 19th-century British theatre managers British women theatre managers and producers