Irene Vanbrugh (1872-1949)

Irene Vanbrugh (1872-1949)

Irene Vanbrugh was born Irene Barnes in Exeter on the south coast of England on December 2nd, 1872. She was the daughter of the Reverend Reginald H. Barnes, Dean of Exeter, and his wife Frances [Nation]. She had two siblings, elder sister Violet (Vanbrugh), and younger brother Kenneth (Barnes) who also pursued successful stage careers.

Irene was was educated in Paris and London before preparing for the stage under Sarah Thorne at the Theatre Royal, Margate. She made her first stage appearance there in 1888, at the age of fifteen, playing 'Phoebe' in "As you like it". That was followed by roles in "A Midsummer Nights Dream" (Titania), "Arrah-Na-Pogue" (Arrah Meelish), "Leah" (Rose) and others. Having earned her spurs in Margate she moved to London, first joining the company at the Globe Theatre (which formerly stood in Newcastle Street, Strand). Her first West End appearance came on Boxing Day 1888, when still only sixteen, she played the White Queen and Jack of Hearts in a revival of "Alice in Wonderland", a musical play based on Lewis Carroll's book. That was followed by roles in "The Merchant of Venice" at the Crystal Palace, "Faustines Love" at the Strand before returning to Margate for a short run as 'Juliet' in "Romeo and Juliet".

In Autumn of 1889, she joined the company of actor/manager John L. Toole, beginning with a tour of the provinces and ending back in the capital at Tooles Theatre (self-named), where she first played 'Kitty Severs' in "A Broken Sixpence". She remained with Toole's company four the next four years, which included a tour of Australasia. Her first appearance on foreign soil was as 'Kate Vandeleur' in "Chawles" at the Princess's Theatre, Melbourne. Among the many roles she played for Toole was that of 'Thea Tesman', the female lead (opposite Sir Henry Irving) in "Ibsen's Ghost", J.M. Barrie's first successful play. Barrie was so impressed with her performance that she was the automatic choice for his next play, as 'Bell Golightly' in "Walker London" (which ran for over 500 performances).

By now Irene was firmly established as a fine character actress with a varied repertoire. From September 1893 she spent a successful season with Beerbohm Tree's at the Haymarket Theatre before joining George Alexander's company at the St James's Theatre, including a spell on tour. With Alexander, she created the role of the Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax in the first performance of Oscar Wilde's immortal play "The Importance of Being Earnest", which opened in February 1895 and brought Irene much critical acclaim.

Her next move saw her join her sister Violet in Arthur Bourchier's company for the opening of his management at the Royalty. Irene played 'Dulcie Martindale' and Violet 'Gladys' in "The Chilli Widow", Bourchier's own translation from a French farce, opening in September 1895. Violet and Bourchier would later be married and produce a daughter, Prudence, Irene's neice, who was also an actress. A year later she would appear on stage with her sister again, in "Donna Diana" at the Prince of Wales (Violet in the title-role whilst Irene played 'Floretta'). Both sisters then accompanied Bourchier for a season in the USA.

On her return to London, continually in demand she was constantly in work appearing in many successful plays. In 1901, she married Dion Boucicault (1859-1929), the actor, director and playwright who was the son of the celebrated Irish Actor and playwright of the same name and the famous Scottish actress, Agnes Robertson. Unlike many other actresses of the time, Irene took no break from her career following her marriage, but remained constantly active upon the stage, often appearing with her husband.

In 1902 she was contracted by Charles Frohman under whose management she would remain for the next thirteen years. This association brought her many memorable parts, most notably that of 'Lady Mary' in the first production of Barrie's "The Admirable Crichton" at the Duke of York's Theatre which opened in November 1902 and ran for over 800 performances. Her appearances in subsequent years are too numerous to mention as she remained in regular employment until after the Second World War - including a tour of South Africa and further tours of Australia and New Zealand. In her career she played in many of J.M. Barrie's, as did her husband, which brought them both many of their most notable performances.

In the mid-1920s, the health of Dion Boucicault began to decline causing Irene to limit her stage appearances until after his death in 1929 at the age of 70. In the mid-1930's she appeared in a number of films (having first appeared on celluloid during the Great War), and in the 1941 New Years Honours was created a Dame of the British Empire for her services to the theatre.

She published her autobiography "To Tell My Story" in 1948, a year before her death. Dame Irene Vanbrugh passed away in London on November 30, 1949, two days before what would have been her 77th birthday. Her sister Violet had died seven years earlier in 1942.

Publications
To Tell My Story - Autobiography, Hutchinson, London 1948. Cloth.
Hints on the Art of Acting - Talks to the students of RADA, Hutchinson, London, 1951.

Movie Credits (source www.imdb.com)
1916 - Real Thing at Last, The [Lady]
1917 - Gay Lord Quex, The [Sophie Fullgarney]
1918 - Masks and Faces [Peg Woffington]
1933 - Head of the Family [Mrs. Powis-Porter]
1934 - Catherine the Great [Princess Anhalt-Zerbst]
1934 - Youthful Folly [Lady Wilmington]
1934 - Way of the Youth, The [Mme. Bonnard]
1934 - Girls Will Be Boys [Princess of Ehrenstein]
1935 - Escape Me Never [Mrs. McClean]
1937 - Wings of the Morning [Marie]
1937 - Knight Without Armour [Duchess]
1943 - It Happened One Sunday [Mrs. Bellamy]
1945 - I Live in Grosvenor Square [Mrs. Catchpole]