Fanny Brough
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
7 July 1852
Fanny Bull
Fanny Brough | |
|---|---|
 Fanny Brough in the 1880s | |
| Born | Frances "Fanny" Whiteside Brough 7 July 1852 |
| Died | 30 November 1914 (aged 62) |
| Other names | Fanny Boleyn Fanny Bull |
| Occupation | Stage actress |
| Spouse | Richard Smith Boleyn (née Bull) |
| Father | Robert Barnabas Brough |
| Relatives | Robert Brough (brother) William Brough (uncle) John Cargill Brough (uncle) Lionel Brough (uncle) |
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Frances Whiteside Brough (7 July 1852 – 30 November 1914) was a French-born British stage actress known for her many comedy roles performed over a four decade-long career.
Part of a literary and dramatic family, Brough was acting professionally in London by 1870. She played in a variety of comic and dramatic roles in Britain with several companies and toured America early in the 20th century with Charles Hawtrey. Her career reached a high point in 1902 with her creation of the title role of Kitty Warren in George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession. She continued to act until shortly before her death.
Brough was born in Paris, and baptised on 23 February 1853 at the Parish Church of St. Peter in Liverpool.[1] She was the daughter of Robert Barnabas Brough, a noted journalist, poet and librettist who died a few days before her eighth birthday, and his wife Elizabeth (née Romer), an actress and a cousin of the soprano Emma Romer. Her father's brothers were the writer William Brough, the science writer John Cargill Brough and the actor-comedian Lionel Brough, cousins of the geologist Robert Brough Smyth. Her brother was the actor/manager Lionel Barnabas Brough (stage name Robert Brough).[2][3] Her grandmother was the novelist Frances Brough.
Brough's professional stage debut came in 1869 with Charles Calvert's company at the Prince's Theatre in Manchester, where in March of the following year she played Ophelia opposite Barry Sullivan's prince in Hamlet.[4] Her London debut came on 15 October 1870 at the St James's Theatre playing the title role in Southerland Edwards's adaptation of Sardou's Fernande. She then played with the Bancrofts in a revival of Money.[5] Brough found success in 1878 as Mary Melrose in provincial road productions of Henry James Byron's Our Boys and as Norah Fitzgerald in Henry Hamilton's 1886 play Harvest staged at London's Princess's Theatre.[6] Brough created the role of Petrella in The Passion Flower; or, Woman and the Law, a drama adapted from the Leopoldo Cano-y-Masas play La Pasionaria, which was originally produced in England as "The Woman and the Law" at the Theatre Royal in Hull on 28 July 1884 and at London's Olympic Theatre on 13 March 1885.[7]
The publication Pen, Pencil, Baton and Mask wrote in an 1890 sketch of Brough,
- Fond of the country and country pursuits, especially of driving, of which she 'can never have too much,' Fanny Brough finds her pretty home conveniently near London, while possessing many rural aspects. It is a large, old-fashioned house, within high walls, with some old trees in the still more old-fashioned garden. There is a great double hall opening out into several rooms. Her own special ' den ' is simply but artistically furnished, and contains many little treasures. There is a picture standing on an easel, by which she sets great store. It was sent to her by the Spanish author of the play The Woman and the Law, together with a letter of hearty congratulations and thanks on her brilliant creation of Petrella in that piece.
- But, with all her excessive love of mirth, Fanny Brough can look as severe as a judge when occasion demands. In early days some juvenile actor would now and then mischievously declare, 'I'm going to make you laugh to-night,' but it was no use. The merriment springs from within, and her face would be set as immovably as the Sphinx; but she remarks, "My sense of humour has served me in glorious stead throughout my whole life, and I should die if I could not laugh."[8]
