35-616: Edward Compton (14 January 1854 – 16 July 1918) was an actor and actor-manager of the Victorian era who enjoyed considerable success in touring the English provinces with plays by Shakespeare , Sheridan and Goldsmith but who met with failure while trying to break into the West End theatre . Born in 1854 at 16 Charing Cross Road in London as Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie , he
70-711: A church plant in the city centre "aimed specifically at students and young adults". St Peter's had a large pipe organ built-in 1888 for the Hampstead Conservatoire of Music by Henry Willis and brought to Brighton in 1910. It is the sole survivor of three almost identical instruments in the town, the others having been at the Dome Pavilion and in Hove Town Hall. The latter is now at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Elstree , while
105-412: A combination of the works of Shakespeare , popular melodramas , and new dramas, comedies or musical theatre works. The era of the actor-manager was geared to star performances, such as Irving 's role in the 1871 play The Bells . The system of actor-management waned in the early 20th century, as actor-managers were replaced first by stage managers and later by theatre directors . In addition,
140-667: A long period of consultation, the Diocesan Pastoral Committee recommended to the Church Commissioners that St Peter's should be made redundant . On 8 May 2009, Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London, an influential Church of England parish church which created the Alpha course , agreed to take over its ownership and running. St Peter's previously merged parish with that of the Chapel Royal
175-501: A means of stretching themselves, the actors appeared and bowed, … and those in front of the curtain went away rather bored and much disappointed, while those behind departed full of false hope. Despite the attendance of The Prince of Wales at a performance and some reworking of the production The American closed on 4 December 1891 after only 69 performances and causing a great financial loss. Compton's son Sir Compton Mackenzie later described his father's reaction: He realised that it
210-477: A permanent clientele that flocked to their productions. They could enlarge their audience by going on tour across the country, performing a repertoire of well-known plays, such as Shakespeare. The newspapers, private clubs, pubs and coffee shops rang with lively debates palming the relative merits of the stars of their productions. Henry Irving (1838–1905) was the most successful of the British actor-managers. Irving
245-717: A play for the stage - to which James agreed. Performed by the Compton Comedy Company, the play premièred in January 1891 in Southport with Compton playing Christopher Newman, the American, and was a financial and critical success. Compton took The American to the Opera Comique in London on 26 September 1891, with himself again playing Christopher Newman, but the London audiences were unappreciative of
280-580: A project known as Safehaven to help homeless people. There are three services on a Sunday: a liturgical Holy Communion at 8.00 am, a family service at 10.30, and a student and youth-oriented service at 6:30 pm. St Peter's has a satellite church on the Whitehawk estate, known as St Cuthman's, and has also planted a church in Holy Trinity Church, Hastings . In August 2016, the vicar and 30 parishioners moved to Portsmouth to start Harbour Church,
315-553: A recording made in June 1977 when the Choir of Guildford Cathedral gave a concert at St Peter's. Louis Vierne's Organ Symphony No.1 (Prelude) demonstrates the impressive Swell to good effect. The tower of St Peter's currently houses 10 bells, all of which were cast in 1914 by Mears and Stainbank of London. The tenor bell weighs 25-2-0 cwt and is tuned to the key of D. The bells hang in a cast-iron frame on two levels, bells 1, 2 and 9 hang on
350-681: A result of the cultural and liturgical changes made in the wake of the Oxford Movement . Barry's hexagonal apse was demolished in 1898 to make way for a much larger, straight-ended chancel designed by Somers Clarke and J. T. Mickelthwaite, built-in Sussex sandstone, its warm hue contrasting with the cold, white appearance of the Portland stone in which the rest of the church was built. The building work continued until 1906. The new chancel, 53 feet (16 m) long and 35 feet (11 m) wide,
385-601: Is a church in Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove . It is near the centre of the city, on an island between two major roads, the A23 London Road and A270 Lewes Road . Built from 1824–28 to a design by Sir Charles Barry , it is arguably the finest example of the pre- Victorian Gothic Revival style. It is a Grade II* listed building . It was the parish church of Brighton from 1873 to 2007 and
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#1732788114314420-730: Is being explored on this model as actors look to provide themselves with an artistic platform which they have the means to control. Examples include Kevin Spacey when he worked as the artistic director of the Old Vic in London , Samuel West when he briefly ran the Sheffield Crucible and Kenneth Branagh in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. St Peter%27s Church, Brighton St Peter's Church
455-436: Is sometimes unofficially referred to as "Brighton's cathedral". St Peter's Church was founded as a chapel of ease associated with Brighton's oldest church and its existing parish church, St Nicholas . The contract to design the new church was won in open competition by Charles Barry, then only in his mid-twenties. It was built in an approximation of the 14th- and 15th-century Perpendicular or Late Gothic style, typical of
490-407: The 19th century, the negative reputation of actors was largely reversed, and acting became an honored, popular profession and art. The rise of the actor as celebrity provided the transition, as audiences flocked to their favorite "stars." A new role emerged for the actor-managers who formed their own companies and controlled the actors, the production, and the financing. When successful, they built up
525-517: The Compton Comedy Company had been touring the UK for ten years and had given thousands of performances of such plays as Sheridan 's The Rivals and The School for Scandal , The Road to Ruin by Thomas Holcroft , David Garrick by T. W. Robertson and She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith . Compton decided that the time was right to take his company to London, and he wrote to Henry James asking him to adapt his novel The American into
560-1032: The United States. The first actor-managers, such as Robert Browne , appeared in the late 16th century, to be followed by another Robert Browne (no relation) and George Jolly in the 17th century. In the 18th century, actor-managers such as Colley Cibber and David Garrick gained prominence. The system of actor-management generally produced high standards of performance, as demonstrated by such 19th-century actors as William Macready , Charles Wyndham , Henry Irving , Frank Benson and Herbert Beerbohm Tree , by husband-wife teams such as Squire Bancroft and Effie Bancroft , Frank Wyatt and Violet Melnotte , William Hunter Kendal and Madge Robertson Kendal and Thomas and Priscilla German Reed , and by women stars, such as Lucia Elizabeth Vestris , Lucy Escott , Selina Dolaro , Evelyn Millard , Sarah Bernhardt , Sarah Thorne , Gertrude Kingston , Emily Soldene , Laura Keene and Lydia Thompson , among many others. In
595-1041: The actors Frank Compton (1885–1964), Viola Compton (1886–1971), Ellen Compton (1891–1970), and Fay Compton (1894–1978). Among other roles Compton played Malvolio in Twelfth Night (1881), Dr. Pangloss in The Heir At Law (1881), Mawworm in Isaac Bickerstaffe 's The Hypocrite (1881), Jack Rover in Wild Oats (1882), Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer (1882), Charles Surface in The School For Scandal (1883), Dromio of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (1883) and Bob Acres in The Rivals (1883). By 1891
630-552: The artist and designer Edward Arthur Fellowes Prynne . St Peter's was listed at Grade II* on 24 March 1950. As of September 2022, it was one of 72 Grade II* listed buildings , and 1,220 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove . St Peter's parish was legally united with that of the Chapel Royal in North Street from 25 July 1978 by means of an Order in Council . In December 2007, after
665-509: The bequest to set up the Compton Comedy Company which put on the plays of William Shakespeare and period English comedies across the country from 1881 to 1923. His leading lady was Virginia Frances Bateman (1853–1940), the daughter of the American actor H. L. Bateman . They married at St Peter's Church in Brighton on 12 June 1882 and had five children: the novelist Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie (1883–1972) and
700-666: The dedication of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon . Later that year with his brother Charles he published the Memoir of Henry Compton . Compton joined the company of the Adelphi Theatre in London and from September 1879 to July 1880 he accompanied Adelaide Neilson on her successful tour of America, playing in New York, Boston , New Orleans and San Francisco . On completing
735-429: The drama, finding the acting heavy-handed and the plot confusing and uneven. The critic of The Pall Mall Gazette wrote: The audience was much amused and rather interested by the first act, less amused and more interested by the second, still less amused and rather less interested by the third, and not at all amused and barely interested by the fourth. Then the curtain came down, the people kindly clapped their hands as
SECTION 20
#1732788114314770-465: The end of World War II a combination of social, financial and technological factors, combined with the rising popularity of film and radio, lead to the diminishing of the actor-manager system, with its last two great exponents being Sir Donald Wolfit and Sir Laurence Olivier , both of whom were actively working within a (by then) old fashioned framework. Though no longer the standard practice, modern actor-managers do exist and increasingly fringe work
805-845: The former was broken up in the 1930s. It is almost identical to the famous organ in Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro . The organ in St. Peter's has been unusable for some years due to asbestos. At a meeting of the Diocesan Advisory Committee held on 14 March 2019, it was proposed that the organ be removed from St Peter's and installed in St John's College Chapel, Cambridge. The organ has now been removed from St Peter's, some parts will be re-used at St John's College Chapel, Cambridge. The organ features in
840-756: The provinces and suburbs of London. By August 1915 Compton was preparing to take his company back to London to appear at the Shaftesbury Theatre but he became ill and plans were put on hold. He died of throat cancer at his home, 54 Avonmore Road in West Kensington in London, on 16 July 1918 and was buried in Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. The Compton Comedy Company continued to tour the United Kingdom until 26 July 1923 when it
875-509: The so-called Commissioners' churches , of which St Peter's was one. It was not a revival of its style in the manner of Barry's pupil Augustus Pugin , but, as Nikolaus Pevsner described it, remedies this fault by remarkable inventiveness and boldness. The foundation stone was laid by the Vicar of Brighton, the Revd R. J. Carr, on 8 May 1824, at a location which was at the time "the entrance to
910-483: The system of actor-management was adversely affected by factors such as the increasing cost of mounting theatrical productions, more corporate ownership of theatres, such as by the Theatrical Syndicate , Edward Laurillard and The Shubert Organization , a trend toward ensemble-style acting, and a move towards the financial security offered by long runs rather than rotating plays for a short period. After
945-512: The tour the company sailed from New York for London with Neilson continuing on to Paris to prepare for her forthcoming marriage to Compton arranged for September 1880. However, while driving in the Bois de Boulogne in August 1880 she suffered a ruptured aneurysm , dying a few hours later. In her will she left Compton £2000. He returned to the Adelphi Theatre for a short period following which he used
980-414: The town" but which is now in the city centre, following the rapid development of Brighton since that date. The ceremony of consecration was led by the same man on 25 January 1828. A spire was designed by Barry in 1841, but it was never built. The side aisles originally had galleries (such as those to be seen at churches such as Christ Church, Spitalfields ), but these were taken down, as were so many, as
1015-1696: Was at his father's benefit at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in March 1877 in which he played Alfred Evelyn in Money by Edward Bulwer-Lytton , going on to appear in his father's second benefit in Manchester later in the same month. This was followed by appearances with the companies of Henry James Byron and Mrs Hermann Vezin . From 1877 to 1879 Compton toured the United Kingdom in the company of Ellen Wallis for whom he appeared as Michael Cassio in Othello , Malcolm in Macbeth , Romeo in Romeo and Juliet , Florizel in The Winter's Tale , Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing , Orlando in As You Like It , Master Wildrake in The Love Chase , Charles Surface in The School for Scandal and as Claude Melnotte in The Lady of Lyons by Edward Bulwer-Lytton . On 23 April 1879 he played Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing at
1050-542: Was consecrated in the presence of the then Archbishop of Canterbury , the Most Reverend Randall Thomas Davidson . The church has a selection of stained-glass windows, most of which are by Charles Eamer Kempe . The liturgical east side (geographical north) has a window commemorating Queen Victoria , presented to the church on behalf of the people of Brighton using funds raised in the town. The Church also contains reredos panels by
1085-416: Was disbanded due to the high cost of maintaining it. 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 consistently since the 16th century, particularly common in 19th-century Britain and
Edward Compton (actor) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-481: Was not his destiny to be a leading London actor-manager and went back to the provinces where he was so much loved, and where in a white wig instead of a toupee and with patches instead of a false moustache he would be making much more money and doing far more for British drama than by trying to establish himself in London. After this failure the Compton Comedy Company returned to touring the provinces and Edward Compton together with Milton Bode bought several theatres in
1155-490: Was reconstituted as a separate and smaller parish. Services restarted on Sunday, 1 November 2009. The vicar at the time was Archie Coates and the associate vicar was Jonny Gumbel (the son of Nicky Gumbel who developed the Alpha Course). Since then, the church has grown to "more than 1000" and continues to grow under new vicar Daniel Millest (appointed September 2022). It has a focus on social action, especially through
1190-489: Was renowned for his Shakespearean roles, and for such innovations as turning out the house lights so that attention could focus more on the stage and less on the audience. His company toured across Britain, as well as Europe and the United States, demonstrating the power of star actors and celebrated roles to attract enthusiastic audiences. His knighthood in 1895 indicated full acceptance into the higher circles of British society. The 19th-century repertoire usually consisted of
1225-1036: Was the fifth of nine children born to Charles Mackenzie, an actor known as Henry Compton (1805–1877), and Emmeline Catherine née Montague (1823–1911). Edward Compton was educated at the private academy of Revd J. Gaitskell. His first stage appearance was in 1873 at the New Theatre Royal in Bristol as Long Ned in F. Boyle's Old London . In 1874 he joined the Francis Fairlie Touring Company for who he appeared in East Lynne by Alfred Kempe , in Progress by C. R. Munro and The School for Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan , followed by seasons in Bristol, Glasgow , Kilmarnock , Liverpool and Birmingham . His first role in London
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