Henry Irving

Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era. Known as an actor-manager, he took complete responsibility (supervision of sets, lighting, direction, casting, as well as playing the leading roles) for season after season at the West End's Lyceum Theatre, establishing himself and his company as representative of English classical theatre. In 1895 he became the first actor to be awarded a knighthood.

Describing Irving as having a "dark, imperious nature", ''The Times'' literary critic John Carey said that Irving and Ellen Terry (who joined Irving's company as his leading lady) were celebrities and national figureheads who transformed British theatre, writing, "Under Irving's management, the Lyceum Theatre brought culture to the masses. It was unstuffy, lavish and daring. Shakespeare's plays were put on in tandem with blood-and-thunder melodramas and their texts were ruthlessly cut." Irving is also widely acknowledged as being an inspiration for Count Dracula, the title character of the 1897 novel ''Dracula'' whose author, Bram Stoker, worked for Irving as business manager of the Lyceum Theatre. Provided by Wikipedia