Louie Henri
Encyclopedia
Louie Henri was an English singer and actress, best known for her many roles in the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
. She married Henry Lytton
, who eventually became the company's longstanding principal comedian.
Henri's career got off to an early start when she joined Florence St. John
's Opera Company at the age of 15, but she left that troupe to help start her husband's acting career. Together, they struggled to establish more secure careers in the theatre and eventually obtained steady employment in D'Oyly Carte touring companies. Henri was promoted to play the leading mezzo soprano roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan
operas and the other productions of the company for about a decade. However, in 1898, after her husband became a principal player in the main company at the Savoy Theatre
, Henri retired from the stage at the age of 34.
, London, the daughter of William Webber, a cheese seller, and Eliza née Saville. Henri probably met her future husband, Henry Lytton
, at St. Philip's Church, where he sang as a boy and she may also have sung.
's Opera Company, performing in Jacques Offenbach
's Madame Favart
at the Strand Theatre
and Edmond Audran
's Olivette at the Avenue Theatre, both in 1880, in the latter of which she played a small role. She appeared in other operettas with St. John but left in 1881 to help Lytton begin his acting career. They joined the company at Philharmonic Theatre, Islington
in several plays, including The Obstinate Bretons and The Shaughraun
by Dion Boucicault
, and then, with Kate Santley
, played at the Royalty Theatre
. There they appeared in Ixion, or the Man at the Wheel by F. C. Burnand, but the theatre closed soon afterwards. Henri rejoined St. John's company, playing in Bucalossi's Les Manteaux Noirs at the Avenue Theatre in 1882. She then rejoined Santley's company at the Royalty in 1883 in The Merry Duchess, but Lytton was out of acting work all this time and was forced to take a variety of odd jobs. Henri then played in the lavish 1883 Christmas pantomime of Cinderella
at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
. Henri and Lytton married in early 1884, both aged 19, at St. Mary Abbot's Church, Kensington
. Neither family attended the ceremony.
Henri left the Drury Lane to join the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
to play the small role of Ada in the first provincial tour of Gilbert and Sullivan's Princess Ida
, beginning in February 1884, in which Courtice Pounds
played Hilarion and Fred Billington
played Hildebrand. She obtained an audition for Lytton, claiming that he was her brother, and he was also engaged in the chorus and small parts, and immediately as the understudy for the role of King Gama in Princess Ida. The Ida tour continued for almost a year, and then the couple toured in additional D'Oyly Carte productions, interspersed with other engagements until May 1885. Also, in January 1885, Henri gave birth to the couple's first child, Ida Louise Jones, taking off only a few weeks before returning to the stage.
In the summer of 1885, she and Lytton joined with other out-of-work actors and travelled from town to town in Surrey
for three months, performing a drama called All of Her, a comedy entitled Masters and Servants, and an operetta, Tom Tug the Waterman. The plays were augmented by songs and dances. The income provided by this work was not adequate, and the struggling young actors experienced hunger. In the fall of 1885, Henri and Lytton joined a D'Oyly Carte tour, playing in Trial by Jury
(with Henri as the First Bridesmaid), The Sorcerer
, Patience
and The Pirates of Penzance
. The two then played in the Christmas pantomime of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Manchester.
In 1886, they joined the chorus of Erminie
, starring Florence St. John, and The Lily of Leoville by Ivan Caryll
and Clement Scott
, at the Comedy Theatre, and then toured in Erminie into the fall of that year. Whenever out of work, Lytton took more odd jobs, putting his artist training to use part of the time by painting decorative plaques. At the end of the year, Lytton was engaged in the chorus of The Mikado
, which was nearing the end of its original run at the Savoy Theatre
. Not only did Henri help Lytton get started in the theatre world and nurture his career, but Lytton was nearly musically illiterate, and Henri played the piano for him to prepare him for his roles, as well as coaching him in acting.
Lytton became understudy to George Grossmith
at the Savoy Theatre in January 1887 for the original production of Ruddigore
, and when Grossmith fell ill, he had a chance to play the central character, Robin Oakapple. This led to an engagement for Lytton to play the principal comedian roles with D'Oyly Carte touring companies, beginning in 1887. In 1888, Henri joined him on tour, when she first played Edith in The Pirates of Penzance
, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado
, and substituted in April as Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore
. By November 1888, however, Louie went on maternity leave.
and also played Pitti-Sing. She left the company to have another baby in March 1990, returning in November to play Pitti-Sing. In 1891, Henri shared the roles of Pitti-Sing and Tessa in The Gondoliers
and then added the title role in Iolanthe
to her repertoire. In 1892-93, she had another child and then toured as Iolanthe, Pitti-Sing and Tessa, as well as Nelly Bly in The Vicar of Bray
, Arabella Lane in Billee Taylor
and Dorcas in Haddon Hall
. In 1994-95, she played Princess Nekaya in Utopia, Limited
, Nelly Bly, Zerbinetta in Mirette
, Dolly Grigg in The Chieftain
, and Melissa in Princess Ida.
In 1896-97, Henri toured as Julia Jellicoe in The Grand Duke
(together with Lytton as Ludwig), as well as Nekaya; Constance in The Sorcerer
; Cousin Hebe in Pinafore; Edith; Lady Angela in Patience
; Iolanthe; Melissa; Pitti-Sing; Phoebe; and Tessa. In June 1897, she was called to the Savoy Theatre, joining Lytton there, where she was a chorister in the revival of Yeomen and the new production of The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, while creating the title role in Old Sarah
, the companion piece to both works. In March 1898, she played Tessa at the Savoy in the first revival of The Gondoliers.
Henri left D'Oyly Carte and retired from the stage in May 1898, although she later appeared in a few silent films. Lytton claimed, in his 1922 memoir, The Secrets of a Savoyard, that she also appeared at some point in her career as the Plaintiff in Trial by Jury
and Mrs. Partlett in The Sorcerer
, which he says was "probably... a greater number of parts... than any other lady connected with the company." Lytton died in 1935, and Henri survived him by a dozen years.
Henri died in Surbiton
, Surrey
at the age of 83, survived by her son Henry Lytton, Jr., whose high profile marriage to Jessie Matthews
in 1925 ended in divorce in 1930. The couple also had two other sons, one of whom was a pilot killed in World War I
, and a daughter, Ena Elverston. They also had two other children who died in infancy.
and The Girl from Kays
, and mostly duets with her husband. They also recorded a duet from Iolanthe
, "None shall part us", although she had never appeared as Phyllis.
Years later, Henri appeared in several silent films, perhaps the best knows of which was the 1913 film Sixty Years a Queen, in which she played Queen Victoria.
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
. She married Henry Lytton
Henry Lytton
Sir Henry Lytton was an English actor and singer who was the leading exponent of the comic patter-baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century...
, who eventually became the company's longstanding principal comedian.
Henri's career got off to an early start when she joined Florence St. John
Florence St. John
Florence St. John , was an English singer and actress of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras famous for her roles in operetta, musical burlesque, music hall, opera and, later, comic plays.-Life and career:...
's Opera Company at the age of 15, but she left that troupe to help start her husband's acting career. Together, they struggled to establish more secure careers in the theatre and eventually obtained steady employment in D'Oyly Carte touring companies. Henri was promoted to play the leading mezzo soprano roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
operas and the other productions of the company for about a decade. However, in 1898, after her husband became a principal player in the main company at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
, Henri retired from the stage at the age of 34.
Life and career
Henri was born Louisa Webber in PaddingtonPaddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, London, the daughter of William Webber, a cheese seller, and Eliza née Saville. Henri probably met her future husband, Henry Lytton
Henry Lytton
Sir Henry Lytton was an English actor and singer who was the leading exponent of the comic patter-baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century...
, at St. Philip's Church, where he sang as a boy and she may also have sung.
Early career
Henri first appeared on stage in 1879 at the age of 15 with Florence St. JohnFlorence St. John
Florence St. John , was an English singer and actress of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras famous for her roles in operetta, musical burlesque, music hall, opera and, later, comic plays.-Life and career:...
's Opera Company, performing in Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
's Madame Favart
Madame Favart
Madame Favart is an opéra comique, or operetta, in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Alfred Duru and Henri Charles Chivot.-Performance history:...
at the Strand Theatre
Royal Strand Theatre
The Royal Strand Theatre was located in Strand in the City of Westminster. The theatre was built on the site of a panorama in 1832, and in 1882 was rebuilt by the prolific theatre architect Charles J. Phipps...
and Edmond Audran
Edmond Audran
Achille Edmond Audran was a French composer best known for several internationally successful operettas, including Les noces d'Olivette , La mascotte , Gillette de Narbonne , La cigale et la fourmi , Miss Helyett , and La poupée .After Audran's initial success in Paris, his works also became a...
's Olivette at the Avenue Theatre, both in 1880, in the latter of which she played a small role. She appeared in other operettas with St. John but left in 1881 to help Lytton begin his acting career. They joined the company at Philharmonic Theatre, Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
in several plays, including The Obstinate Bretons and The Shaughraun
The Shaughraun
The Shaughraun is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Wallack's Theatre, New York, on 14 November 1874. Boucicault played Con in the original production...
by Dion Boucicault
Dion Boucicault
Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot , commonly known as Dion Boucicault, was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the...
, and then, with Kate Santley
Kate Santley
Kate Santley was an American-born English actress, singer, comedienne, and theatre manager. Her brother was the English baritone, Sir Charles Santley, famous in Wagner's Flying Dutchman among other roles.-Musical theatre career:...
, played at the Royalty Theatre
Royalty Theatre
The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho and opened on 25 May 1840 as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938. The architect was Samuel Beazley, a resident in Soho Square, who also designed St James's Theatre, among...
. There they appeared in Ixion, or the Man at the Wheel by F. C. Burnand, but the theatre closed soon afterwards. Henri rejoined St. John's company, playing in Bucalossi's Les Manteaux Noirs at the Avenue Theatre in 1882. She then rejoined Santley's company at the Royalty in 1883 in The Merry Duchess, but Lytton was out of acting work all this time and was forced to take a variety of odd jobs. Henri then played in the lavish 1883 Christmas pantomime of Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
. Henri and Lytton married in early 1884, both aged 19, at St. Mary Abbot's Church, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. Neither family attended the ceremony.
Henri left the Drury Lane to join the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
to play the small role of Ada in the first provincial tour of Gilbert and Sullivan's Princess Ida
Princess Ida
Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. Princess Ida opened at the Savoy Theatre on January 5, 1884, for a run of 246 performances...
, beginning in February 1884, in which Courtice Pounds
Courtice Pounds
Charles Courtice Pounds , better known by the stage name Courtice Pounds, was an English singer and actor known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and his later roles in Shakespeare plays and Edwardian musical comedies.As a young member...
played Hilarion and Fred Billington
Fred Billington
Fred Billington was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company...
played Hildebrand. She obtained an audition for Lytton, claiming that he was her brother, and he was also engaged in the chorus and small parts, and immediately as the understudy for the role of King Gama in Princess Ida. The Ida tour continued for almost a year, and then the couple toured in additional D'Oyly Carte productions, interspersed with other engagements until May 1885. Also, in January 1885, Henri gave birth to the couple's first child, Ida Louise Jones, taking off only a few weeks before returning to the stage.
In the summer of 1885, she and Lytton joined with other out-of-work actors and travelled from town to town in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
for three months, performing a drama called All of Her, a comedy entitled Masters and Servants, and an operetta, Tom Tug the Waterman. The plays were augmented by songs and dances. The income provided by this work was not adequate, and the struggling young actors experienced hunger. In the fall of 1885, Henri and Lytton joined a D'Oyly Carte tour, playing in Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury is a comic opera in one act, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was first produced on 25 March 1875, at London's Royalty Theatre, where it initially ran for 131 performances and was considered a hit, receiving critical praise and outrunning its...
(with Henri as the First Bridesmaid), The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of The Sorcerer is based on a Christmas story, An Elixir of Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
, Patience
Patience (opera)
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride, is a comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. First performed at the Opera Comique, London, on 23 April 1881, it moved to the 1,292-seat Savoy Theatre on 10 October 1881, where it was the first theatrical production in the...
and The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
. The two then played in the Christmas pantomime of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Manchester.
In 1886, they joined the chorus of Erminie
Erminie
Erminie is a comic opera in two acts composed by Edward Jakobowski with a libretto by Claxson Bellamy and Harry Paulton, based loosely on Charles Selby's 1834 Robert Macaire...
, starring Florence St. John, and The Lily of Leoville by Ivan Caryll
Ivan Caryll
Félix Marie Henri Tilkin , better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language...
and Clement Scott
Clement Scott
Clement Scott was an influential English theatre critic for the Daily Telegraph, and a playwright and travel writer, in the final decades of the 19th century...
, at the Comedy Theatre, and then toured in Erminie into the fall of that year. Whenever out of work, Lytton took more odd jobs, putting his artist training to use part of the time by painting decorative plaques. At the end of the year, Lytton was engaged in the chorus of The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, which was nearing the end of its original run at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
. Not only did Henri help Lytton get started in the theatre world and nurture his career, but Lytton was nearly musically illiterate, and Henri played the piano for him to prepare him for his roles, as well as coaching him in acting.
Lytton became understudy to George Grossmith
George Grossmith
George Grossmith was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. His performing career spanned more than four decades...
at the Savoy Theatre in January 1887 for the original production of Ruddigore
Ruddigore
Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse, originally called Ruddygore, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written together by Gilbert and Sullivan...
, and when Grossmith fell ill, he had a chance to play the central character, Robin Oakapple. This led to an engagement for Lytton to play the principal comedian roles with D'Oyly Carte touring companies, beginning in 1887. In 1888, Henri joined him on tour, when she first played Edith in The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, and substituted in April as Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
. By November 1888, however, Louie went on maternity leave.
Principal soubrette and later years
In early 1889, Henri returned to the tour as Phoebe in The Yeomen of the GuardThe Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
and also played Pitti-Sing. She left the company to have another baby in March 1990, returning in November to play Pitti-Sing. In 1891, Henri shared the roles of Pitti-Sing and Tessa in The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances , closing on 30 June 1891...
and then added the title role in Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
to her repertoire. In 1892-93, she had another child and then toured as Iolanthe, Pitti-Sing and Tessa, as well as Nelly Bly in The Vicar of Bray
The Vicar of Bray (opera)
The Vicar of Bray is a comic opera by Edward Solomon with a libretto by Sydney Grundy which opened at the Globe Theatre, in London, on 22 July 1882, for a run of only 69 performances. The public was not amused at a clergyman's being made the subject of ridicule, and the opera was regarded by some...
, Arabella Lane in Billee Taylor
Billee Taylor
Billee Taylor, or The Reward of Virtue is "a nautical comedy opera" by Edward Solomon, with a libretto by Henry Pottinger Stephens.The piece was first produced at the Imperial Theatre in London on 30 October 1880, starring Arthur Williams as Sir Mincing Lane and Frederick Rivers as Billee. It...
and Dorcas in Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall (opera)
Haddon Hall is an English light opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Sydney Grundy. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on September 24, 1892 for a modestly successful run of 204 performances...
. In 1994-95, she played Princess Nekaya in Utopia, Limited
Utopia, Limited
Utopia, Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on 7 October 1893 for a run of 245 performances...
, Nelly Bly, Zerbinetta in Mirette
Mirette (opera)
Mirette is an opéra comique in three acts composed by André Messager, first produced at the Savoy Theatre, London, on 3 July 1894.Mirette exists in two distinct versions. The first version of the libretto was written in French by Michel Carré but this was never performed. English lyrics were...
, Dolly Grigg in The Chieftain
The Chieftain
The Chieftain is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand based on their 1867 opera, The Contrabandista. It consists of substantially the same first act as the 1867 work with a completely new second act...
, and Melissa in Princess Ida.
In 1896-97, Henri toured as Julia Jellicoe in The Grand Duke
The Grand Duke
The Grand Duke; or, The Statutory Duel, is the final Savoy Opera written by librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, their fourteenth and last opera together. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on March 7, 1896, and ran for 123 performances...
(together with Lytton as Ludwig), as well as Nekaya; Constance in The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of The Sorcerer is based on a Christmas story, An Elixir of Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
; Cousin Hebe in Pinafore; Edith; Lady Angela in Patience
Patience (opera)
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride, is a comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. First performed at the Opera Comique, London, on 23 April 1881, it moved to the 1,292-seat Savoy Theatre on 10 October 1881, where it was the first theatrical production in the...
; Iolanthe; Melissa; Pitti-Sing; Phoebe; and Tessa. In June 1897, she was called to the Savoy Theatre, joining Lytton there, where she was a chorister in the revival of Yeomen and the new production of The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, while creating the title role in Old Sarah
Old Sarah
Old Sarah is a one-act comic opera composed by François Cellier with a libretto by Harry Greenbank.The piece was first produced at the Savoy Theatre from 17 June to 31 July 1897 and from 16 August to 20 November 1897 as a companion piece to The Yeomen of the Guard, from 10 December 1897 to 12 March...
, the companion piece to both works. In March 1898, she played Tessa at the Savoy in the first revival of The Gondoliers.
Henri left D'Oyly Carte and retired from the stage in May 1898, although she later appeared in a few silent films. Lytton claimed, in his 1922 memoir, The Secrets of a Savoyard, that she also appeared at some point in her career as the Plaintiff in Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury is a comic opera in one act, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was first produced on 25 March 1875, at London's Royalty Theatre, where it initially ran for 131 performances and was considered a hit, receiving critical praise and outrunning its...
and Mrs. Partlett in The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of The Sorcerer is based on a Christmas story, An Elixir of Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
, which he says was "probably... a greater number of parts... than any other lady connected with the company." Lytton died in 1935, and Henri survived him by a dozen years.
Henri died in Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
at the age of 83, survived by her son Henry Lytton, Jr., whose high profile marriage to Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...
in 1925 ended in divorce in 1930. The couple also had two other sons, one of whom was a pilot killed in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and a daughter, Ena Elverston. They also had two other children who died in infancy.
Recordings and films
In 1902-03 Henri recorded several songs, mostly from Edwardian musical comedies, including A Country GirlA Country Girl
A Country Girl, or, Town and Country is a musical play in two acts by James T. Tanner, with lyrics by Adrian Ross, additional lyrics by Percy Greenbank, music by Lionel Monckton and additional songs by Paul Rubens....
and The Girl from Kays
The Girl from Kays
The Girl from Kays is an English musical comedy with music by Ivan Caryll, Paul Rubens, Wilhelm Meyer Lutz and Edward Jones, book by Cecil Cook and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Claude Aveling...
, and mostly duets with her husband. They also recorded a duet from Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
, "None shall part us", although she had never appeared as Phyllis.
Years later, Henri appeared in several silent films, perhaps the best knows of which was the 1913 film Sixty Years a Queen, in which she played Queen Victoria.