author
Austin Brereton
1862–1922
A lively chronicler of the late Victorian and Edwardian stage, this journalist and critic turned a deep love of theatre into biographies, histories, and behind-the-scenes portraits of performers and playhouses. His work still offers a vivid window into the theatrical world of his time.
1 Audiobook
The Literary History of the Adelphi and Its Neighbourhood
by Austin Brereton
About the author
Born in Liverpool in 1862, Austin Brereton built his career around journalism and the theatre. He moved to London in the early 1880s and became known as a dramatic critic, editor, and writer on stage life, developing a close knowledge of actors, productions, and the business of performance.
His career also took him abroad. Brereton worked in Australia as dramatic and art critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, and later in New York as an assistant editor for The Illustrated American. Alongside journalism, he wrote books on theatrical history and biography, including studies connected with Henry Irving and London theatres.
Brereton died in 1922. Today he is remembered as one of those energetic literary observers who helped preserve the texture of theatre culture in Britain and beyond, recording not just famous names but the wider world that surrounded them.