Harry Paulton

Harry Paulton was an English actor, singer, and theatrical writer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sources from theatre reference sites describe him as a performer from Wolverhampton who went on to build a career on the stage and also wrote for musical productions, especially comic opera.

He is best remembered for his connection to Erminie, the hit comic opera composed by Edward Jakobowski. Paulton wrote the libretto and lyrics for the work, which became a major success in Britain and an even bigger one in the United States, where it remained popular for years. Theatre records also show that he appeared in productions on Broadway and contributed writing to other stage works.

Paulton died in London on April 17, 1917. Though he is not widely known today, his career captures the lively, international spirit of Victorian and Edwardian musical theatre, when performers and writers often moved fluidly between acting, singing, and writing for the stage.