author
Sir Augustus Harris
1852–1896
A giant of Victorian theatre, this London impresario helped turn Drury Lane into one of the great entertainment stages of his day. He was known for grand pantomimes, popular drama, and a revival of large-scale opera that drew huge audiences.
1 Audiobook
If Only etc.
by F. C. (Francis Charles) Philips, Sir Augustus Harris
About the author
Born in Paris in 1852 into a theatrical family, Sir Augustus Henry Glossop Harris grew up surrounded by the stage. After trying work outside the theatre, he returned to it and quickly proved far more successful as a manager and impresario than as an actor.
Harris became the driving force behind the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, from 1879, and for years he was one of the most powerful figures in the West End. He built a reputation for spectacular productions, especially lavish pantomimes, and he also played a major part in bringing grand opera back to prominence in London. His energy, showmanship, and instinct for popular taste made him a household name in late Victorian entertainment.
He was knighted in 1891, a sign of how visible and influential his work had become. Harris died in 1896 at just 44, but his name remained closely linked with the glitter, scale, and ambition of London theatre in the late nineteenth century.