Henry Ainley for Australia

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 128, 20 August 1927, Page 22

Henry Ainley for Australia

One of England’s Soundest Actors A Varied Career Developing into one of the most capable and successful “juvenile ” actors, and becoming eventually one of the soundest “ character ” actors on the British stage , Henry Ainley, who, it is announced, 'will be a member of the company which Dion Boucicault is now forming to bring to Australia, should be a tower of strength to the famous little actor-manager. The list of plays in which Mr. Ainley has appeared fills several pages of tlie theatrical year books. He was born at Morley, near Leeds, on August 21, 1879, and became a bank accountant. It is recorded that, meeting George Alexander in a northern town, Ainley “walked on” with Alexander’s company as an amateur, and afterwards adopted the stage as a profession. His first London appearance was as Glo’ster in “Henry V.” at the Lyceum on February 15, 1900, and his first New York appearance at the Empire Theatre, New York, on November 10, 1903. Returning to London in the following year, he played Little Billee in “Trilby.” In the succeeding few years he widened his experience by playing in a great variety of pieces, including much He succeeded Gerald Du Maurier at the Comedy Theatre in December, 1906, as Raffles in the play of that name, and shortly afterwards was Joseph Surface in “The School for Scandal.” Then he was associated with Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton in Shakespeare. Several times he played in “all-star” revivals of famous plays in aid of theatrical charities. In 1916, on the occasion of the Shakespeare tercentenary at Drury Lane, he was Mark Antony in an “all star” production of “Julius Caesar.” A great stage achievement was his character acting as Joseph Quinney in “Quinney’s,” by Mr. Horace Annesley Vachell. In September, 1916, Ainley enlisted and obtained a commission in the Royal Garrison Artillery, with which he served in England, France and Italy. After the war he toured with his own company, and at His Majesty’s, London, in May, 1923, under his own management, he produced Mr. John Drinkwater’s “Oliver Cromwell’’ and played the name part himself.