Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving

Summary

Known as an actor-manager, Sir Henry Irving (1838–1905) took complete responsibility for season after season at London’s Lyceum Theatre, establishing himself and his company as representative of English classical theater. Beginning in 1878, author Bram Stoker worked for Irving as a business manager at the Lyceum for much of Irving’s career. Stoker revered Irving, and when he began writing Dracula, Irving was the chief inspiration for the title character.

In this fascinating journey, Stoker describes wonderful visits in the company of Irving with the likes of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Walt Whitman, and other worthy notables. Stoker’s description of how Irving changed the way actors and acting companies rehearsed and presented plays is fascinating.

Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving is an extraordinary look at an artist’s life during the latter half of the nineteenth century and the trials and tribulations of working in the theater during that period. Bram Stoker loved the theater, and he loved Henry Irving—and that friendship is written all over the pages of this book.