David James (born David Belasco) (1839 â€" 2 October 1893) was an
English comic actor and one of the founders of London's Vaudeville
Theatre.He was born in London to a family of Sephardic Jewish origin.
He made his stage debut as a child actor at the Princess's Theatre,
London, then managed by Charles Kean. As a young man. he appeared in
various burlesques. One of his best roles during that time was as
Mercury in Francis Burnand's Ixion, which he performed in its 1863
premiere at the Royalty Theatre.In 1870 he joined Henry James Montague
and Thomas Thorne as the first managers of the newly opened Vaudeville
Theatre where his greatest success was as Perkyn Middlewick in Henry
James Byron's Our Boys which opened on 16 January 1875 and ran for
over 1300 performances. He left the Vaudeville Theatre in 1881 to work
at the Haymarket Theatre, followed by a stint at the Lyceum Theatre.
In 1886, he became a member of Charles Wyndham's company at the
Criterion Theatre. Shortly before his death in 1893, Our Boys was
revived for him.
English comic actor and one of the founders of London's Vaudeville
Theatre.He was born in London to a family of Sephardic Jewish origin.
He made his stage debut as a child actor at the Princess's Theatre,
London, then managed by Charles Kean. As a young man. he appeared in
various burlesques. One of his best roles during that time was as
Mercury in Francis Burnand's Ixion, which he performed in its 1863
premiere at the Royalty Theatre.In 1870 he joined Henry James Montague
and Thomas Thorne as the first managers of the newly opened Vaudeville
Theatre where his greatest success was as Perkyn Middlewick in Henry
James Byron's Our Boys which opened on 16 January 1875 and ran for
over 1300 performances. He left the Vaudeville Theatre in 1881 to work
at the Haymarket Theatre, followed by a stint at the Lyceum Theatre.
In 1886, he became a member of Charles Wyndham's company at the
Criterion Theatre. Shortly before his death in 1893, Our Boys was
revived for him.
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