Hawtrey, Sir Charles Henry

Hawtrey, Sir Charles Henry (1858–1923), English actor-manager. A far better actor than his popularity in what became known as a ‘Hawtrey’ part ever allowed him to demonstrate, he was a fine light comedian and had no equal in the delineation of the man-about-town of his day. He made his first appearance on the stage in 1881, under the name of Bankes, and soon went into management on his own account. In 1883 he adapted a German comedy by Von Moser as The Private Secretary. When tried out at the Prince of Wales (later the Scala) Theatre in 1884 it was not a success, but transferred to the Globe Theatre, with W. S. Penley in the title-role, first played by Tree, it ran for two years and was frequently revived. Hawtrey himself played Daniel Cattermole in this production. Among other plays which he directed and appeared in the most successful were R. C. Carton's Lord and Lady Algy (1898), Ganthony's A Message from Mars (1899), Anstey's The Man from Blankley's (1901), George A. Birmingham's General John Regan (1913), and Walter Hackett's Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure (1921). Hawtrey was for many years responsible for the production at Christmas of the children's play Where The Rainbow Ends by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey, first seen at the Savoy Theatre in 1911.