THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Eric Thorne

Eric Thorne (1884-85)

[Born 1862, died Kensington, London 26 Nov 1922]

Eric Thorne served in the chorus on tour with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "A" Company beginning in February 1884. In March 1885 he filled in briefly for Walter Greyling as King Hildebrand in Princess Ida, then in May of that year he succeeded the departing Hugh Seton as Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre in The Sorcerer and Florian in Princess Ida. When H.M.S. Pinafore and Round and Square were added to the repertoire in June 1885 Thorne appeared as Dick Deadeye in the nautical comic opera and Mr. Square in the curtain raiser. He left the D'Oyly Carte organization for good in December 1885 when Company "A" was disbanded.

In 1889 he appeared in the comic opera Faddimar at the Vaudeville Theatre in a cast that included several former and future Savoyards, one of whom, Ada Doree, he married.

Thorne went on to achieve considerable popularity as a comedian in light opera and musical comedy in London, the British provinces and elsewhere:touring America, France, Holland, Germany, and Belgium. His greatest success was as the toymaker in La Poupee, a role he reportedly played for over eight years without a break. He also played leading comedy parts in The Lady Dandies, The Little Michus, The Waltz Dream, The Dollar Princess, and The Merry Widow.

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