Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/538

 at the Haymarket on 22 July, when he played Simmons in 'The Spitalfields Weaver' at the end of a long programme, terminating at two o'clock Finally, on 8 Oct., he made his professional debut in the same character at the Queen's Theatre, Dublin, where he was engaged by Charles Dillon as stock low comedian at a salary of 2l. per week, and, becoming an Immediate favourite, remained six months. Here, for his benefit on 30 Nov., he played his popular role of Paul Pry for the first ime. On 9 July 1853, tempted by a oetter offer, he transferred his services to the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, making his first appearance as Hector Timid in 'A Dead Shot.' At Edinburgh, where he delighted his audiences by imitations of popular actors, he appeared for the first time on 7 March 1854 in his droll embodiment of the Artful Dodger in 'Oliver Twist,' singing 'The Dodger's Lament,' specially written for him by Hill, a member of the company. Returning to London for Passion Week, he gave his entertainment 'Toole at Home, or a Touch at the Times,' at the Southwark, Hackney, Walworth, and Beaumont Institutions. On 18 May 1854 he had a farewell benefit at Edinburgh, playing, inter alia, yovmg Master Willikind in Hill's new burlesque 'The Loves of Willikind and his Dinah.'

On 2 Oct. Toole began his first professional engagement in London by originating at the St. James's Theatre the poorly drawn character of Samuel Pepys in Taylor and Reade's ineffective comedy, 'The King's Rival,' and the more congenial role of Weazle, the disguised sheriff's officer, in Selby's farce, 'My Friend the Major.' But the engagement proved disquieting, and on 26 March 1855 he returned with relief to the Edinburgh stock company. On 2 Oct. he was seen as Lord Sands in an elaborate revival of 'King Henry VIII,' and on 3 Dec. as Bottom in 'A Midsummer-Night's Dream.' For his benefit on 15 April 1856 he played Felix Rosemary in 'Toole's Appeal to the Public,' and on 29 August following concluded his Edinburgh engagement. Transferring his services for two seasons to the Lyceum in London under Charles Dillon, he first appeared there on 15 Sept. as Fanfaronade in Webb's adaptation of 'Belphegor the Mountebank,' to the Belphegor of Dillon and the Henri of Marie Wilton (Lady Bancroft), who then made her metropolitan début. The afterpiece was Brough's new burlesque 'Perdita, or the Royal Milkmaid,' in which Toole was the Autolycus. In the succeeding summer he started pro- vincial starring with a small company of his own, a custom he followed annually, with great pecuniary advantage, 'till his retirement. During a three months' sojourn at Edinburgh in the summer of 1857 he made the acquaintance of Henry Irving, playing Adolphus Spanker to his Dazzle in 'London Assurance.' A warm and lifelong friend- ship between the two followed.

At the Lyceum in London he was seen for the first time on 10 March 1858 in his long popular characterisation of Tom Cranky in Hollingshead's sketch 'The Birthplace of Podgers.'

Engaged by Benjamin Webster [q. v.] of the New Adelphi on the strength of a warm recommendation from Charles Dickens, Toole made his first appearance at that house on 27 Dec. 1858, and remained there nine years. At the Adelphi he succeeded Edward Richard Wright [q. v.] in many of his parts, and inherited much of Wright's fame. On 9 May he was the original Spriggins in T. J. Williams's farce, 'Ici on parle Français,' an eccentric embodiment that maintained perpetual vogue. The revival of 'The Willow Copse' in September was notable for Toole's rendering of Augustus de Rosherville, a character formerly deemed the vehicle for the broadest kind of humour, but now rationalised by the genius of the actor. Toole created leading parts in many ephemeral farces, and was also the first Brutus Toupet in Watts Phillips's 'The Dead Heart' (10 Nov. 1859). At Christmas he made an effective Bob Cratchit in ’The Christmas Carol.' He did justice to Enoch Flicker, a powerfully drawn semi-serious character in Phillips's spectaxsular 'A Story of '45' (12 Nov. 1860), which Webster produced at Drury Lane ; and was Wapshot in the first performance in England of Boucicault's 'The Life of an Actress' (Adelphi, 1 March 1862). On 14 April following Toole showed his full power in his dehcate embodiment of old Caleb Plummer, the toymaker, in 'Dot' (Boucicault's version of 'The Cricket on the Hearth'), an impersonation in which he combined irresistibly humour and pathos. Toole's Caleb Plummer undoubtedly ranks among the histrionic masterpieces of his century. Among succeeding triumphs in drama or burlesque are to be noted his rendering of Azucena in Byron's burlesque 'Ill-treated II Trovatore' (21 May), and of Mr. Tetterby in 'The Haunted Man' at the Adelphi (27 June 1863).

Toole had now attained a salary of 35l.