Frank Thornton (1845 – 18 December 1918) was an English actor, singer, comedian and producer. Despite a successful stage career in comedies in London, on tour and abroad, Thornton is probably best remembered as the understudy to George Grossmith in a series of Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1877 to 1884.
Thornton began his stage career giving drawing-room entertainments while simultaneously working in a commercial office in London, keeping his theatrical activities secret from his office employers for four years. He was engaged by Richard D'Oyly Carte as understudy to George Grossmith in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, also playing roles in some of the curtain raisers played with the operas. In 1881, he created a small principal role in Patience and resigned from his office post. In 1883, he played the Lord Chancellor in a tour of Iolanthe.
Thornton left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1884 and began a long series of tours of Australia in stage comedies, notably The Private Secretary, interspersed with appearances in burlesques, farces and other plays on the London stage and on tour. He rejoined D'Oyly Carte in the 1890s in London and on tour, and later returned to touring Australia in comedies including Charley's Aunt.
Life and career
Thornton started his career giving drawing-room entertainments in the London area, while working during the day at a merchant's office. Originally unpaid, as his entertainments gained popularity he was able to earn "a modest but useful guinea" and, as a manager, to recruit other entertainers, including George Grossmith and Richard Temple.
Thornton first appeared on stage as the Foreman in a production of Trial by Jury in 1877. In the same year, he was invited to audition for Richard D'Oyly Carte's forthcoming production of The Sorcerer at the Opera Comique and was considered for the leading role of John Wellington Wells, but Grossmith was preferred, and Thornton was offered the position of understudy.
D'Oyly Carte years
In the production of The Sorcerer he appeared as "the oldest inhabitant" of the village of Ploverleigh. For the first run of H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), he understudied both Grossmith (as Sir Joseph Porter) and Temple (as Dick Deadeye). When Grossmith's father suffered a fatal collapse, Thornton took over in mid-performance to allow his colleague to go to his father. He played Sir Joseph and Deadeye at other times during the run. He had roles in short companion pieces, Cups and Saucers, After All!, and In the Sulks. During the run of the next Gilbert and Sullivan opera, The Pirates of Penzance, Thornton understudied, and occasionally played, the principal roles of General Stanley and Samuel. During these four years, he continued to keep his office job, contriving to keep his managers there ignorant of his theatrical work: "A coat or hat conspicuously displayed often served to encourage the belief that he was 'somewhere about' the great warehouse when, in fact, he had rushed away to the Opera Comique for a rehearsal."
In 1881, Thornton created the small principal role of Major Murgatroyd in the new Gilbert and Sullivan opera Patience. He at last felt able to resign his office job, where he felt his prospects were limited. He also occasionally deputised for Grossmith as Bunthorne and took a role for a time in the curtain raiser Uncle Samuel. In 1882, he realised an ambition to act in a strong serious dramatic role. For Florence Terry's farewell performance, a revival of W. S. Gilbert's play Broken Hearts was billed. A strong cast was chosen, including Terry's sister Marion Terry, May Fortescue and Julia Gwynne, but the two actors who had previously played the role of the misanthropic dwarf Mousta were unavailable. Thornton asked to play the part. "What, Major Murgatroyd?" said Gilbert, thinking the idea preposterous, but he gave Thornton a chance and was impressed. Thornton again appeared in Broken Hearts at his own benefit performance at the Savoy Theatre in February 1883. The theatrical newspaper The Era wrote, "Mr Frank Thornton's usual line of characters could hardly have prepared the audience for the strength and passion he infused into the part of Mousta." At the benefit, among other items, Grossmith premiered his musical sketch, The Drama on Crutches.