THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

William Hogarth

William Hogarth (1879, 1880)

[Born South Shields, County Durham c.1844, died Brighton, Sussex 4 Jun 1899]

William Hogarth appeared as Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore on tour with the Comedy Opera Company Ltd. "B" Company beginning June 2, 1879. From August 4 forward, following the rift between the Comedy Opera Company directors and Gilbert, Sullivan, and Carte, it was known as Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Second 'Pinafore' Company." Hogarth served as Captain Corcoran and Selworthy in the companion piece After All until December 13, 1879.

After a break of three months, in which Fred Federici played the Captain, Hogarth returned to the Company in March 1880, serving as Captain Corcoran until December of that year. He also played Mr. Liverby in the other short work, In the Sulks, which appeared on the bill, for much of the tour.

Hogarth went on to a career combining performing, management, and a bit of dramatic authorship. He was co-author with Walter Parke of the comic opera Gipsy Gabriel. Based on Walter Scott's Guy Mannering, it had music by Florian Pascal, was performed on tour for over a year (November 1887-December 1888) under the joint management of Hogarth and Walter Shiel, and featured Hogarth as Ritchie Rolleston.

He later managed a production of Les Cloches de Cornville in London (Opera Comique, February-April 1890), then appeared in the comic operas Greta Green (Opera Comique, May-June 1890), The Black Rover and The Crusader and the Raven (both Globe, September-November 1890). Hogarth also managed the London pantomime Dick Whittington (Olympic, 1892-93).

His career extended at least through November 1896 when he managed the Hogarth Company and starred (as Philip Bolsovar) in a production of Henry Pottinger Stephens and Florian Pascal's The Black Squire in Torquay and later on tour.

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