THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Harold Russell (1882-83)

[Born Pimlico 9 May 1855]

From Christmas 1882 to July 1883, a D'Oyly Carte company toured the British provinces in Planquette's Rip Van Winkle. Harold Russell played Captain Hugh Rowley on that tour. Russell also appeared on tour in Claude Duval, but it is unclear wheter this was the D'Oyly Carte production of January to May 1882 or a non-D'Oyly Carte tour. In October 1883 Russell was sentenced to a month's "imprisonment with hard labour" for deserting and neglecting to support his wife and child.

Russell later traveled to America, where he appeared in several musical and legitimate works between 1884 and the mid-1890s. Back in England in 1899, he took a small part in the comedy A Royal Family at London's Court Theatre (October 1899-February 1900). He eventually returned to America, appearing sporadically in New York between 1907 and 1913. His last musical role was Louis, the shoemaker's assistant, in Victor Herbert's musical fantasy The Lady of the Slipper (Globe, October 1912-May 1913).

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