# Arthur Playfair

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{{Short description|English actor and singer (1869–1918)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
thumb|right|Arthur Playfair in 1915
'''Arthur Wyndham Playfair''' (20 October 1869 – 28 August 1918) was an English actor and singer.  Beginning in [Victorian burlesque](/source/Victorian_burlesque) and [comic opera](/source/comic_opera)s, Playfair became known for his roles in [Edwardian musical comedy](/source/Edwardian_musical_comedy) and, later, in musical [revue](/source/revue)s.

==Biography==
Playfair was born in [Ellichpur](/source/Achalpur), India.  He first appeared on the London stage in December 1887.<ref name=NYT>[https://www.nytimes.com/1918/08/29/archives/obituary-1-no-title.html "Arthur Playfair, Actor, Dead"]. ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'', 29 August 1918, accessed 6 February 2011</ref> He went on to create roles in the [Victorian burlesque](/source/Victorian_burlesque) ''[Cinder Ellen up too Late](/source/Cinder_Ellen_up_too_Late)'' (1891); the [comic opera](/source/comic_opera) ''[The Mountebanks](/source/The_Mountebanks)'' (1892) by [Alfred Cellier](/source/Alfred_Cellier) and [W. S. Gilbert](/source/W._S._Gilbert); as Sir Reddan Tapeleigh, with [Jessie Bond](/source/Jessie_Bond), in the [musical comedy](/source/Edwardian_musical_comedy) ''[Go-Bang](/source/Go-Bang)'' (1894) by [Adrian Ross](/source/Adrian_Ross) and [F. Osmond Carr](/source/F._Osmond_Carr); and the comic opera ''[His Excellency](/source/His_Excellency_(opera))'' (1895) by Gilbert and Carr.  He created the role of Butler in ''[The Man from Blankley's](/source/The_Man_from_Blankley's)'' (1903 at the [Prince of Wales Theatre](/source/Prince_of_Wales_Theatre), reprising the role in the 1906 revival at the [Haymarket Theatre](/source/Haymarket_Theatre)) to much success.<ref name=NYT/>  
[[File:The Girl in The Taxi 1912.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Arthur Playfair, Robert Averell, [Yvonne Arnaud](/source/Yvonne_Arnaud) and Alec Fraser in the original production of ''[The Girl in the Taxi](/source/The_Girl_in_the_Taxi)'' (1912)]]

In 1911, he starred in the title role in ''Preserving Mr. Panmure''.<ref>''[Punch](/source/Punch_(magazine))'' magazine, 1 February 1911</ref>  He then starred as Baron Dauvray in ''[The Girl in the Taxi](/source/The_Girl_in_the_Taxi)'' (1912).  He toured the United States in 1901 and 1903, in the latter year appearing in ''The Man from Blankley's'' at the Criterion Theatre in New York with [Charles Hawtrey](/source/Charles_Hawtrey_(stage_actor)), and also appearing there as Bernard Mandeville in ''Letty'' in 1904.<ref name=NYT/>

During [World War I](/source/World_War_I) he appeared in a series of hit [revues](/source/revues).  In 1914, he played in the successful ''The Passing Show'' at the [Palace Theatre, London](/source/Palace_Theatre%2C_London),<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_p/passingshow.htm ''The Passing Show'']. GuidetoMusicalTheatre.com, accessed 6 February 2011</ref> followed the next year by ''Bric-a-Brac''<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_b/bricabrac.htm  ''Bric-a-Brac'']. GuidetoMusicalTheatre.com, accessed 6 February 2011</ref> and in 1916 in ''Vanity Fair'', both at the Palace.<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_v/vanityfair.htm ''Vanity Fair'']. GuidetoMusicalTheatre.com, accessed 6 February 2011</ref>  He appeared in the [silent film](/source/silent_film) ''Judged by Appearances'' in 1916.<ref name=IMDB>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1233916/ Arthur Playfair], [Internet Movie Database](/source/Internet_Movie_Database)</ref>  In 1917, he appeared in another successful revue, ''Bubbly'', at the [Comedy Theatre](/source/Comedy_Theatre), London,<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_b/bubbly.htm ''Bubbly'']. GuidetoMusicalTheatre.com, accessed 6 February 2011</ref> followed, in 1918–19, by another hit, ''Tails Up'', at the same theatre.<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_t/tailsup.htm ''Tails Up'']. GuidetoMusicalTheatre.com, accessed 6 February 2011</ref>

Playfair married the actress [Lena Ashwell](/source/Lena_Ashwell) [OBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1896; he began divorce proceedings in 1903 following her adultery with [Robert Taber](/source/Robert_Taber_(actor)), the former husband of actress [Julia Marlowe](/source/Julia_Marlowe). Playfair and Ashwell finally divorced in 1908, the divorce proceedings revealing that he also committed adultery and domestic violence, was an alcoholic and passed on venereal disease to his wife.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1903/09/13/archives/arthur-playfair-seeks-divorce-actor-involves-robert-taber-former.html 'Arthur Playfair Seeks Divorce; Actor Involves Robert Taber, Former Husband of Julia Marlowe'], ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'', 13 September 1903</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Broadbent|first=Lizzie|date=25 May 2021|title=Lena Ashwell (1869–1957)| url=https://womenwhomeantbusiness.com/2021/05/25/lena-ashwell-1869-1957| url-status=live|access-date=27 May 2021| website=Women Who Meant Business|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525164703/https://womenwhomeantbusiness.com/2021/05/25/lena-ashwell-1869-1957/ |archive-date=25 May 2021 }}</ref> He was the cousin of the actor [Nigel Playfair](/source/Nigel_Playfair).

Playfair died aged 48 in 1918 in [Brighton](/source/Brighton), England.<ref name=NYT/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?search=ss&firstRun=true&sText=arthur+playfair&LinkID=mp92828 Playfair] in the [National Portrait Gallery](/source/National_Portrait_Gallery_(London)) Collection
*[http://footlightnotes.tripod.com/20050820home.html Reviews of Playfair] at the Footlight Notes site.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Playfair, Arthur}}
Category:1869 births
Category:1918 deaths
Category:English male silent film actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:20th-century English male actors
Category:British people in British India

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Arthur Playfair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Playfair) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Playfair?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.