{{Short description|English actor (1845–1901)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} thumb '''Edgar Bruce''' (c. 1845–1901)<ref name=npg>{{NPG name|id=94001}}</ref> was an English actor-manager, appearing in comedies and later producing plays. He built the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1884.
==Life== Bruce's first stage appearance was in 1868 at the Prince of Wales's Theatre in Liverpool. His London debut was in August 1869 at the Royal Strand Theatre, in a burlesque ''The Pilgrim of Love''. In August 1871 he became a member of the Wyndham Comedy Company, which performed in the US and Canada. In the company Bruce played leading parts in plays by T. W. Robertson: as D'Alroy and Hawtree in ''Caste'', Mcalister and Chalcot in ''Ours'', and Lord Beaujoy in ''School''.<ref name=list>"Bruce, Edgar". Charles E Pascoe, editor. ''The Dramatic List: a record of the performances of living actors and actresses of the British stage''. 1880.</ref>
In 1873 in London he joined the company of the Court Theatre, where he appeared in plays including ''About Town'', ''Marriage Lines'' and ''Wedding March''.<ref name=list/>
===As theatre manager=== In June 1875 he opened the Haymarket Theatre under his management, for a period of six weeks. In February 1876 he produced at the Globe Theatre the play ''Jo'', based on Charles Dickens's ''Bleak House'', with Jennie Lee in the title role. In the following year at the same theatre he produced ''Cora'', with Mrs Hermann Vezin in the title role.<ref name=list/>
In 1878 at the Criterion Theatre he appeared as Greythorne'' in The Pink Dominos'' by James Albery. He then toured with George Honey in W. S. Gilbert's play ''Engaged''. In April 1879 the Royalty Theatre, under his management, produced ''Crutch and Toothpick'', adapted by George R. Sims from a French farce; it ran for 240 nights.<ref name=list/><ref>{{cite ODNB|first=Philip|last=Waller|id=37964|title=Sims, George Robert}}</ref>
===Prince's Theatre=== From 1880 Bruce managed the Prince of Wales's Theatre, where in the following year he produced ''The Colonel'' by F. C. Burnand, which ran for 550 nights. The theatre building was condemned in 1882, and with the profits from ''The Colonel'' he built the Prince's Theatre. It opened in January 1884 with W. S. Gilbert's ''The Palace of Truth''.<ref name=princestheatre>[http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/PrinceOfWalesTheatre.htm "The Prince Of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, London"] ''ArthurLloyd.co.uk''. Retrieved 19 December 2021.</ref><ref>[http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-frames.html?http&&&www.stagebeauty.net/th-longr.html "Longest Running Plays in London and New York"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613222559/http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-frames.html?http&&&www.stagebeauty.net%2Fth-longr.html |date=13 June 2020 }} ''Stagebeauty.net''. Retrieved 20 December 2021.</ref>
The theatre was renamed the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1886,<ref name=princestheatre/> and in December of that year he staged there the original production of the musical ''Alice in Wonderland''.<ref>[https://footlightnotes.tripod.com/20041030home.html "Footlight Notes no. 371"] ''Footlight Notes''. Retrieved 20 December 2021.</ref>
===Family=== Sybil Etonia Bruce, daughter of Bruce and his wife Lucy, was born in 1892; she became, as Toni Edgar-Bruce, a stage and screen actress.<ref>[https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/bruce-tonie-edgar-1892-1966 "Bruce, Tonie Edgar (1892–1966)"] ''Encyclopedia.com''. Retrieved 20 December 2021.</ref>
Bruce died in 1901.<ref name=npg/>
==References== {{Commons category}} {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Edgar}} Category:1840s births Category:1901 deaths Category:19th-century English male actors Category:English male stage actors Category:English actor-managers