William Henry Schofield Payne (1804–18 December 1878) was an actor, dancer and pantomimist, who created much of the stage business connected with the character Harlequin in 19th-century harlequinades. He was the father of the Victorian era pantomime clowns the Payne Brothers. Life and career Born in the City of London in 1804, W H Payne was apprenticed to Isaac Cowen, a stockbroker; but in his eighteenth year he ran away, and joined a travelling theatrical company in the Warwickshire circuit. He rose to play small parts at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham. Returning to London, he studied under Grimaldi and Bologna at Sadler's Wells Theatre, and then obtained an engagement at an East-end theatre, and in the following year (1825) migrated to the Pavilion Theatre. Here he remained some years, playing small parts, which he raised into importance by the admirable expression of his pantomimic action. At Christmas he represented the character Clown, with Miss Rountree (afterwards his first wife) as Columbine. Payne would wear a partial mask, so contrived that the play of his features could be seen. This was little more than a nose and forehead, and sometimes a separate chin. On 26 December 1831 he made his first appearance at the Covent Garden Theatre in the pantomime Hop o' my Thumb and his Brothers by Charles Farley, in which he played Madoc Mawr, the Welsh ogre, Miss Poole being Little Jack, and Priscilla Horton (afterwards Mrs German Reed) the Genius of the Harp. The next year he was still more successful in the pantomime produced on 26 December of Puss in Boots, in which his character was Tasnar, chief of the Long Heads and No Bodies.<ref>The Era 22 December 1878, p. 12</ref> During his long career Payne played many parts, ranging from pantomime to tragedy. He was Harlequin to Joseph Grimaldi's Clown at Sadler's Wells in 1827; he was Dandy Lover to young J. S. Grimaldi's Clown, and made a capital Clown himself. He acted in tragedy with Charles Mayne Young, Charles Kemble and Edmund Kean, and on Kean's last appearance (Covent Garden, 25 March 1833), when playing Othello, and unable to finish the part through illness, it was Payne, then acting Ludovico, who carried him off the stage.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Overview

William Henry Schofield Payne (1804–18 December 1878) was an actor, dancer and pantomimist, who created much of the stage business connected with the character Harlequin in 19th-century harlequinades. He was the father of the Victorian era pantomime clowns the Payne Brothers. Life and career Born in the City of London in 1804, W H Payne was apprenticed to Isaac Cowen, a stockbroker; but in his eighteenth year he ran away, and joined a travelling theatrical company in the Warwickshire circuit. He rose to play small parts at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham. Returning to London, he studied under Grimaldi and Bologna at Sadler's Wells Theatre, and then obtained an engagement at an East-end theatre, and in the following year (1825) migrated to the Pavilion Theatre. Here he remained some years, playing small parts, which he raised into importance by the admirable expression of his pantomimic action. At Christmas he represented the character Clown, with Miss Rountree (afterwards his first wife) as Columbine. Payne would wear a partial mask, so contrived that the play of his features could be seen. This was little more than a nose and forehead, and sometimes a separate chin. On 26 December 1831 he made his first appearance at the Covent Garden Theatre in the pantomime Hop o' my Thumb and his Brothers by Charles Farley, in which he played Madoc Mawr, the Welsh ogre, Miss Poole being Little Jack, and Priscilla Horton (afterwards Mrs German Reed) the Genius of the Harp. The next year he was still more successful in the pantomime produced on 26 December of Puss in Boots, in which his character was Tasnar, chief of the Long Heads and No Bodies.<ref>The Era 22 December 1878, p. 12</ref> During his long career Payne played many parts, ranging from pantomime to tragedy. He was Harlequin to Joseph Grimaldi's Clown at Sadler's Wells in 1827; he was Dandy Lover to young J. S. Grimaldi's Clown, and made a capital Clown himself. He acted in tragedy with Charles Mayne Young, Charles Kemble and Edmund Kean, and on Kean's last appearance (Covent Garden, 25 March 1833), when playing Othello, and unable to finish the part through illness, it was Payne, then acting Ludovico, who carried him off the stage.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

William Henry Schofield Payne (1804–18 December 1878) was an actor, dancer and pantomimist, who created much of the stage business connected with the character Harlequin in 19th-century harlequinades. He was the father of the Victorian era pantomime clowns the Payne Brothers.