John Le Hay

John Le Hay was the stage name of John Healy (25 March 1854 – 2 November 1926) was an Irish-born singer and actor best remembered for his portrayal of the comic baritone roles in the Savoy Operas.

Le Hay was born in Dublin, Ireland.

As a young actor, Le Hay traveled with a minstrel troupe, where his gift for ventriloquism was soon evident. He was engaged by Edgar Bruce in 1879 for the Royalty Theatre, where he worked as an understudy and appeared in the chorus of a revival of Stephenson and Sullivan's The Zoo. Later that year he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, serving in the chorus on tour. He appeared in the single copyright performance of The Pirates of Penzance in Paignton on 30 December 1879, as James, a role that was included in the libretto only for that performance. During 1880 and 1881, he also appeared as Mr. Liverby in In the Sulks, a curtain raiser that accompanied H.M.S. Pinafore.

From 1881 to 1883, Le Hay toured as the principal comedian with a D'Oyly Carte touring company, playing J. W. Wells in The Sorcerer, Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore, and Major General Stanley in Pirates. He also appeared briefly in the tenor role of Ralph Rackstraw in Pinafore and filled in as Frederic in Pirates on one occasion.

Le Hay then left the D'Oyly Carte organisation and played in pantomime, in low comedies with Cooper Cole's Strand Company, and for several years with Edward Terry. In 1886, he created the part of Tom Strutt in Alfred Cellier's Dorothy at the Gaiety Theatre and the role of Crook in Cellier's Doris (1889). He then played Private Smith in The Red Hussar (1889), Jacob in The Red Rover (1890), Prince Bulbo in The Rose and the Ring (1890), and Sir Guy of Gisborne in Maid Marian (1891).

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