Samuel Johnson (comedian)

Samuel Johnson (1830–15 February 1900) was an actor-manager and Shakespearean actor of the 19th century and a member of Henry Irving's Company at the Lyceum Theatre, for which he played the comedy roles.

Born in Ayrshire, Sam Johnson was one of at least seven children born to the actor Samuel Johnson and Isabella (née Elliott). Most of his siblings were actors, while one brother was a scene painter. He first appeared on stage at the Maryport Theatre in Cumberland in 1844 as Bartolo in The Wife. In 1845 he and his two sisters went to Belfast and joined Cunningham's company at the Theatre Royal. In 1846 he and his sister, the actress Barbara Johnson, were appearing in Belfast. In December 1846 Barbara Johnson married the actor John W. Anson. The three, together with two others from the Belfast company, moved to Scotland where they formed a new company, of which John Anson was manager. From early 1847 in the Perth area, they appeared in towns with a repertory of plays so that the audience of each town could see several plays in a week. Barbara Anson took the lead female roles, and John Anson and Samuel Johnson shared the low comedy parts. Late in 1847 the trio played in the Dundee area.

From 1853 to 1855 he was in partnership with John Coleman, and the two rented theatres in , Oldham (where over 2,000 applicants responded to their advert for actors), Cambridge and Sheffield. On leaving the partnership Johnson appeared at the Lyceum Theatre in Sunderland and the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. The New Royal Lyceum Theatre re-opened in Sunderland in 1856 with a production of Bulwer Lytton's play Richelieu, in which Johnson played the Governor and the 18-year-old Henry Irving played Gaston, Duke of Orleans. When the inexperienced Irving got stage fright and was hissed off the stage, Johnson was among those who supported Irving with practical advice. Later in life Irving gave them all regular work when he formed his own company at the Lyceum Theatre.

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