Robert Evett

Robert Evett (16 October 1874 – 15 January 1949) was an English singer, actor, theatre manager, and producer born in Warwickshire, England. He built his reputation as a leading man in Edwardian musical comedies before later taking charge of the theatrical empire left behind by the celebrated producer George Edwardes.

Evett began his professional career in 1892 at the age of 18, joining the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on tour. His first role was the Reverend Henry Sandford, the tenor lead in The Vicar of Bray. Over the following years on tour he accumulated an extensive range of Gilbert and Sullivan tenor parts, including Oswald in Haddon Hall, Lord Dramaleigh and later Captain Fitzbattleaxe in Utopia Limited, Bertuccio in Mirette, Count Vazquez in The Chieftain, Mr. Box in Cox and Box, and Prince Hilarion in Princess Ida. By 1897 and 1898 he was touring in the principal tenor roles across the core Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire, playing Alexis in The Sorcerer, Ralph in H.M.S. Pinafore, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, the Duke of Dunstable in Patience, Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe, Cyril in Princess Ida, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Colonel Fairfax in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Marco in The Gondoliers, as well as Prince Max in His Majesty.

In 1898, Evett moved from the touring company to the Savoy Theatre in London, where he performed Marco in The Gondoliers and Alexis in The Sorcerer. During his years at the Savoy he created several new roles, among them Tapioca in The Lucky Star and Yussuff in The Rose of Persia in 1899, Terence O'Brien in The Emerald Isle and Ib in Ib and Little Christina in 1901, and Sir Walter Raleigh in Merrie England in 1902. In 1903 he created the role of Lieutenant Brook Green in A Princess of Kensington, which proved to be his final creation for D'Oyly Carte before the company departed the Savoy that same year. He subsequently joined former colleagues at the Adelphi Theatre, where he appeared in the Edwardian musical comedy The Earl and the Girl and in the pantomime Little Hans Andersen.

For the decade that followed, Evett remained active in West End musicals and operettas, performing at Daly's Theatre, Drury Lane, the Hicks Theatre, and the Vaudeville. His credits during this period included The Little Michus in 1905, The Talk of the Town in 1905, The Merveilleuses in 1906, The Merry Widow in 1907 in which he created the role of Camille de Rosillon, A Waltz Dream in 1908, and The Girl in the Train in 1910. In 1912 he returned to the Adelphi in Autumn Manoeuvres, a production managed by George Edwardes, and subsequently toured in it. In 1913 and 1914, Evett crossed the Atlantic to perform on Broadway, where his credits included Suzi and the musical The Doll Girl.

Alongside his stage work, Evett recorded numerous songs for Odeon between 1906 and 1908, drawing on material from West End productions including The Little Michus, The Geisha, and The Merry Widow. He also recorded two numbers from The Yeomen of the Guard, "Is Life a Boon?" and "Free From His Fetters Grim," which were later reissued on the Pearl CD The Art of the Savoyard, as well as "The English Rose" from Merrie England and "A Sprig of Rosemary" from A Princess of Kensington.

When George Edwardes died in 1915, Evett returned to England to manage an estate that was then in debt and close to bankruptcy. He became managing director of Daly's Theatre and George Edwardes Enterprises, taking on producing, directing, and even writing responsibilities across multiple theatres. At Daly's he first directed and produced The Happy Day in 1916, then in 1917 produced The Maid of the Mountains, engaging José Collins to star and Oscar Asche to direct. That production ran for a record-breaking three years and rescued the Edwardes estate from financial ruin. Further productions at Daly's included A Southern Maid in 1917, revived in 1920, and Our Peg, which was later adapted into Our Nell. He also directed revivals of The Dollar Princess. At the Gaiety Theatre, Evett produced Theodore & Co in 1916 and Going Up in 1918, along with an English adaptation of The Last Waltz in 1922, the latter of which he co-authored. Our Nell, the revised version of Our Peg, was produced at the Gaiety in 1924. His final production was Frasquita in 1925 at the Prince's Theatre.