Sir Squire & Lady Effie Bancroft (1841-1926 / 1839-1921)
A formidable theatrical husband and wife team who invented the ‘drawing room comedy’.
The Bancrofts' mausoleum
The flat, arch-shaped memorial to the Bancrofts is very unusual. It’s actually all that remains of their large mausoleum, which was flattened by a bomb in World War II.
The Bancrofts
The couple would probably have appreciated the drama of this. They were both successful stage actors when they met and married in 1867. They went on to work together as theatre managers, as well as producing and starring in a string of comedy dramas.
Double act
They made a brilliant team. Effie had great theatrical charm while Squire was a shrewd businessman. They retired from theatre management in later life, having made a fortune, but both continued to act and write into old age.
The Bancrofts’ theatrical legacy lives on. They pioneered a new naturalistic style of comedy drama, and introduced innovative management ideas still in use today. They put on a single play each night, rather than a mix of entertainments, and encouraged more upmarket theatre audiences by replacing cheap ‘pit seats’ with more expensive ‘orchestra stalls’.