born May 24, 1855, London, Eng.
died Nov. 23, 1934, London
British playwright.
He entered the theatrical world as an actor with Henry Irving 's theatre company. His first play, £200 a Year , was produced in 1877. He wrote a series of successful farces such as The Magistrate (1885) before turning to dramas of social issues. The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (1893), the first of his plays depicting women confronting their situation in society, established his reputation, and he followed it with works such as The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith (1895) and Trelawny of the "Wells" (1898), becoming the most successful playwright of his time.