LYTTON, SIR HENRY ALFRED

born Jan. 3, 1865, London, Eng. died Aug. 15, 1936, London original name Henry Alfred Jones British comic actor best known for his leading roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. The mainstay of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company for nearly 30 years, Lytton was so distinguished that his stage jubilee celebration was attended by the British prime minister and his two predecessors. Jones had only appeared in amateur theatrical productions when he joined the chorus of Richard D'Oyly Carte's repertory company in 1884 to be with his wife, the actress Louie Henri. Three years later at the Savoy Theatre in London, the understudy H.A. Henri came to prominence in Ruddigore. At Gilbert's suggestion he adopted the name Lytton and went on to portray more than 30 Gilbert and Sullivan characters, including Ko-Ko (The Mikado), Jack Point (The Yeoman of the Guard), and Lord Chancellor (Iolanthe). His pleasant voice, sense of comic timing, and poise made him popular in London and on tour throughout Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. His memoirs were published as The Secrets of a Savoyard (1922) and A Wandering Minstrel (1933). Lytton was knighted in 1930.