Herbert Campbell

Herbert Campbell (22 December 1844–19 July 1904) born Herbert Edward Story was an English comedian and actor famous for appearing in music hall, Victorian burlesques, musical comedies during the Victorian era and who, for forty years, starred in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane's famous annual Christmas pantomimes, predominantly as a dame.

Born in Lambeth to Henry George Storey and his wife Hanna Fisher, Campbell left school at sixteen and worked as an office boy for The Sun newspaper in London. A few years later, he worked in a gun factory at Woolwich where he formed an amatuer nigger band with colleagues. The idea for this was inspired by a performance of Raynor’s original Christy Minstrel show which Campbell had seen during a works outing. The band soon toured music hall's throughout the south east of London and raised money for charities as a result. During the early 1860s he changed his stage name to Campbell and after a less than successful performance with the band, he joined the minstrel performers Harman and Elston in their act Harmon, Campbell and Elston.

In 1868 and having gained a wealth of experience on the stage, Campbell decided to pursue a career as a comic vocalist and made his first solo appearance at the Alhambra in Shoreditch and Collins Music Hall in Islington.  Campbell quickly established himself as a popular music hall comedian and sang many, many songs that included “Did You Ever Hear A Girl Say No?”, It’s Enough To Make a Parson Swear”, “They Were A Lovely Pair” and  “Mother Will Be Pleased.”     But it was his partnership in pantomime with the Dan Leno (1860-1904) that made him a real star.  More often than not Herbert, all 19 stone of him, would appear as Dame alongside the diminutive Dan, and it only took seconds for them both to step out onto the stage to have their audiences falling out of their seats with laughter.       Later on in life, Campbell, Leno and comedian Harry Randall decided to go into business together and formed a music hall management company. Quite often they would top their own bills.     Herbert Campbell’s glittering career came to a sudden end in 1904, when Herbert, whilst alighting from his brougham in between halls, called out to a friend, which frightened his horse and sent him falling to the ground.      The injuries sustained in this tragic accident caused a series of paralytic seizures and Herbert sadly died on 19th July 1904 aged 59.   His best chum, the great Dan Leno, died just three months later.     Herbert’s obituary in The Stage remembered him as “a long popular figure and a sincere and generous friend.”