Brougham, John

Brougham, John (1810–80) actor, playwright, manager; born in Dublin, Ireland. He began his acting career in London and came to the U.S.A. in 1842. A popular comedian, specializing in stage Irishmen, he wrote over 100 plays, including spoofs such as Much Ado about the Merchant of Venice (1869). His adaptation of Dombey and Son in 1848 was a considerable success, but his efforts to manage theaters, among them Brougham's Broadway Lyceum, were failures.