Louis N. Parker
Louis N. Parker | |
|---|---|
Louis N. Parker in 1917, National Portrait Gallery | |
| Born | 21 October 1852 Luc-sur-Mer, Calvados, France |
| Died | 21 September 1944 (aged 91) Bishopsteignton, Devon, England |
| Occupation | composer, playwright |
| Nationality | British |
| Citizenship | British after 1914 |
| Education | Royal Academy of Music |
| Period | Victorian, Edwardian |
| Genre | drama |
| Notable works | Disraeli |
| Spouse |
Georgianna Bessie Calder
(m. 1878–1919) |
| Children | Elsa ("Toby") and Dorothy ("Tommy") |
Louis Napoleon Parker (21 October 1852 – 21 September 1944) was an English dramatist, composer and translator. Parker wrote many plays, developing a reputation for historical works. His 1911 play Disraeli is one of his best known, written as a vehicle for the actor George Arliss who later won an Academy Award for his performance in the 1929 film adaptation, itself based on his earlier 1921 silent film version.
In the 1900s, he staged a series of historical pageants: Sherborne Pageant (1905), and in 1906, the Warwick Pageant (1906) and the Bury Pageant 1907, huge productions involving 800–900 participants. Their success inspired a wave of "pageantitis" in England, including several more by Parker.