Edwin Jesse Lonnen, credited as "E. J." or "Teddy", was an English actor, comedian and singer known for his performances in musical burlesques, operettas and musical comedies, particularly at the Gaiety Theatre, London at the end of the Victorian era.
E. J. Lonnen, c. 1892
Lonnen's signature tune, "Killaloe"
Lonnen in Frankenstein
The Gaiety Theatre was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was first established as the Strand Musick Hall in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. In 1868, it became known as the Gaiety Theatre and was, at first, known for music hall and then for musical burlesque, pantomime and operetta performances. From 1868 to the 1890s, it had a major influence on the development of modern musical comedy.
Interior of the Gaiety, 1869
1894: Arthur Williams as William Lurcher (A Sheriff's Officer), in Dorothy
Gaiety Girls, 1896
Part of the programme for the old Gaiety's farewell performance