Background
Born in London, Soutar trained as a journalist, in which capacity he worked for a period on the Morning Advertiser, of which his father was for many years working editors
Born in London, Soutar trained as a journalist, in which capacity he worked for a period on the Morning Advertiser, of which his father was for many years working editors
He began his career as a journalist but soon moved into acting. There, he stage managed and wrote for the theatre in addition to acting. Soutar also directed plays and wrote pantomimes and other pieces.
He began his connection with the theatre in 1852 as an amateur actor.
After a period at the Brighton Theatre he played Captain Pertinax in Taming a Truant at London"s Olympic Theatre in 1863. Their sons were Henry Robert Soutar (1868–1928), an actor and later a general labourer, and the actor Joseph Farren Soutar.
At the Adelphi Theatre in 1868, Soutar"s one-act farce, The Fast Coach, written with C. J. Claridge, was produced, and at the same theatre he played the role of Green Jones in Tom Taylor"s melodrama The Ticket-of-Leave Manitoba On 21 December 1868 Farren and Soutar joined the Gaiety Theatre for the re-opening of the theatre under John Hollingshead"s management, where Soutar served as stage manager, writer and actor for some 10 years.
In 1868 he played Old Bailey (a wax figure from the Chamber of Horrors) in West. South. Gilbert"s operatic parody Robert the Devil.
In 1870 he played Prince Casimir in The Princess of Trebizonde, also at the Gaiety. In 1871, Soutar created the role of Tipseion in Thespis, the first Gilbert and Sullivan opera. He also directed the piece.
In 1878 he directed a production of The Forty Thieves written by Robert Reece, West. South. Gilbert, F. C. Burnand and Henry J. Byron as an amateur production for the Beefsteak Club of London.
His comedy Blindfold was played at the Gaiety Theatre in 1882, and in October of the same year, his farce The Fast Coach was revived. In 1890 he was the stage manager at Adelphi Theatre.
In May 1891 he appeared in the comic drama The Rocket by Arthur Wing Pinero. In 1892, Soutar edited Joseph A. Cave"s reminiscences, A Jubilee of Dramatic Life and Incident.
On the 1901 census he was listed as a retired actor.