Tom Taylor

His first hit was To Parents and Guardians, produced at the Lyceum in 1845. He wrote over 100 plays, amongst the best known of which are:

• Our American Cousin (1858)
• Still Waters Run Deep (1855)
• Victims (1857)
• The Contested Election (1859)
• The Overland Route (1860)
• The Ticket of Leave Man (1863)
• Anne Boleyn (1875)
• Joan of Arc (1871)

Although his plays were extremely popular, his writing did not suffer in pursuit of popularity. The characters in his dramas are clearly and consistently drawn, and the dialogue is natural and pointed. In his blank verse historical dramas, Anne Boleyn and Joan of Arc, most critics find that he was not as successful.

Taylor began his career as a journalist. Soon after moving to London, Taylor wrote for the Morning Chronicle and the Daily News. He was on the staff of Punch until 1874, when he succeeded Shirley Brooks[?] as editor.