Alfred Lester (25 October 1870[1] – 6 May 1925), real name Alfred Edwin Leslie, was an English actor and comedian. Born into a theatrical family, he learnt his craft touring in melodramas, as a young man, but made his reputation as a comedian in musical comedy, music hall and, later, revue.
Lester's gloomy stage persona was seen to its quintessential comic effect in the long-running musical The Arcadians (1909) in which he delivered optimistic lyrics in a lugubrious manner. Among his other hit shows were The New Aladdin (1906), Havana (1908) and The Bing Boys Are Here (1916). His co-stars included George Grossmith Jr., Phyllis Dare, George Robey and Violet Lorraine.
Ill health brought Lester's career to a premature close, and he died of pneumonia at the age of fifty four.[2]
- ^ Leslie, Alfred Edwin. "Preston, Vol. 8e, Page 483". England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. General Register Office. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ The Times obituary of 7 May 1925 has the wrong birth place (Nottingham) and date of birth (25 October 1874) for Lester