Brandon Thomas

Brandon Thomas (1848–1914) was a playwright and actor best known for the farce *Charley’s Aunt* (1892). Born in Liverpool, England, he began his career on the stage before turning to writing for the theatre. *Charley’s Aunt*, a comedy of mistaken identity involving an impersonated chaperone, became an international hit and remains his most enduring work. Thomas wrote other plays, including *The Rogue’s Comedy* (1894) and *A Medieval Girl* (1900), but none matched the lasting popularity of *Charley’s Aunt*. He died in London in 1914.