Furneaux Cook (1839 – 19 January 1903), bornJohn Furneaux Cook, was an English opera singer and actor best known forbaritone roles in thecomic operas ofGilbert and Sullivan andAlfred Cellier on the London stage. Cook appeared on stage for over 30 years in London, the British provinces and America.

Cook was the brother of opera singerAynsley Cook and fellowSavoyard Alice Aynsley Cook (1849–1938).

One of Cook's earliest professional engagements was in the obscureMichael Balfe opera,Letty the Basketmaker, produced byJohn Hollingshead at theGaiety Theatre in London in 1868. This was played as part of the same programme withW. S. Gilbert'sburlesqueRobert the Devil. Cook also played Peter the Watchman in the burlesqueCinderella the Younger (byAlfred Thompson, composed byÉmile Jonas) at the Gaiety in 1871,^[1] and the title character inThe Sultan of Mocha, byAlfred Cellier, inManchester in 1874–75.^[2]

Cook then joined one ofRichard D'Oyly Carte's touring companies in 1878 in Gilbert and Sullivan'sThe Sorcerer, playing the vicar, Doctor Daly,^[3] and also Old Matthew in the curtain-raiserBreaking the Spell, byH. B. Farnie, based onJacques Offenbach'sLe violoneux.^[4] From 1879 to 1880, he travelled to America with Gilbert, Sullivan and theD'Oyly Carte Opera Company to present the authorised version ofH.M.S. Pinafore, in which he played Dick Deadeye, andThe Pirates of Penzance, in which he created the role of Samuel first in New York and then in Philadelphia, where he moved up to the larger roles of Sergeant of Police inPirates and Captain Corcoran inPinafore. He also played Dr. Daly on this tour.^[5] On 23 April 1880, the company gave a benefit for Cook consisting ofPinafore and the second act ofPirates, in which Cook played Deadeye, Corcoran (apparently one in each act), and the Sergeant.^[2]

Cook left the company upon his return to England, appearing later in 1880 and 1881 inThe King's Dragoons in Manchester and Liverpool, and in then inLa Belle Normande andThe Grand Mogul in London. Re-joining the D'Oyly Carte organisation at the end of 1881, he played Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre inThe Sorcerer and Corcoran inPinafore. In 1883, Cook joinedKate Santley's company at theRoyalty Theatre inThe Merry Duchess byGeorge R. Sims andFrederic Clay in the role of Farmer Bowman. In 1884–86, he was back with D'Oyly Carte, touring as Dick Deadeye inPinafore, the Sergeant inPirates, Archibald Grosvenor inPatience (in 1884 only), the Earl of Mountararat inIolanthe (in 1885 only) and Pooh-Bah inThe Mikado (in 1885–86). In 1884, he also played Cox in a series of matinees ofCox and Box at theRoyal Court Theatre withRichard Temple andArthur Cecil.^[6] He then retired from the D'Oyly Carte company.^[2]

After this, Cook created the role of Squire Bantam in the hit comic opera,Dorothy, by Cellier and librettistB. C. Stephenson in September 1886. In the show, he was assigned the song 'Here's a welcome to all at Chanticleer Hall.'^[7] This show enjoyed a record-setting two-year run. Next, he appeared as Alderman Shelton in Cellier and Stephenson'sDoris in 1889.

After this, Cook continued to act in London for another ten years. In 1892, he appeared in Gilbert and Cellier'sThe Mountebanks (Cellier's last opera) as innkeeper Elvino di Pasta.^[8] In 1893, he played inLittle Christopher Columbus, a very successful musical burlesque with music byIvan Caryll andGustave Kerker and a libretto byGeorge Robert Sims andCecil Raleigh. In 1894, Cook was inThe House of Lords byHarry Greenbank with music by George Byng (who conducted some of the 1920s recordings of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas) andErnest Ford.^[9]

Cook was the recipient of a benefit matinee performance ofDorothy at the Gaiety Theatre in June 1897, reviving his role as the Squire. His old co-starsMarie Tempest,Hayden Coffin,Florence Perry,Arthur Williams andJohn Le Hay reprised their roles, andSeymour Hicks,Mabel Love,Arthur Roberts andCharles Kenningham, among others, participated.^[10] His last appearance in London was as a juryman inTrial by Jury, at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1898 in a performance for the benefit ofNellie Farren.^[11]

Cook died inWest Kensington, London and is buried in theWest Norwood Cemetery.

• Furneaux Cook at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte
• Ainger, Michael (2002).Gilbert and Sullivan, a Dual Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0195147693.

• 1839 births
• 1903 deaths
• English actors
• 19th-century English male opera singers
• Burials at West Norwood Cemetery

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