Alfred Bunn

Who was Alfred Bunn?

Alfred Bunn was an English theatrical manager. He was married to Margaret Agnes Bunn, a minor actress, in 1819.

He was appointed stage manager of Drury Lane Theatre, London, in 1823. In 1826, he was managing the Theatre Royal in Birmingham, and in 1833 he undertook the joint management of Drury Lane and Covent Garden, London. In this undertaking he met with vigorous opposition. A bill for the abolition of the patent theatres was passed in the House of Commons, but on Bunn's petition was thrown out by the House of Lords. He had difficulties first with his company, then with the lord chamberlain, and had to face the keen rivalry of the other theatres.

A longstanding quarrel with William Charles Macready resulted in the tragedian assaulting the manager. In Macready’s own words, he walked past Bunn’s door and “going up to him as he sat on the other side of the table, I struck him as he rose a backhanded slap across the face. I did not hear what he said, but I dug my fist into him as effectively as I could; he caught hold of me, and got at one time the little finger of my left hand in his mouth, and bit it.”