B. C. Stephenson

Who was B. C. Stephenson?

Benjamin Charles Stephenson or B. C. Stephenson was an English dramatist, lyricist and librettist. After beginning a career in the civil service, he started to write for the theatre, using the pen name "Bolton Rowe". He was author or co-author of several long-running shows of the Victorian theatre. His biggest hit was the comic opera Dorothy, which set records for the length of its original run.

His writing collaborators included Clement Scott and Brandon Thomas, and composers with whom he worked included Frederic Clay and Alfred Cellier. He is remembered by some for his collaboration with Arthur Sullivan on The Zoo, which continues to be revived today.