In August of that year he made his first appearance on the English stage as Woodstock, supporting Helen Barry in Clancarty, a play which was re-written by his father's own friend, Tom Taylor. His repetition of Eglinton Roseleaf in the Park Theatre, London, on Oct. 16th, 1875, led to his engagement to play under Buckstone's management at the Haymarket, where he became leading man, and one of the most popular young actors in London. Except for a short engagement at the Prince of Wales, he remained three years at the Haymarket, supporting Adelaide Neilson in Anne Boleyn, Measure for Measure, The Lady of Lyons, and other plays, and appearing in the original cast of Gilbert's Engaged. Subsequently he joined Henry Irving at the Lyceum, in 1878, and Marie Lytton's Company at the Imperial, obtaining a wide command over a varied repertoire with such actors as Phelps, Farren, Brough, Vezin, Rider, and Mrs. Sterling. To his industrious study during these years he attributed his knowledge of theatrical technique, which gave him the rank in the first class of actors. At the Prince of Wales in 1884, he played Prince Philamir, in the Palace of Truth, Humphrey Goddard, in Breaking a Butterfly, Gilbert Vaughan in Called Back, and at the Olympic in 1885 he played Hubert Graham in In His Power, and Carlos Merle in Heartless.
Although Kyrle Bellew visited America in 1882, he did not appear on the American stage until 1885, when Lester Wallack engaged him as leading man. Besides repeating In His Power, and other plays, for which he was known in England, his repertoire during two seasons at Wallack's included The Rivals, The Busybody, Hoodman Blind, Valerie, Sophia, Harvest, The School for Scandal, Harbor Lights The Dominee's Daughter, Old Heads and Young Hearts, and the Romance of a Poor Young Man. This last play ended the career of the famous Wallack Company.
