Lord Adalbert D'Ysquith

Who is Lord Adalbert D'Ysquith?

Lord Adalbert is the current Earl of Highhurst and the last obstacle standing between Monty Navarro and the family title, a proud, dismissive aristocrat who represents everything Monty resents about the family that disowned his mother. He is one of nine D'Ysquith relatives traditionally played by a single actor, each a distinct comic portrait of upper-class absurdity.

His eventual encounter with Monty brings the show's central scheme to its climax, as the earldom Monty has been chasing through an escalating string of murders finally comes within reach.

Lord Adalbert's role in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Lord Adalbert is a supporting role, one of the nine D'Ysquith parts traditionally performed by a single virtuoso actor in rapid succession, each requiring distinct vocal and comic characterizations delivered in quick costume changes.

Jefferson Mays originated all nine D'Ysquith roles on Broadway, including Lord Adalbert, and earned a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for the feat, turning a string of supporting parts into one of the most celebrated performances of the decade.

Lord Adalbert D'Ysquith on stage vs screen

Broadway compared with Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), filmed from the same novel

The film and the musical dispatch the head of the family in opposite ways. In Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), the Ealing film of the musical's source novel, Alec Guinness plays Ethelred, 8th Duke of Chalfont, whom Louis shoots in a staged shotgun accident after revealing his motive. In the musical, Monty cannot bring himself to fire the rifle Lord Adalbert hands him, and the earl simply drops dead after a drink; Miss Shingle later admits she poisoned him.

Guinness played eight members of the doomed family. On Broadway in 2013, Jefferson Mays played nine D'Ysquith roles, including Lord Adalbert and Chauncey, and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Lord Adalbert D'Ysquith: frequently asked questions