Henry Brodribb Irving was the first son of Sir Henry Irving; he used the stage name "H. B." to distinguish himself from his illustrious father and fellow-actor, Sir Henry. In 1894, the same year he was called to the Bar, Inner Temple (he wrote several books on criminals and the law), he chose the theatre as a profession and was continuously employed from then on as an actor. He acted in his father's company, and served several times as an actor-manager in the London theatres.
H. B. married Dorothea Baird (1875-1833), an actress who first appeared in several Oxford University performances. She went on in her professional career to play many Shakespeare roles in the companies of Ben Greet, Beerbohm Tree, and Henry Irving. With her husband she toured most of the provincial British cities, as well as the United States and Australia.
Hamlet
Don John in Much Ado About Nothing