Marie Dainton (8 June c. 1881 – 1 February 1938) was an actress of the

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

and

Edwardian era In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

s who appeared regularly in both

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

s and in dramatic theatre.

Early career

Dainton was born in Russia, apparently in 1881, but other sources cite 1877. Her father was Robert E. Sharlach, and her mother was the English actress and singer Jenny Dawson (d. 1936). Dainton made her stage debut on 24 March 1894 at

York Theatre Royal York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St Leonard's Place, in York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 750 people. Whilst the theatre is traditionally a proscenium theatre, it was reconfigured for a season in 2011 to off ...

in ''

Little Red Riding Hood "Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European Fable, folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Broth ...

''. In this show, she gave imitations of well-known theatrical personalities, and this gift for mimicry became her trademark. Dainton became a versatile performer in various theatrical genres, including

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

and

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

.Dainton on 'Footlights Notes'
Dainton made her first London appearance at the Metropolitan music hall in

Edgware Road Edgware Road is a major road in London, England. The route originated as part of Roman Watling Street and, unusually in London, it runs for in an almost perfectly straight line. Forming part of the modern A5 road, Edgware Road undergoes sever ...

on 6 August 1894. On 24 December 1894 she opened as 'Mr Falsehood' in ''The House that Jack Built'' at the

Opera Comique The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, located between Wych Street, Holywell Street and the Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and K ...

, and the following year toured as Flo in ''Buttercup and Daisy''. The next few years were spent appearing mainly in the music halls until June 1899 when she scored a big success at the

Avenue Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt in ...

giving impressions of popular stage stars in a production titled ''Pot Pourri''.Dainton biography on the Stage Beauty website
/ref> In 1898 Dainton appeared in the

''Puss in Boots'' with

Eugene Stratton Eugene Augustus Rühlmann (May 8, 1861 – September 15, 1918) was an American-born dancer and singer. He adopted the stage name Eugene Stratton and spent most of his career in British music halls. Biography Stratton was born in Buffalo, ...

at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Birmingham. She also appeared in the legitimate theatre. Dainton was in demand both in London and on tour in the British provinces and abroad. During 1900 and 1901 she appeared at the Casino Theatre in New York, and at the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a listed building, Grade II listed West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

in London, as Paquita in ''

The Belle of Bohemia ''The Belle of Bohemia'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts with music by Ludwig Engländer and Harry Truman MacConnell and lyrics and musical book by Harry B. Smith. The musical opened on Broadway theatre, Broadway in 1900 before having ...

''. In New York, she temporarily was restrained from appearing in the show until a breach of contract case was resolved in the courts. She also toured Austria as Fifi in '' The Belle of New York''. At the Strand Theatre in London in 1902, she appeared in the successful musical play ''

A Chinese Honeymoon ''A Chinese Honeymoon'' is a musical comedy in two acts by George Dance, with music by Howard Talbot and additional music by Ivan Caryll and others, and additional lyrics by Harry Greenbank and others. One song that originated in the show w ...

''. In 1902, she made several gramophone recordings for the Gramophone & Typewriter Co Ltd and

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

of songs from this show, namely "The à la Girl", "Sweet Little Sing-Sing", and "Mandie of Ohio".

Later years

Dainton was the original '' Peggy Machree'' at

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the arch ...

in London from 28 December 1904, and played the leading role in the original production of ''

The Girl Behind the Counter ''The Girl Behind the Counter'' is an Edwardian musical comedy with a book by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson and Leedham Bantock, music by Howard Talbot and lyrics by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson (and additional lyr ...

'', again at Wyndham's, from 21 April 1906. Dainton was a leading figure in the Music Hall War of 1907, alongside, among others,

Joe Elvin Joe Elvin (born Joseph Peter Keegan; 29 November 1862 – 3 March 1935) was an English comedian and music hall entertainer and a Founder of the Grand Order of Water Rats, a show business charity. With other leading performers he took part in the M ...

Gus Elen Ernest Augustus Elen (22 July 1862 – 17 February 1940) was an English music hall singer and comedian. He achieved success from 1891, performing cockney songs including "Arf a Pint of Ale", "It's a Great Big Shame", "Down the Road" and "If It ...

and

Marie Lloyd Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922), professionally known as Marie Lloyd (), was an English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress. She was best known for her performances of songs such as "The Boy ...

. At the Colonial Theatre in New York in March 1909 Dainton appeared in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

, again performing her mimicry of celebrities, including

Harry Lauder Sir Henry Lauder (; 4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950)Russell, Dave"Lauder, Sir Henry (1870–1950)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 27 April 2014 was a S ...

Anna Held Helene Anna Held (19 March 1872 – 12 August 1918) was a Polish-born French stage performer of Jewish origin on Broadway. While appearing in London, she was spotted by impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, who brought her to America as his common-law ...

Marie Tempest Dame Mary Susan Etherington (15 July 1864 – 15 October 1942), known professionally as Marie Tempest, was an English singer and actress. Tempest became a famous soprano in late Victorian era, Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedie ...

and

Mrs Patrick Campbell Beatrice Rose Stella Tanner (9 February 1865 – 9 April 1940), better known by her stage name Mrs Patrick Campbell or Mrs Pat, was an English stage actress, best known for appearing in plays by Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, Shaw and J. M. ...

. In October 1909 Dainton made a second tour of the United States, playing in Philadelphia and Chicago in ''The Silver Star'' and ''Madame Sherry''. In 1910, she toured the English provinces as Clarice in the opera '' The Mountaineers'' before returning to the music halls. Among other productions, she took part in '' Autumn Manoeuvres'' on tour in 1912, ''I Should Worry'' at The

Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...

and on tour in 1913. She appeared in ''Society Ltd'' in 1920, ''Riverside Nights'' in 1926, ''The Eternal Flame'' in 1929, and in ''Getting George Married'' in 1930. Her latter appearances took place in the early 1930s, playing the Duchess of Capablanca in ''The Werewolf'', an eight-performance run produced at the Kingsway Theatre, London, on 9 November 1932 by the Independent Theatre Club; and as a slut in the play ''Mary Read'' at London's Phoenix Theatre in 1934.

Death

Marie Dainton died at the age of 56 in London on 1 February 1938 after a short illness.

References

External links

Dainton biography on Footlights Notes website
*
Dainton
on

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

Digital Gallery
Portrait of Dainton
on The

Zena Dare Zena Dare (born Florence Hariette Zena Dones; 4 February 1887 – 11 March 1975) was an English actress and singer, who was famous for her performances in Edwardian musical comedy and other musical theatre and comedic plays in the first half o ...

Page
Portrait of Dainton
on the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

website {{DEFAULTSORT:Dainton, Marie 1938 deaths English women comedians English women singers British music hall performers English stage actresses English opera singers British vaudeville performers Women of the Victorian era 1881 births 20th-century English comedians