Nina Gladys Sevening (1885–1958) was an English stage actress and singer who played minor comedy roles in a long string of

Edwardian musical comedies Edwardian musical comedy is a genre of British musical theatre that thrived from 1892 into the 1920s, extending beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions. It began to dominate the English musical stage, and even the American musical ...

in London and on tour.

Background

Sevening was born in Westminster, London. Her parents were H. W. Sevening, a German-born commercial clerk, and his English wife Gertrude. She was educated in London and Paris.Gillan, Don
Nina Sevening (c.1885–1958)
stagebeauty.net

Career

Sevening first appeared on stage in December 1894 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 ...

. She later appeared in: *''My Innocent Boy'' at the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

1898 * ''

Florodora ''Florodora'' is an Edwardian musical comedy. After its long run in London, it became one of the first successful Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals of the 20th century. The book was written by Jimmy Davis under the pseudonym Owen Hall, the mus ...

'' at the Lyric Theatre 1899 * ''The Silver Slipper'' at the Lyric Theatre 1901 * ''

A Country Girl ''A Country Girl, or, Town and Country'' is a musical play in two acts by James T. Tanner, with lyrics by Adrian Ross, additional lyrics by Percy Greenbank, music by Lionel Monckton and additional songs by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens. Th ...

'' at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresa ...

1902 * ''

The Cingalee ''The Cingalee'' or ''Sunny Ceylon'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner, with music by Lionel Monckton, lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, and additional material by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens.J. P. Wear ...

'' at Daly's Theatre 1904 * '' The Little Michus'' at Daly's Theatre 1905 * ''

The Merveilleuses ''The Merveilleuses'' is a musical play in three acts, with a book adapted from the French original of Victorien Sardou by Basil Hood, lyrics by Adrian Ross, and music by Hugo Felix. The main plot is a love story, concerning Dorlis, an ''émigré ...

'' at Daly's Theatre 1906 * ''

The Geisha ''The Geisha, a story of a tea house'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and Jame ...

'' at Daly's Theatre 1906 * ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

'' at Daly's Theatre 1907 * ''Susannah and Some Others'' at the

1908 * ''Marjory Strode'' at The Playhouse 1908 * ''Mid-Channel'' at

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham (tenor), John Braham; it lost mone ...

1909 * ''The Great Mrs. Alloway'' at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...

1909 * ''Mid-Channel'' at the Empire Theatre (New York) 1910 * ''A Woman's Way'',

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

1910 * ''Grace'' at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

1910 * ''Passers By'' 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 ...

1911 * '' What Every Woman Knows'' at the

1911 * ''Mind the Paint Girl'' at the Duke of York's Theatre 1912 * ''The Perplexed Husband'' at the Empire Theatre (New York) 1912 * ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'' at the Duke of York Theatre 1913 * ''King's Cup'' at the Adelphi Theater 1913 * ''The Clever Ones'' at

1914 * ''Caroline'' at the New Theatre 1916 * ''

Trelawny of the 'Wells' Trelawny or Trelawney may refer to: Places * Trelawny (electoral division), an electoral division of Cornwall * Trelawny, Black Hill, Ballarat, a heritage house in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia * Trelawny, Jamaica, a parish of Cornwall County, Ja ...

'' at the New Theatre 1917 In 1903, Sevening toured in ''

Three Little Maids ''Three Little Maids'' is an Edwardian musical comedy by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens, with additional songs by Percy Greenbank and Howard Talbot. The story concerns three simple curate#Anglican Communion, curate's daughters who go to L ...

''. In 1905 she was a replacement player in the role of Gwenny Holden in ''

Lady Madcap ''Lady Madcap'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts, composed by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens with a book by Paul Rubens and Nathaniel Newnham-Davis (journalist), Nathaniel Newnham-Davis, and lyrics by Paul Rubens and Percy Greenba ...

''. She married Victor Charles Hamilton Longstaffe (born 1885) and changed her last name after him.Nina Longstaffe (née Sevening) as Miss Powerscourt in 'A Country Girl'
npg.org.uk She retired from the stage in 1917. There is a memorial to their only son, David John Longstaffe, in Aldeburgh Parish Church in Suffolk, England. David died on 16 September 1945 in Athens, where he was a Captain in the King's Royal Rifle Corps.David John Longstaffe grave monument
gravestonephotos.com

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sevening, Nina 1885 births 1958 deaths English stage actresses