Ada Blanche facts for kids
Ada Blanche (born Ada Cecilia Blanche Adams; 16 July 1862 – 1 January 1953) was an English actress and singer. She was known for her lively performances in popular stage shows called burlesques and pantomimes when she was younger. Later in her career, she played funny older characters in musical comedies.
Ada Blanche came from a family of actors. She started acting at age fourteen and had a career that lasted 45 years. She mostly performed on British stages, including the famous West End in London and on tours. In the 1890s, she was a top "principal boy" in London's biggest pantomimes. A principal boy is a female actress who plays the main male character in a pantomime. In the 1900s, she began playing funny, strong older women. Her most famous role was in the hit musical The Arcadians (1909). Her brother-in-law, Robert Courtneidge, produced this show.
Besides musical comedies, Blanche also appeared in funny plays and other comedies where she did not sing. She performed from 1906 until she retired in 1921. During her long career, she acted alongside famous stars like George Grossmith Jr., Dan Leno, Marie Lloyd, and Little Tich.
Life and Career
Starting Out
Blanche was born in Brixton, London. Her mother was the singer and actress Cicely Nott. Her father, Sam Adams, managed theatres. They had five children, and all of them later worked in theatre. One of her sisters, Rosaline (known as Rosie Nott), married the theatre producer Robert Courtneidge. Their daughter was the famous actress Cicely Courtneidge.
Ada Blanche made her first stage appearance at age fourteen. It was in London's Adelphi Theatre Christmas show, Little Goody Two Shoes. In 1878, she toured Britain in a play called Olivia. She played Polly Flamborough, while her mother played Mrs Primrose. In the same year, she played her first "breeches role" in a pantomime. This means she played a male character, Dandini, in Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
For the 1880 pantomime season, Blanche returned to Drury Lane in Mother Goose. She played the Princess. In 1882, Ada played the singing role of Fiametta in a touring show called Boccaccio. A newspaper, The Manchester Guardian, said that Miss Ada Blanche was "pleasant and genuine."
Touring and Pantomime Star
In 1883–84, Blanche toured with an all-women opera company. In 1885, she went to the United States. She joined a burlesque company there. When she came back to Britain, she joined a touring theatre group with her mother and another sister, Edith Blanche. Between tours, Blanche became well-known in the West End of London.
In 1886, she appeared at the Gaiety Theatre in a show called Monte Cristo Jr.. She was a backup for the theatre's main star, Nellie Farren. When the theatre manager, George Edwardes, put together touring groups, Blanche often played Farren's "principal boy" parts. She performed in burlesques like Little Jack Sheppard (1886) and Miss Esmeralda (1887). As Farren got older, Blanche took over the main roles in shows like Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué (1890) and Joan of Arc (1891).
Blanche was a top star in pantomime in the 1890s. She worked for Sir Augustus Harris at Drury Lane. For six seasons starting in December 1892, she starred in big pantomime shows there. These included Little Bo-Peep, Robinson Crusoe, Dick Whittington and His Cat, Cinderella, Aladdin, and Babes in the Wood.
In the main role of Robinson Crusoe, she was mentioned first by The Times newspaper. This was even before her famous co-stars, Little Tich, Dan Leno, Marie Lloyd, and Herbert Campbell. The newspaper said, "Miss Ada Blanche as Robinson Crusoe would probably have surprised Daniel Defoe; but her liveliness and amusing boldness made up for not being exactly like the original character." In Dick Whittington, a reporter for The Era newspaper thought she "sang well, danced well and acted well." The reporter added that "she was the life and soul of the evening."
Later Career
As the 1890s continued, Blanche got some main roles in musical comedies. In 1896, she starred in The Telephone Girl. A newspaper, The Manchester Guardian, praised her. It said she was "an accomplished actress" with a "lively but refined style." It also mentioned her "expressive singing, clever dancing, and general daintiness."
Blanche's biggest success in the West End came when she was in her mid-40s. It was in the hit musical comedy The Arcadians. In this show, she played Mrs Smith, a funny character who did not sing. The show ran from April 1909 until August 1911. Her brother-in-law, Robert Courtneidge, later cast her in three more of his shows. She played Mitsu in The Mousme (1911), Mrs Baxter-Browne in The Pearl Girl (1913), and Lady Elizabeth Weston in The Rebel Maid (1921).
In 1917, she also played Miss Carruthers in a comedy called Seven Days. She also played Madame Morney in the play The Spring Song.
The Rebel Maid ran for only four months. When it closed, Blanche retired. She first moved to Yorkshire and later to west London.
Blanche never married. She passed away at St. Mary's Convent in Chiswick on 1 January 1953. She was 90 years old.
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