Kate Everleigh (1864 – 8 February 1926) was a serio-comic actress and singer of the late

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

who was a

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

and

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

performer as well as appearing in

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

and

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of 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, movemen ...

. In America in 1877, with Lydia Thompson's Company, she appeared in

Reece Reece derives from the Welsh name Rhys. It may refer to: * Recce (filmmaking) * Reece (name), people with the given name or surname * A-Reece (born 1997), South African rapper and record producer * Reece, Kansas, United States * Mount Reece, in th ...

and Farnie's

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

''Oxygen, or, Prince Fritz of Virgamen'' Reece's burlesque of ''

Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...

'' and a version of ''

Bluebeard "Bluebeard" (french: Barbe bleue, ) is a French folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in ''Histoires ou contes du temps passé''. The tale tells the st ...

''. Other appearances in the United States included a production of ''The Magic Slipper'' with the Colville Opera Company at the Bush Street Theatre in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

in November 1879. A critic wrote of her performance, "Miss Kate Everleigh made a handsome Prince, and might perhaps have scored a success had she been compelled to act the part in pantomime". Everleigh also appeared in a burlesque with the Famous Colville Opera Burlesque Company at the California Theatre in San Francisco called ''Ill Treated Il Travotore, Or, The Mother, The Maiden, and The Musicianer'' (1880). In London she appeared in the burlesque ''The Babes, or, Whines from the Wood'' (1884) and as Captain Delaunay in the original London cast of ''

Erminie ''Erminie'' is a comic opera in two acts composed by Edward Jakobowski with a libretto by Claxson Bellamy and Harry Paulton, based loosely on Charles Selby's 1834 English translation of the French melodrama, ''Robert Macaire''. The piece first ...

'' (1885). The magazine ''The Theatre'' in 1885 stated that she had also appeared in the shows ''Nemesis'' (1885); ''The Bride of Song'' (1864), a one-act operetta with music by

Julius Benedict Sir Julius Benedict (27 November 1804 – 5 June 1885) was a German-born composer and conductor, resident in England for most of his career. Life and music Benedict was born in Stuttgart, the son of a Jewish banker, and in 1820 learnt compo ...

and words by

Henry Brougham Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on th ...

, and ''Family Ties''.Everleigh on The Cabinet Card Gallery website
/ref> Everleigh acted in ''Eastward Ho!'' at the

Opera Comique The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, 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 Kingsway. ...

(1894).Wearing, J.P. ''The London Stage 1890–1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel'', Rowman & Littlefield (2014), p. 235 In 1889 she appeared at the Alexandra Theatre in a benefit night for Alfred Hemming. She played the lead role of Daisy in the musical comedy drama ''Kittens'' at the

Theatre Royal, Brighton The Theatre Royal, Brighton is a theatre in Brighton, England presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet. History In 1806 the Prince of Wales (later George IV) gave Royal Assent for ...

and also appeared in ''The Pet of Park Lane''. A stage beauty, her portrait was printed on the front page of ''

The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News The ''Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News'' was a British weekly magazine founded in 1874 and published in London. In 1945 it changed its name to the ''Sport and Country'', and in 1957 to the ''Farm and Country'', before closing in 1970. His ...

'' in 1885 and 1886. She was also known for playing the

Principal Boy In pantomime, a principal boy role is the young male protagonist of the play, traditionally played by a young actress in boy's clothes. The earliest example is Miss Ellington who in 1852 appeared in ''The Good Woman in the Wood'' by James Planch ...

, including playing

Dick Whittington Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal, City of London, was an English merchant and a politician of the late medieval period. He is also the real-life inspiration for the English folk tale ''Dick ...

. She died in 1926 aged 62.

Gallery

File:Kate Everleigh 1885.jpg, Kate Everleigh on the cover of ''

'' (1885) File:Kate Everleigh 1886.jpg, Kate Everleigh on the cover of ''The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News'' (1886)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Everleigh, Kate 1864 births 1926 deaths English stage actresses Music hall performers British burlesque performers British musical theatre actresses Women of the Victorian era 19th-century British actresses