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 was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...

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, 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. ...

. 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 musicals of the 20th century. The book was written by Jimmy Davis under the pseudonym Owen Hall, the music was by Leslie St ...

'' 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. The musical opened at D ...

'' 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 impresar ...

1902 * '' The Cingalee'' at Daly's Theatre 1904 * ''

The Little Michus ''Les p'tites Michu'' (The Little Michus) is an opérette in three acts, with music by André Messager and words by Albert Vanloo and Georges Duval (journalist), Georges Duval. The piece is set in Paris in the years following the French Revolutio ...

'' 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 James ...

'' at Daly's Theatre 1906 * ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...

'' 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, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A succ ...

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

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and gra ...

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 th ...

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 archit ...

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 List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

'' 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 of the "Wells"'' is an 1898 comic play by Arthur Wing Pinero. It tells the story of a theatre star who attempts to give up the stage for love, but is unable to fit into conventional society. Synopsis ''Trelawny of the "Wells"'' te ...

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

Three Little Maids ''Three Little Maids'' is an English musical 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 London to ea ...

''. 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 with a book by Paul Rubens and Nathaniel Newnham-Davis, and lyrics by Paul Rubens and Percy Greenbank. The story concerns a mischievous Earl's daughter who ho ...

''. 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