Constance Loseby

Constance Loseby (1842–13 October 1906) was a leading British actress and singer of the late Victorian era best remembered for performing in some early works of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, including Robert the Devil (1868) and Thespis (1871).

Constance Loseby in 1875

Early life and career

Born in Nottingham in 1842, Loseby's theatrical appearances included Raimbault in W. S. Gilbert's Victorian burlesque Robert the Devil (1868); creating the role of Prince Raphael in the London premiere of Offenbach's La princesse de Trébizonde (1870);[1] Princess Veloutine in Hervé's "operatic extravaganza" Aladdin the 2nd (1870) starring Nellie Farren and J. L. Toole;[2][3] Paris in La Belle Helene (July 1871);[4] Belazza in the opéra bouffe Cinderella the Younger (September 1871),[5] and Nicemis in Gilbert and Sullivan's Thespis (December 1871),[6] all at the Gaiety Theatre in London. During a recess at the Gaiety in 1870 she had a brief singing engagement at The South London Music Hall in Lambeth.[7] One of her most popular songs was 'Sally In Our Alley'.[8]

Further appearances included a comic opera version of Cinderella at the Holborn Theatre (1874–1875);[5] in La Poule aux Oeufs D’or (1878–1879); Dolly in The Sultan of Mocha (1876); reprising the role of Prince Raphael in La princesse de Trébizonde (1879); as Marguerite in Mefistofele (1880) with Lizzie St Quentin in the title role, Fred Leslie as Faust and Lionel Brough as Valentine;[9][10] Jeanneton in Lacôme's Jeanne, Jeannette et Jeanneton (1881),[11] and the title role in The Black Crook (1881–1882), the latter all at the Alhambra Theatre in London.[12]

Marriage and later years

In 1864 in London she married John Caulfield (1839-before 1891),[13] a Professor of Music. Their daughter was Constance Elizabeth Louisa Caulfield (1871–1956).[14] By 1891 Loseby had retired from the stage and owned the Victoria Hotel in Aldershot, Hampshire.[15] She took part in a last night performance at London's Gaiety Theatre in 1903 before its demolition along with Gaiety stars past and present including E. W. Royce, Lionel Brough, Richard Temple and Henry Irving.[16]

At the time of her death in 1906 she was a widow living in the Red Lion Hotel in Milford, Surrey. In her will she left £1,648 8s 9d to her daughter.[17]

References
Loseby, possibly in The Black Crook (1882)
  1. Simpson, Adrienne, Alice May: Gilbert & Sullivan's First Prima Donna Routledge (2003), Google Books, p. 103
  2. Traubner, Richard Operetta: A Theatrical History Routledge (2003), Google Books, p. 22
  3. "Alfred Thompson (1831–1895) Alfred Thompson Costume Designs- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library". Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  4. Loseby on the Picture History website Archived 2014-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  5. List of plays based on Cinderella on Theatre History, accessed 27 November 2020
  6. Baker, Anthony and Timothy Henty. Thespis; or the Gods Grown Old – A New Performing Version Elton Grove Press (2009), Google Books, p. viii
  7. "The South London Palace of Varieties, 92 London Road, Lambeth", The Music Hall and Theatre History Site, accessed 27 November 2020
  8. 'Sally In Our Alley' on the Lyrics of the Music Hall website
  9. Mefistofele on the Operetta Research Center website
  10. Mefistofele in the Theatre Collection of the University of Kent website
  11. Simpson, p. 115
  12. Loseby at Theatricalia, accessed 27 November 2020
  13. Constance Loseby in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837–1915, Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  14. 1871 England Census for Constance Caulfield, Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  15. 1891 England Census for Constance Caulfield, Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  16. Gänzl, Kurt, "1877": The British Musical Theatre: Volume 1, 1865–1914, Oxford University Press (1986), p. 765
  17. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1966 for Constance Caulfield, Ancestry.com (subscription required)
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