Ada Blanche

Ada Blanche (16 July 1862 – 1 January 1953), born Ada Cecilia Blanche Adams, was an English actress and singer known early in her career for vivacious performances in Victorian burlesque and pantomime and later in character roles in Edwardian musical comedy.

Born into a theatrical family, Blanche made her stage debut at the age of fourteen and had a forty-five year career, almost exclusively on the British stage, in the West End and on tour. In the 1890s she was a leading principal boy in London's most lavishly staged pantomimes. In the 20th century her career changed to playing comic, formidable older women. Her most celebrated role of this kind was in the hit musical The Arcadians (1909), staged by her brother-in-law Robert Courtneidge.

Beyond musical comedy, Blanche appeared in farces and other comedies in non-singing roles between 1906 and her retirement in 1921. Among her co-stars during her long career were George Grossmith Jr., Dan Leno, Marie Lloyd, Walter Passmore, Kate Santley and Little Tich.

Blanche was born in Brixton, London, the daughter of the singer and actress Cicely Nott and her husband, Sam Adams, a theatre manager. The couple had five children, all of whom were later professionally associated with the theatre, including Rosaline, known professionally as Rosie Nott, who married the impresario Robert Courtneidge and was the mother of Cicely Courtneidge.

At the age of fourteen Blanche made her stage debut in London's Adelphi Theatre Christmas show, Little Goody Two Shoes. In 1878 she toured in Britain with the actor-manager Charles Calvert in Olivia, W. G. Wills's adaptation of Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield, playing Polly Flamborough to her mother's Mrs Primrose. In the same year she appeared in her first breeches role in pantomime, playing Dandini in Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. In 1879–80 she played at the Imperial Theatre in a rival version of Goldsmith's story, adapted by Tom Taylor and starring Marie Litton, Lionel Brough and Kyrle Bellew. For the same company she appeared in As You Like It in 1880.

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