Vesta Tilley

Vesta Tilley
Cards of Vesta Tilley, out of drag and in a male role
Born	Matilda Alice Powles (1864-05-13)13 May 1864 Commandery Street, Worcester
Died	16 September 1952(1952-09-16) (aged 88) London
Other names	Lady de Frece
Occupation	Music hall singer & male impersonator
Spouse(s)	Abraham Walter de Frece

Matilda Alice Powles (13 May 1864 – 16 September 1952), was an English music hall performer who adopted, at age 11, the stage name Vesta Tilley and who became one of the most famous male impersonators of her era. She was a star in both Britain and the United States for over thirty years.

Tilley was born in Commandery Street, Worcester, Worcestershire in 1864. Her father, known as Harry Ball, was a comedy actor, songwriter, and music hall chairman; with his encouragement, Tilley first appeared on stage at the age of three and a half. At the age of six she did her first role in male clothing, billed as "The Pocket Sims Reeves", a reference to the then-famous opera singer. She also performed songs from his repertoire, to add to the illusion. She would come to prefer doing male roles exclusively, saying that "I felt that I could express myself better if I were dressed as a boy."

Under her father's management, Vesta toured extensively in 'the provinces', as towns and cities outside London were known. While she appeared on stage at St George's Hall in Nottingham most frequently – her father was the chairman of the hall – she also performed in other towns such as Birmingham, Hull, Leicester, Derby and Liverpool. Successful from the outset, by age 11 her salary supported her parents and siblings as well.

The first decade of her career saw her billed most often as 'the Great Little Tilley'. The gender ambiguity of her name was causing problems for audiences, however, so she and her manager father were asked to come up with another. She was billed as Vesta Tilley for the first time in April 1878, when performing at the Royal Music Hall in Holborn, London. "Vesta" referred to both the Roman goddess of hearth and home, and a brand of safety matches; "Tilley" was her childhood nickname for Matilda.