Gabrielle Ray
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Gabrielle Ray (April 28, 1883 - May 21, 1973), was a British stage actress and dancer, best known for her roles in Edwardian Musical Comedy.
[edit] Life and career
Born Gabrielle Elizabeth Clifford Cook in Stockport, Cheshire, England, she first appeared on stage in a musical at the age of ten. By age sixteen, her dancing skills had advanced enough to be contracted to tour with the Ben Greet Players, an outfit that brought low budget productions of the classics to the working-class theaters at the fringe of London.
During the first decade of the 20th century Ray's career had progressed to the point where she was performing at some of the leading West End venues. Gaining attention as a beautiful young ingénue, her photograph was much sought after by the various trade publications of the day and leading photographers such as Cecil Beaton. Known across Europe for her looks, she was described by a leading magazine in Paris, France as being the "most beautiful woman in the United Kingdom".
She played as a replacement in The Toreador in 1902 and then took over for Letty Lind in The Girl from Kays, earning good notices for her graceful, acrobatic dancing in particular. Next, she played in the hit The Orchid, famous in that show for singing "The Pink Pyjama Girl". She appeared in a number of reasonably successful shows produced by Edwardes in 1905 and 1906. Then, in 1907, she played Frou Frou in Edwardes' adaptation of The Merry Widow, which ran for 778 performances. Ray's dance number, complete with handstands and high kicks, all performed on a table at Maxim's held head high by four men, was a show stopper. Next was The Dollar Princess (1909) and Peggy (1911). Ray announced her retirement to marry the wealthy Eric Loder in 1912, but they were divorced two years later.
In 1915, Ray played in Betty and, in the following year, Flying Colours. These were her last appearances in the West End, but for nearly a decade afterwards, she appeared occasionally in provincial pantomimes and variety tours. She struggled with depression and alcohol abuse, as well as her famously eccentric character, and her health declined. In 1936, she was taken to a mental hospital and was then institutionalized for nearly forty years.
Gabrielle Ray died at the age of ninety.
[edit] References
Beaton, Cecil. "The Glass of Fashion" Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1954.
