Florence St. John

Despite occasional illnesses, she created the leading soprano roles in the light operas Olivette (1880), Barbe-bleue (1883), Nell Gwynne (1884) and Erminie (1885), among several others.

In 1888, she joined the Gaiety Theatre company, playing Marguerite in the hit Victorian burlesque Faust up to Date, which toured America (1889–90), and then the British provinces.

In 1894, she joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Mirette, created the role of Rita in The Chieftain and toured as Winifred in The Vicar of Bray.

When she was 12, her parents sent her to a private boarding school in Kensington to study music and voice with Madame Marie Karger.

By the end of the year, St. John had joined Charles Durand's English Opera Company on tour, where she began to use her married name on stage.

St. John had a wide vocal range "as well as considerable histrionic versatility,"[8] and in these small touring companies, she often had to play contralto roles.

[9] In December, she sang again at The Crystal Palace as Fidalma in performances of Cimarosa's The Secret Marriage, with an English adaptation by W. Grist, directed by Temple, who also played Geronimo.

London's Daily News wrote that she was "a young actress of very pleasing appearance, who acts with remarkable vivacity and grace, possesses a mezzo-soprano voice of really fine quality, and sings in a style that indicates a thoroughly sound training...."[9] The piece went on to run for over 500 performances, and St. John stayed until near the end of the run, when her doctor advised her to take a break before the next piece, which was already scheduled.

In Madame Favart, St. John played opposite flamboyant French actor Claude Marius Duplany, and the co-stars fell in love, finally moving in together.

After this, Duplany became the manager of the Avenue Theatre, and he and St. John starred there first in a revival of Madame Favart, and then in Manteaux Noirs (1882), Offenbach's posthumous Belle Lurette, and Barbe-bleue (both in 1883).

[15] In October 1888 she joined the Gaiety Theatre company, under the management of George Edwardes, playing Marguerite in Faust up to Date, which was brought to America (1889–90) and later toured the British provinces in the same work.

One reviewer marvelled that St. John, coming from humble roots, "draws a salary in London of £3,500 a year, whilst in America her services command £100 a week.

In October, she and Arthur Roberts starred in In Town, which became a hit and ushered in the age of the Edwardian musical comedy.

[17] Now approaching the age of 40, St. John was engaged by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in October 1894 as a replacement in the title role of Mirette by Messager at the Savoy Theatre, giving a boost to the ailing production.

The Era's reviewer wrote, "Mirette has gained in favour, and the other artists, stimulated by Miss St. John's presence, act and sing with greater animation.

[20][n 1] Though she received generally good notices, St. John bridled at the famously strict direction at the Savoy and later complained that she had not been allowed to "do any business of my own.

"[20] St. John made her last appearance in musical comedy as Dolores in Florodora (1900–01), taking over the role from Evie Greene.

[19] In early 1902, now 47 years old, St. John turned to "straight" theatre, starting with a tour in the title role of English Nell, which had been played in London by Marie Tempest.

[23] Other famous performers included Henry Irving, Gertie Millar, Seymour Hicks, George Grossmith, Jr., Rutland Barrington, Arthur Williams, Letty Lind, Harry Grattan, Edmund Payne and Richard Temple.

[18] With her career now on the decline and her income much less, St. John toured the provincial variety theatres, for the next several years, with her own company in a piece entitled My Milliner's Bill, or by herself singing ballads.

[23] Known to her many friends as "Jack", St. John died in London a little more than two years later at the age of 56 and was cremated at Golders Green at a quiet ceremony attended by her son Reginald and the composer Leslie Stuart, among others.