Sylvia Cecil

[2] Critics from The Observer praised Cecil for her performances as Patience, Princess Ida and Elsie,[5] but Neville Cardus in The Manchester Guardian thought her Yum-Yum, "not quite in the right key.... She sang rather finely but her song at the beginning of Act II does not ask for a full-blown concert method.

"[7] Cecil left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1921 and began to perform in musical comedy.

Pinafore, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Rose Maybud in Ruddigore and Gianetta in The Gondoliers.

[15] During D'Oyly Carte's 36-week American tour, she played Josephine, Patience, Ida, Yum-Yum, Elsie and Gianetta.

[16] During that tour she and Derek Oldham were released by the company for one night to sing a programme of classical and popular favourites, including "Prithee, pretty maiden" from Patience, the evening before President Roosevelt's 2nd inauguration, at a party at the White House.

[16] Cecil continued to act both in London and on provincial tours for many years and appeared regularly in concerts.

[20] In the same year she played Phyllis in a BBC broadcast of Iolanthe, with Bobbie Comber as the Lord Chancellor and Derek Oldham as Tolloller.

[1] Cecil starred as Rita in Coward's Ace of Clubs with Pat Kirkwood and Graham Payn in 1950.

While all the rest of the cast are straining every sinew to put their parts over (and showing it), Miss Cecil gives the impression of playing with no effort at all.

"[28] In 1955, Cecil sang in a revival of Novello's The Dancing Years staged on ice with a cast of 80 skaters.