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beginning in 1958 and running for five and a half years. Dare was the only one of the principal performers to stay for the complete run, followed by a season on tour. At its conclusion, she retired from the stage.
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at the
Coronet Theatre in London. Her sister Phyllis was also cast in this production, and they both adopted the stage name Dare. From 1900, she played in various pantomimes produced by F. Wyndham in
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in the production, and they both adopted the stage name of Dare soon afterwards. In the first decade of the 1900s, she starred in pantomimes and various
Edwardian musical comedy productions including
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502:. They married in January 1911, and, at age 23, at the height of her career, Dare retired from the theatre. The couple moved to rural Chilston, near
291:, three and a half years her junior, also became a well-known musical comedy actress. They had a brother named Jack. Dare was educated at
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and spent the rest of the year in a tour of one act plays with Hicks' company. She spent 1908 and the beginning of 1909 touring both in
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In addition to her stage career, Dare made several appearances on television and in films. Her films included the silent films
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by Noël Coward. Dare's last theatrical role was as Mrs. Higgins, Henry
Higgins' mother, in the original London production of
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at the
Phoenix Theatre. She rejoined Novello at the Hippodrome in 1945, taking over the part of Charlotte Fayre in
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281:, London, the oldest of three children of Arthur Albert Dones, a divorce clerk, and his wife Harriette Amelia (
242:. Late in her career, she had a big success as Mrs. Higgins in the long-running original London production of
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In a career spanning more than six decades, Dare made her first appearance on stage in 1899, in the
Christmas
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153:; 4 February 1887 – 11 March 1975) was an English actress and singer who was famous for her performances in
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In addition to her stage roles, Dare occasionally appeared in film and made her debut in the silent film
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381:. Terriss later assumed the role of Angela, and Dare's sister Phyllis took over the role from Terriss.
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In 1940, for the first time in over four decades, Zena and
Phyllis Dare shared the stage in a tour of
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218:. In 1928, she formed her own production company and, a year later, took over the management of the
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in London, where she performed under her real name
Florence Dones. She starred alongside her sister
613:. Her husband died that year. In 1936, she played Phyllida Frame in Novello's long-running musical
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510:, Dare nursed injured soldiers for three years at Mrs. Vanderbilt's American Hospital in France.
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In 1926, after fifteen years away from the stage, Dare played the title role of Mrs. Cheyney in
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She died in London in 1975 at the age of 88. Her sister
Phyllis died six weeks later.
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619:. In 1938, she went on to play Tiny Fox-Coller in Farrell and Perry's Irish comedy,
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556:. She returned from her tour at the end of 1929 and took over the management of the
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Dare had her first performance on stage in 1899, at the age of 12, in the
Christmas
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and other musical theatre and comedic plays in the first half of the 20th century.
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at
Golders Green, London and then on tour. In 1928, she played Kendall Frayne in
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749:(1939). She also appeared in several television movies in England including:
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578:. During the Christmas seasons of 1931 and 1932, she played Mrs. Darling in
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417:. Dare left Edwardes' company in 1906 to play Betty Silverthorne in Hicks'
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Dare returned to the stage in 1926 where she played the title role in
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in 1921. She made a successful transition to "talkies" appearing in
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In 1954, again at the Palace, Dare played Julia Ward Mckinlock in
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In 1907, she returned to the Aldwych as Victoria Siddons in
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a year later. She died in London in 1975 at the age of 88.
197:. She retired in 1911 and nursed soldiers in France during
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Biographical information from the Zena Dare Pages website
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Singers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
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Actors from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
456:, this time in the lead role of Peggy Quainton, and in
765:(1969). In 1963, she was the subject of an episode of
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Information from the international silent movie index
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at the Stage Beauty website, accessed 13 October 2010
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838:, Oxford University Press, accessed 12 January 2012
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648:. In 1943 she played Fanny Farrelly in a tour of
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605:. In 1934, she played Mrs. Sherry in Novello's
369:, Hicks' wife, but she was pregnant. Dare left
593:In 1933, Dare began her long association with
331:In 1902, at the age of 15, Dare was hired by
395:In 1905 to 1906, Dare was hired by producer
365:opposite Hicks. The role would have gone to
695:(centre) with Julie Andrews and Alec Clunes
904:Information from the Collectorspot website
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343:in 1903–04 at the Shakespeare Theatre in
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887:Peter Pan on Stage and Screen: 1904–2010
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662:in London. In 1944, she played Elsie in
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586:. During 1932, she toured as Leslie in
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836:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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16:English actress and singer (1887–1975)
963:(UK): Season 8, Episode 9, Zena Dare"
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437:J.M. Barrie's play of the same name
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1065:20th-century English women singers
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1030:English musical theatre actresses
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965:, TV.com, accessed 7 January 2014
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709:she played Edith Billingsley in
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656:Alice Through the Looking Glass
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1025:20th-century English actresses
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737:(1929) Her "talkies" included
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1040:English silent film actresses
889:. McFarland (2011), pp. 96–97
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570:, and as Femme de Chambre in
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335:to tour as Daisy Maitland in
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1060:20th-century English singers
151:Florence Hariette Zena Dones
51:Florence Hariette Zena Dones
7:
1055:People from Chelsea, London
401:The Prince of Wales Theatre
222:. On stage, she starred in
10:
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949:, accessed 12 January 2012
470:Mitislaw or The Love Match
373:in 1905 to play Beauty in
113:Maurice Vyner Baliol Brett
740:The Return of Carol Deane
611:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
260:The Return of Carol Deane
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523:The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
207:The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
155:Edwardian musical comedy
923:22 October 2007 at the
545:The Trial of Mary Dugan
495:The Catch of the Season
478:The Dashing Little Duke
429:The Catch of the Season
399:to play three roles at
358:The Catch of the Season
184:The Catch of the Season
1035:English film actresses
1001:, NYPL digital gallery
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651:The Watch on the Rhine
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413:and the title role in
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293:Maida Vale High School
287:Wheeler). Her sister,
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568:The First Mrs. Fraser
563:The First Mrs. Fraser
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482:The Model and the Man
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225:The First Mrs. Fraser
987:Photographs of Dare
874:Zena Dare biography
627:Ambassadors Theatre
492:While appearing in
371:Catch of the Season
734:A Knight in London
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669:Perchance to Dream
664:Another Love Story
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500:2nd Viscount Esher
420:The Beauty of Bath
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363:Vaudeville Theatre
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961:This is Your Life
885:Hanson, Bruce K.
828:Triesman, Susan.
768:This Is Your Life
759:The Burning Glass
729:No. 5 John Street
607:Murder in Mayfair
588:Counsel's Opinion
572:Other Men's Wives
558:Haymarket Theatre
554:Other Men's Wives
415:The Girl on Stage
411:The Little Cherub
317:Babes in the Wood
277:Dare was born in
254:No. 5 John Street
231:Other Men's Wives
220:Haymarket Theatre
195:The Girl on Stage
166:Babes in the Wood
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100:Years active
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504:Ascot, Berkshire
458:Sweet and Twenty
367:Ellaline Terriss
337:An English Daisy
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240:London Palladium
175:An English Daisy
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375:Sleeping Beauty
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78:(1975-03-11)
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1020:1975 deaths
1015:1887 births
761:(1956) and
743:(1938) and
731:(1921) and
642:Dear Brutus
532:Noël Coward
508:World War I
488:Later years
462:Papa's Wife
406:Lady Madcap
216:Noël Coward
199:World War I
190:Lady Madcap
1009:Categories
831:Dare, Zena
778:References
705:. At the
638:Full House
599:Proscenium
474:Hippodrome
441:Manchester
341:Cinderella
214:alongside
92:Occupation
57:1887-02-04
995:, NPG.org
978:Zena Dare
646:Peter Pan
625:, at the
580:Peter Pan
536:Playhouse
433:Peter Pan
390:Peter Pan
345:Liverpool
322:Edinburgh
313:pantomime
162:pantomime
147:Zena Dare
134:Relatives
103:1899–1969
25:Zena Dare
921:Archived
757:(1955),
753:(1938),
140:(sister)
678:at the
658:at the
609:at the
601:at the
582:at the
534:at the
472:at the
464:at the
423:at the
379:Bristol
361:at the
326:Glasgow
289:Phyllis
279:Chelsea
171:Phyllis
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120:
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95:Actress
755:Barbie
576:Cynara
236:Cynara
149:(born
108:Spouse
86:, U.K.
84:London
67:, U.K.
530:with
439:, in
435:, in
122:(
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37:Dare
982:IMDb
552:and
351:for
324:and
234:and
193:and
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73:Died
47:Born
41:1905
980:at
689:In
388:in
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284:née
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