THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Madge Stavart (1879-82, 1883)

[Born London c.1850, died Kensington, London 5 Mar 1921]

Madge Stavart's first recorded stage appearance was in pantomime at the Theatre Royal Manchester in December 1872. Over the next seven years she appeared in panto and light opera before joining the D'Oyly Carte organization. Miss Stavart was a principal contralto with a variety of D'Oyly Carte companies between October 1879 and September 1883. She appeared with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Second London" Company (as Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore, October 1879-January 1880), the main Company at the Opera Comique (filling in as Buttercup and as Mrs. Nankeen Worcester in the George Grossmith companion piece Cups and Saucers, January-February 1880), and Carte's "D" Company (as Lady Sangazure in The Sorcerer and Buttercup, March-December 1880), "B" Company (Lady Sangazure and Buttercup, March-August 1881), "C" Company (Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, August-December 1881), and No. 1 "Pirates" Company (Ruth, April 1882).

She left the Carte organization for a spell, in which he roles included Little Buttercup in W. Horace Lingard and W. Luscombe Searelle's lamentable spectacle, The Wreck of the Pinafore, at the Opera Comique (May 27 to 30, four performances).

Perhaps chastened, she returned to the fold with D'Oyly Carte's "Pinafore" and "Pirates" Company (Buttercup and Ruth, on tour June-September 1883).

After leaving the D'Oyly Carte, Miss Stavart created the role of Bianca in the comic opera Count Tremolio (Nottingham and on tour, 1887). Her last role in London was Mrs. Fitz Bunnyon in the farce As Large as Life (a single matinee at Terry's Theatre, May 1890). Miss Stavart later toured with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, appearing as the Countess of Berkenfeldt in a command performance of Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment at Balmoral Castle in November 1892.

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