Vesta Tilley, born Matilda Alice Powles on May 13th 1864, was a British music hall singer and one of the most famous male impersonators of her era.
Encouraged by her comedy-actor− songwriter−music hall chairman father, Matilda made her first appearance on stage aged just 3½
(picture of father Harry Ball)
Aged 6, Tilley made her first male dressed role in ‘The Pocket Sims Reeves’
Opera singer Sims Reeves
By the age of 11, Matilda’s salary was able to support her parents and siblings [During her youth, Matilda used the stage name: The Great Tilley]
April 1878 saw the first use of the name Vesta Tilley [Tilley, short for Matilda]
Vesta Roman Goddess of heath and home | Vesta Matches
Initially performing female roles, Tilley sang sentimental pieces such as ‘Poor Jo’ in which she played a workhouse child
As Tilley got older, she began to follow other made impersonators, performing songs portraying young men behaving embarrassingly or badly
I felt that I could express myself better if I were dressed as a boy’
Tilleys impersonations intended to be comical; allowing the audience to laugh at the characters often hyperbolic and inflated egos. Amongst these roles were the titular character Berlington Bertie and the Seaside Sultan, a holidaying clerk
Equally comical was the play on her identity as a woman, a subject matter of many of her songs quote: “Girls are the ruin of men” “Following in fathers footsteps” “The girls I’ve left behind me”
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?t=7&v=DHM7iGR6hl0
Pantomies were a natural progression in Tilley’s career, frequently landing the leading male role Pertiboy – Beauty and the Beast, The titular roles in both Robinson Crusoe and Dick Whittington, Captain Tra-la-la in Sinbad and The prince in another production of Beauty and the Beast
he’s behind you!
Vesta married Abraham Walter de Frece in 1890. A music hall entrepreneur and the son of a theatre owner. Walter founded a chain of music halls called The Hippodome, where Vesta would perform regularly. Already a famous entertainer, the paring allowed her career to continue to blossom
As a celebrated Vaudeville star, Vesta laid the foundation stone of Sunderland’s Empire Theatre in 1906, with a bar in the venue named after her
(pic. Empire theatre/ poster)
(google vaudeville)
In her going stardom, Tilley was able to find fame on both side of the Atlantic.; performing at the first Royal variety performance in 1912 as ‘The Piccadilly Johnny with the glass eye’
(picture of Johnny?)
[quote: The most perfectly dressed young man in the house]
Tilley would often spend months perfecting new characters. Roles with a lightly mocking edge, furthering her popularity amongst working class men. Also wildly popular among women, she was viewed as a symbol of independence
(pic. Feminism/suffragette movement / article)
Tilley was one of only a handful of male impersonators
(pics/names: Bessie Bellwood, Ella Shields, Hetty King, Minnie Hylton, Fanny Robinson)
Off stage Vesta made a conscious effort to emphasize her femininity; wearing copious amounts of fur and jewelry to protect herself from criticism
(pic. Victoriana fashion + beads/fur)
Tilleys popularity reached an all time high during WW1. Both Tilley and her husband were actively involved in military recruitment both on stage and off. Running a military recruitment drive in a guise of characters like ‘Tommy in the trench’ and ‘Jack tar home from sea’
Tilley performed songs like ‘The army of today’s all right’ and ‘Jolly good luck to the girl who loves a soldier’ – Acquired herself the nickname ‘Britain’s best recruiting sergeant’ When I think about my dugout, Where I dare not stick my mug out… I’m glad I’ve got a bit of a blighty one!’
Giving up the stage was a compromise she made for her husband as he wished to become an MP and her prefession was not seen as respectable enough for such milieu.
Tilleys Farewell tour took a year to complete (19191920). Though she had no children, all proceedss from her tour were given to children’s charities in the cities the performances took place
Her final appearance ws at the Colisuem Theatre London, aged 56
Living out her retirement in Monte Carlo as Lady de Frece with her husband, knighted in 1919 for their services to the war effort
Autobiography ‘recollections of Vesta Tilley’ was published in 1934
Vesta died in London 1952, ag husband, at Putney Vale Cem
ged 88. Buried alongside her metary
final header / ‘nickname’ page