Ada Reeve - Early Career

Early Career

Reeve was born in London, England, under the name Adelaide Mary Reeve. Her father was Samuel Isaacs, an actor who changed his name to Charles Reeves, and her mother was Harriet née Seaman, a dancer. She made her first appearance on the stage at the age of four in the pantomime Red Riding Hood on Boxing Day 1878 at the Mile End Pavilion Theatre in London's Whitechapel and continued to play in pantomimes. As a young child, she toured for several years with the Frederick Wright Dramatic Company, performing with the young Huntley Wright and his family. Her first role with them was "Little Willie" in East Lynne. A series of pantomime and dramatic roles followed, many at the Pavilion. When she was 14 years old, Reeve's father's health failed, and she was left to support her family, so she began working as a music hall performer, finding immediate success. As a child, she performed under the name "Little Ada Reeves", but she shortened her surname to Reeve by 1886.

"She Was a Clergyman’s Daughter" (sheet music shown at right) was a seemingly innocent, but actually risqué music hall song about a clergyman's daughter who was not as naive or charitable as she would have you imagine. Reeve performed the song in a demure costume of a flounced dress and bonnet, letting the audience in on the racy innuendos of the song through knowing winks and gestures. She continued to perform in pantomimes, being promoted to principal boy in 1891 in The Old Bogie of the Sea at the Britannia Theatre and playing the title role in Aladdin at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Birmingham, in 1892, where she sang her hit song "What Do I Care?" In 1893, she played Bo-Peep in Bo-Peep and Bonnie Boy Blue at the same theatre.

Reeve married actor Bert Gilbert (Joseph Gilbert Hazlewood) in 1894, and returned to starring in provincial pantomimes and touring as Haidee in Don Juan. She soon became famous in one of George Edwardes' earliest musical comedies at the Gaiety Theatre, starring as Bessie Brent, the title role in The Shop Girl (1894) opposite Seymour Hicks. She was pregnant, however, and had to be replaced in the role by Hicks' wife, Ellaline Terriss. She returned in All Abroad at the Criterion Theatre (1895), and as the title character in the hit The Girl from Paris (1896) at the Duke of York's Theatre. She and her husband then toured Australia in 1897 with J. C. Williamson in 1897–98. She starred as Robin Hood and later Maid Marion in Williamson's hit pantomime Babes in the Wood, drawing popular and critical praise. However, the marriage with Gilbert had turned sour, with Reeve claiming extreme cruelty and petitioning for divorce while still in Australia. On the return sea journey to England, Reeve was forced to appeal to the captain of the ship for protection from him. Once in England, the couple separated, and the divorce was finalized in 1900. Ada settled in London with her two daughters, Bessie Adelaide Hazlewood (b. 28 March 1895 in Wolverhampton) and Lillian Mary "Goody" Hazlewood (b. Jan 1897 in London).

Still in 1898, Reeve played the role of "Madame Celeste" in Milord, Sir Smith, followed by the role of Cleopatra in The Great Caesar in 1899. Later that year, she created the role of Lady Holyrood in the hit musical comedy Florodora at the Lyric Theatre. She reprised her role as principal boy in Aladdin at the Prince's Theatre, Bristol, over Christmas 1899–1900. In 1900-01, she again toured Australia, returning to Britain to tour in Florodora. Reeve joined the cast of the hit musical San Toy, in 1901, playing Dudley and later taking over the title role from Marie Tempest. The music was written down for Reeve's lower voice. Late in the year, she succeeded Evie Greene in the title role of "Kitty Grey", followed by Ada Branscombe in Three Little Maids, in 1902. In between these engagements, she continued to play in pantomime, which she enjoyed very much, often as Aladdin.