THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Marie Arnold (1888-93, 1896)

[Born Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 8 Jan 1863]

Mary Eliza "Marie" Arnold sang in the chorus and played several small parts on tour with D’Oyly Carte Companies in the late 1880s and the 1890s. She was a chorister in May 1888 on tour with Carte's "E" (Pinafore and Pirates) Company. Her one big role came in March and April 1890 when she replaced Rose Hervey as "E" Company’s Gianetta in The Gondoliers. She in turn was replaced by Carrie Donald in April, and probably assumed the smaller role of Fiametta. During 1891, "E" Company presented three operas. Miss Arnold was in the chorus for The Mikado and sang the smaller named parts of Fiametta in The Gondoliers, and Leila in Iolanthe (once that opera was revived in September). On at least one occasion in April she substituted for Florence Perry as Gianetta in The Gondoliers.

Miss Arnold stayed with "E" Company through the 1892 and 1893 seasons, playing Leila (through May 1893 when Iolanthe was dropped from the repertory) and Fiametta (until Gondoliers was dropped in June 1892). She may have played Rose in The Vicar of Bray (June 1892-March 1893). Her date of departure from "E" Company is not clear. She did not have a named part in the operas performed from May through the end of the year or in succeeding years. She is reported to have played small parts with D’Oyly Carte’s "C" Company in 1896 after several cast members left on a tour of South Africa.

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