THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Edith Broad (1890-92, 1894-97)

[Born Brighton 1872, died Acton, London Feb 1939]

Edith Hannah Broad first appeared in D'Oyly Carte programmes with Company "B" in March 1890 as Casilda in The Gondoliers. When Company "B" added The Yeomen of the Guard to its repertoire in December, Miss Broad played Kate and, on at least one occasion in May, filled in for Jessie Moore as Elsie Maynard. She continued as Casilda and Kate throughout 1891, adding the role of Banyan in The Nautch Girl when that opera was added in December.

She left Company "B" in February 1892, but returned two years later (February 1894) as Nekaya in Utopia Limited, adding Saphir in Patience in October of that year. In 1895 she played Saphir and Nekaya until those operas were dropped in February in favor of The Chieftain, Miss Broad as Juanita. She added Peep-Bo in The Mikado in April, substituted for Eleanor Jenkins as Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore in July, and once again took on Casilda when The Gondoliers was restored in September.

Miss Broad began 1896 playing Peep-Bo, Casilda, and Agatha in The Vicar of Bray. In April, The Grand Duke replaced The Vicar of Bray and The Gondoliers in the repertoire, with Edith Broad as Gretchen. In July 1896, she replaced Tina Murray as the Princess of Monte Carlo in The Grand Duke, and again took Kate when Yeomen was restored to the repertoire. She remained with Company "B", renamed "C" in March 1897, until the fall of 1897, playing Celia in Iolanthe, Peep-Bo in The Mikado, and Kate in The Yeomen of the Guard during her last year.

Edith Broad's only appearance on the London Stage was in 1916 at Drury Lane as a housekeeper in a drama called The Best of Luck. She was married briefly to D'Oyly Carte baritone Arthur Hatherson, and was the older sister of D'Oyly Carte chorister Mai Broad.

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