THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Hilton Layland as Annibale in The Gondoliers

Hilton Layland (1919-27, 1942-47)

[Born Appley Bridge, Wigan 24 Oct 1880, died Acton, London 22 Aug 1957]

Ralph Hilton Layland was the principal bass-baritone with the D'Oyly Carte "New" Opera Company for the duration of existence, from September 1919 to June 1927. He performed as the Usher in Trial by Jury, Bill Bobstay in H.M.S. Pinafore, the Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance, Private Willis in Iolanthe, Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, Sir Despard Murgatroyd in Ruddigore, Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, Don Alhambra in The Gondoliers, when those operas moved in and out of the abbreviated "New" Company repertoire.

Layland left the D'Oyly Carte organization when the "New" Company was disbanded. During the next fifteen years, he had one brief role on the London Stage: as the Landlord in the melodrama The Drunkard (Garrick, November 1934).

Layland returned to the remaining D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a wartime replacement in November 1942. He served until July 1947, appearing regularly as Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance, Second Yeoman in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Annibale in The Gondoliers. He also filled in on occasion for Richard Walker as Pooh-Bah, Shadbolt, and Don Alhambra. Layland was for a time married to fellow D'Oyly Carte artist Lilian Evelyn.

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