THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Leonard Vidal (1881-84, 1889)

[Born Islington 1854, died 5 Apr 1906]

Leonard Vidal was the second stage name used by the baritone singer, born Leonard Kew, in his D'Oyly Carte career.

First, as Leonard Vincent he appeared on tour with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "D" Company in the first provincial production of Patience from August to December 1881. A chorister in Patience, he also played the role of Mr. Wallaby in the Desprez & Solomon companion piece Quite an Adventure. Vincent later toured with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's No. 1 "Patience" Company in 1882-83. In 1882 he played Mr. Wranglebury in another curtain-raiser, Mock Turtles, and in December of that year filled in briefly for Walter Greyling as Archibald Grosvenor in Patience. In May 1883 he was once more playing a part in a Patience curtain-raiser:this time as Sisyphus Twister in a piece called Matrimony, or, Six & Six Where Suited. He also served in the chorus with Carte's No. 1 "Iolanthe" Company in 1884.

He left the Carte organization later that year and announced in the theatrical press his new stage name--Leonard Vidal.

As Vidal he returned as a chorister with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "C" on tour serving between January and December 1889. He later worked as stage manager with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "B" (January 1890-September 1891 and January-June 1892) and Company "D" (September-December 1891).

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