Phyllis Dare

Phyllis Dare (born Phyllis Constance Haddie Dones; 15 August 1890 – 27 April 1975) was an English singer and actress, famous for her performances in Edwardian musical comedy and other musical theatre in the first half of the 20th century.

Born in Chelsea, London, Dare first performed on stage at the age of nine, in the Christmas pantomime Babes in the Wood (1899), together with her sister, Zena. Later that year, she appeared as Little Christina in Ib and Little Christina. She soon played Mab in the Seymour Hicks musical Bluebell in Fairyland, and at the age of 15, she took over the starring role of Angela in The Catch of the Season.

In 1909, Dare created the role of Eileen Cavanagh in the hit musical The Arcadians, where she met the producer George Edwardes. This started a long association between the two, who collaborated on productions including The Girl in the Train, Peggy and The Quaker Girl. In 1912, she starred in The Sunshine Girl. In 1913 she joined the cast of The Dancing Mistress, as Nancy Joyce, at the Adelphi Theatre and continued to star in successful productions throughout the 1920s, including in the role of Mariana in The Lady of the Rose (1922).

During her later career, she turned to straight plays, some of which included Aren't We All in 1929, Words and Music in 1932 and The Fugitives in 1936. She appeared occasionally in films, starring in The Argentine Tango and Other Dances in 1913, Dr. Wake's Patient in 1916, Crime on the Hill in 1933 and Debt of Honour in 1936. In the 1940s she appeared in a tour of Full House and was later cast in Other People's Houses. In 1949, Dare opened as Marta the mistress in Ivor Novello's musical, King's Rhapsody. The show ran for two years and was Dare's last theatrical endeavour. She retired to Brighton in 1951 and died 27 April 1975 at the age of 84.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 15, 1890 (Chelsea), Died April 27, 1975 (Brighton)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1922

Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 29822 10-in. approximately 1915 I haven’t got a penny Phyllis Dare vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 29823 10-in. approximately 1915 Knitting Phyllis Dare vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 75073 12-in. approximately 3/31/1922 A woman's no Daly's Theatre Orchestra ; Phyllis Dare ; Merlin Morgan Vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 75074 12-in. approximately 3/31/1922 I love you so Thorpe Bates ; Daly's Theatre Orchestra ; Phyllis Dare ; Merlin Morgan Vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 76481 12-in. either May or June 1919 Some day Phyllis Dare Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 76482 12-in. either May or June 1919 Thousands of years ago Phyllis Dare Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 76483 12-in. either May or June 1919 Joan and Peter Phyllis Dare ; George Grossmith Jr. Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 76484 12-in. either May or June 1919 There's a light in your eye Phyllis Dare ; George Grossmith Jr. Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 76486 12-in. either May or June 1919 Don't fall in love with me Phyllis Dare ; Leslie Henson Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Dare, Phyllis," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/353604.

Dare, Phyllis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/353604.

"Dare, Phyllis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/353604

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