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Ivy Tresmand

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ivy Tresmand, portrait by Stage Photo Co. ca. 1919

Ivy Tresmand (15 December 1898 – 2 November 1980) was an English soubrette who appeared mostly in musical theatre.

Career

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Tresmand was born in London. Her earliest appearances were in the chorus of the revue Shell Out (1915), in the musicals Houp La! (1916–1917) and Betty, and in the revue Bubbly.[1]

In 1922 Tresmand won the leading role of Tina in a West End revival of the Broadway show The Red Mill. She was in the revue Just Fancy and followed May Beatty as Margot in Sybil.[1] In 1923 she was in The Merry Widow at Daly's Theatre. She continued to play in musicals through the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1936 she took the leading role of Penelope Lee in Ivor Novello's Careless Rapture (1936),[1] remaining with the show while it was on tour and at the Prince's Theatre, Bristol, in 1937–38.[2] She had a part on screen in the film The Dark Stairway (1938).

After appearing with Leslie Henson in Going Greek and Swing Along in South Africa, she settled there, continuing to take part in concerts and plays. She died in South Africa in 1980.[1]

Artistic recognition

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Tresmand's portrait was painted in oils by the Australian artist William Longstaff (1879–1953). She eventually presented the picture to the City of Johannesburg Africana Museum.[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Kurt Gänzl, The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre (Schirmer, 2001), p. 2070: "TRESMAND, Ivy (b London, 15 December 1898; d South Africa, 2 November 1980). British soubrette of the 1920s and 1930s. After early appearances in the chorus of the revue Shell Out (1915) and in small parts in the musical Houp-La! (1916), Betty, and the revue Bubbly, Ivy Tresmand was cast at the age of 21 in the role of Tina in London's version of The Red Mill. She subsequently appeared in the revue Just Fancy, took over the comic role of Margot in Sybil from May Beatty..."
  2. ^ Careless Rapture at theatricalia.com, accessed 31 January 2012
  3. ^ Africana Notes and News, vol. 23 (1978) p. 281: "Tresmand, Ivy, b. 1899 Oil by William Longstaff. Signed "William Longstaff" . 902 x 621 The gift of Miss Ivy Tresmand No. 79/17 A portrait of the English-born actress who settled and still lives in South Africa."
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