May Leslie Stuart
May Leslie Stuart was an English actress and singer in operetta and Edwardian musical comedy from 1909 to 1915. She also sang on the music hall circuit, performing with her father, the composer Leslie Stuart.
Early life
Stuart was born in Salford, Lancashire, the elder daughter of the composer Leslie Stuart and his wife, Katherine Mary, née Fox. Her father's song "Sweetheart May" was written about Stuart when she was a girl.Career
Stuart acted and sang on the London stage, with roles in Pinkie and the Fairies, Sunlight and Shadow, The Slim Princess, The Count of Luxembourg, The Hope, The Crown of India, an adaptation of Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, The Girl Next Door, Florodora and The Case of Lady Camber. A reviewer mentioned her "brilliant" acting in creating the role of Lady Camber as a highlight of the last work.Stuart appeared in one British silent film, The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, in the role of Lady Orreyd. She appeared on the music hall stage and made some recordings as a singer in 1915, in both settings accompanied by her father on piano, and singing his songs.
In 1910 she was the subject of a photograph in Lallie Charles's exhibit, "Five Hundred Fair Women". After her father's death, she formed and conducted a small touring orchestra to present his works. Her obituaries in Variety and The Stage record that she and her husband were involved in theatrical production after her father's death. Later in life she wrote radio scripts and was an on-air presenter for the BBC.