Jennie Lee
Jennie Lee (c.1854-1930) was a British actress, singer and dancer.
Contents
Biography
She made her stage debut in London at an early age and not long afterwards found success in New York and San Francisco. However her career, and indeed her fame, was driven by her performance as the lead in Jo (a melodrama based on Bleak House, written by her husband, John Pringle Burnett).
Lee performed the role of "Jo" for the first time on 7 June 1875, in H. A. Rendle's stage adaptation of Dickens's Bleak House entitled Chesney Wold (with Fanny Janauschek in the dual roles of Lady Dedlock and Hortense). Real success however came when she performed "Jo" in her husband's play of that name on its London debut on 22 February 1876 at the Globe Theatre in Newcastle Street, with Burnett in the role of Inspector Bucket.
Performing Jo and other productions, Lee would perform in Britain for many years and undertake at least four tours of the colonies as well. She eventually chose to retire around 1911. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennie_Lee_(British_actress)
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Sources
D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.
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