Thompson, Lydia (1836–1908)
Thompson, Lydia (1836–1908)
British actress and dancer. Born in London, England, Feb 9, 1836; died Nov 1908 in London.
In a career that lasted almost 50 years and spanned 4 continents, made debut in title role of Little Flaxen-hair at Her Majesty's Theater in London (1852); performed at provincial theaters (1864–65) and appeared in London at Drury Lane (1865) and at Prince of Wales Theater (1866); with her troupe of pantomime performers, toured Australia, Russia and India; toured US on 3 separate occasions (1867–68, 1872–73, and 1887–88) with her "British Blondes" (Pauline Markham, Rose Coghall, and Eliza Weathersby); in London, performed in a satire of Bluebeard (1874); also appeared in The Sultan of Mocha at London's Strand Theater (1886); was a major influence on American costuming and staging.