Viva Birkett
Viva Birkett (14 February 1887 – 27 June 1934) was a British stage actress active on both sides of the Atlantic over the early decades of the twentieth century.
| Viva Birkett | |
|---|---|
|
NYPL Digital Gallery | |
| Born |
Valentine Viola Birkett 14 February 1887 Exeter, England, United Kingdom |
| Died |
27 June 1934 (aged 47) London, England, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Stage Actress |
| Years active | 1906 - 1930 |
| Spouse(s) | Philip Merivale |
Early life and career
Valentine (originally recorded as Valentina) Viola Birkett was born on Saint Valentine's Day, 1887 at the historic coastal town of Exeter in the south west of England.[1][2] She was the daughter of William Henry and Myra M. Birkett, both natives of Exeter where her father worked as a wollen merchant.[3] Viva studied acting under the American thespian Kate Bateman (1843–1917)[4] and made her London stage debut on 28 June 1906 as a guest performer at the Lyric Theatre in a revival of Monsieur Beaucaire and her New York debut at the Hudson Theatre on 30 August of that same year playing Helen Plugenet in Hypocrites.[5] For the remainder of her career she would continue to perform in London and New York and tour with companies headed by George Arliss, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and Henry Jowett. Her last Broadway appearance was in June 1930 playing the Princess of San Luca in Death Takes a Holiday.[6]
Marriage and family
On 23 July 1912 Viva married British actor Philip Merivale at St Marylebone Parish Church in London. The couple became the parents of two daughters and two sons, Rosamund, Valentine, John and Philip.[7][8][9]
Death
Viva Birkett died from cancer on 27 June 1934, less than a month after leaving New York to return to her home on Seymour Road in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. She was survived by her husband and children.[10]
Selected performances
- (1906) Monsieur Beaucaire adapted from the book by Booth Tarkington performed at the Lyric Theatre, London
- (1906–07) Hypocrites by Henry Arthur Jones performed at the Hudson Theatre, New York
- (1911) Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare performed at the His Majesty's Theatre, London.
- (1911) Merry Wives of Windsor (Anne Page) by William Shakespeare performed at the His Majesty's Theatre, London.
- (1911) MacBeth (Lady MacDuff) by William Shakespeare performed at the His Majesty's Theatre, London.
- (1911–12) Peter Pan Mrs. Darling) by J. M. Barrie performed at the Duke of York's Theatre, London
- (1915) As You Like It (Rosalind) by William Shakespeare performed at the Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts
- (1914) Trilby (Trilby O'Farrell) by George L. Du Maurier Motion Picture
- (1914) Evidence by J. duRocher MacPherson performed at the Lyric Theatre, New York
- (1916) Caroline by W. Somerset Maugham performed at the Empire Theatre, New York
- (1919) The Mollusc (Mrs. Baker) by Hubert Henry Davies performed with the George Arliss Company
- (1922) The Life of Lord Byron (Lady Jersey) by Alice Ramsey Motion Picture
- (1922) A Prince of Lovers silent film
- (1929–30) Death Takes a Holiday (Princess of San Luca) by Written by Alberto Casella; adapted by Walter Ferris performed at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York[11][12]
Sources
- ↑ Who Was Who in the Theatre, 1912-1976: a Biographical Dictionary ...: Volume 1
- ↑ England & Wales, Free BMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
- ↑ 1881, 1891, & 1901 English census records
- ↑ Who Was Who in the Theatre, 1912-1976: a Biographical Dictionary ...: Volume 1
- ↑ The New York Times July 7, 1934
- ↑ The New York Times July 7, 1934
- ↑ London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
- ↑ Passenger Manifest SS Philadelphia August 4, 1906
- ↑ The Play-pictorial: Volume 20
- ↑ The New York Times July 7, 1934
- ↑ IMDb
- ↑ IBDb