The Belle of Mayfair: History and Key Facts

The Belle of Mayfair is a musical comedy composed by Leslie Stuart with a book by Basil Hood, Charles Brookfield and Cosmo Hamilton and lyrics by George Arthurs, Hood and William Caine. The story is inspired by the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet.

The original production opened at the Vaudeville Theatre in London on 11 April 1906, produced by Charles Frohman. It ran for 431 performances, closing on 13 April 1907, and starred Edna May, Louie Pounds, Arthur Williams, Camille Clifford and Courtice Pounds. Hood withdrew his name from the original production after Frohman started altering the text to suit casting changes that occurred during the run. Some of these changes resulted from disputes between the female leads and the management, one of which resulted in court action. Edna May stormed out of the production, and the role was assumed by Phyllis Dare, making her a star.

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