Leo Sheffield (15 November 1873 – 3 September 1951), bornArthur Leo Wilson, was an English singer and actor best known for his performances inbaritone roles of theSavoy Operas with theD'Oyly Carte Opera Company.
He made his first stage appearances under the direction ofW. S. Gilbert in 1906, remaining with the D'Oyly Carte company for three years. After touring in musical theatre for the next five years with other managements, he rejoined D'Oyly Carte from 1915 to 1928 in the principal baritone roles, appearing in London seasons and on tour in Britain and, in one of his last seasons, Canada. He recorded many of these roles.
After leaving D'Oyly Carte, Sheffield worked in a wide variety of theatre, including musical comedy, straight plays,pantomime, and in radio and films. He continued to tour during the Second World War while in his seventies.
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Sheffield was born Arthur Leo Wilson[1] to James Walker Wilson (1839–1907), a painter and later a vocalist, and Alice (née Sheffield) (1844–1911).[1] His brothers, Edward Sheffield Wilson (1864–1903) and Robert Thorpe Wilson (1866–1908)[2] appeared under the stage names Wilson and Thorpe Sheffield with theD'Oyly Carte Opera Company in the 1890s.[3] and raised inMalton, Yorkshire.[4][3]
Sheffield joined D'Oyly Carte in 1906, appearing at theSavoy Theatre under the direction ofW. S. Gilbert in the first repertory season ofSavoy Operas. During this season, he played the roles of Second Yeoman and thenLieutenant of the Tower inThe Yeomen of the Guard, and Annibale and later Luiz inThe Gondoliers.[5] From 1907 to 1909, he toured with D'Oyly Carte, playing the Counsel for the Plaintiff inTrial by Jury, Boatswain inH.M.S. Pinafore, Samuel inThe Pirates of Penzance, Archibald Grosvenor inPatience, Strephon inIolanthe, Arac inPrincess Ida, Pish-Tush inThe Mikado, Sergeant Meryll inYeomen, and Luiz.[6] In the second repertory season at the Savoy, from April 1908 to March 1909, he played Pish-Tush, the Boatswain, Private Willis inIolanthe, Samuel, Luiz and the Lieutenant,[7] and Owen Rhys inA Welsh Sunset a short sentimental piece which was given as acurtain raiser.[8]
Sheffield then left the D'Oyly Carte company but returned to the Savoy Theatre later in 1909, under the management ofC. H. Workman, creating the role of Sir Phyllon in Gilbert andEdward German'sFallen Fairies. Gilbert praised him as a "fine baritone" and an "excellent actor".[9] He then toured for five years, beginning with another of Workman's Savoy operas,The Mountaineers,[10] and in musicals, includingThe Chocolate Soldier,The Girl in the Taxi, andThe Girl Who Didn't.[11] He appeared in London only once during this period, as Feste inTwelfth Night, in 1913.[3]
In 1915, Sheffield rejoined D'Oyly Carte, remaining with the company until 1928 as its principal baritone. During this period, he appeared as the Learned Judge inTrial, Doctor Daly inThe Sorcerer, Dick Deadeye and then Captain Corcoran inPinafore, the Sergeant of Police inPirates, Grosvenor inPatience, Willis and sometimes Strephon inIolanthe, King Hildebrand and sometimes Florian inPrincess Ida, Pooh-Bah inThe Mikado, Sir Despard Murgatroyd inRuddigore, Wilfred Shadbolt inYeomen, and Don Alhambra inThe Gondoliers.[12] Comparing Sheffield's Pooh-Bah with that of his predecessor,Fred Billington, the critic ofThe Manchester Guardian,Samuel Langford, wrote, "Mr. Leo Sheffield finds his resource in a more yielding variety, a greater urbanity of appeal to the audience, and in affectionate emulation of his predecessor's genial condescensions."[13] Sheffield's only overseas tour with the company was in 1927, playing a five-month tour of Canada.[14] He left D'Oyly Carte in June 1928, appearing in 1929 in a revival of the musical comedyThe Lady of the Rose.[15] He returned to D'Oyly Carte for the London season at the Savoy from October 1929 to March 1930, after which he left the company permanently.[16]
Sheffield was well-liked in the D'Oyly Carte and by audiences and the public;Webster Booth called him "perhaps the happiest man I have ever known".[17] In 1906 Sheffield married Claire (born c. 1880), an actress from Sydney in Australia, with whom he had a child.[18] He was later married to a D'Oyly Carte Opera Company chorister, Dorothy Gates (1897–1977), who joined the company in 1923. Their daughter, Patience, married the D'Oyly Carte principal comedian of the 1950s,Peter Pratt.[19]
In 1930, Sheffield appeared in "a new all-British musical comedy",Little Tommy Tucker, with music byVivian Ellis, atDaly's Theatre.[20] In 1931, after appearing withGeorge Grossmith, Jr. inMy Sister and I, at theShaftesbury Theatre, he was in a revival ofSheridan'sThe Duenna at theLyric Theatre, Hammersmith.The Times commented, "Mr. Leo Sheffield's Don Jerome will be better when he is surer of his lines,"[21] butThe Observer thought him a "ripe purveyor … of fatherly fun."[22] Also in 1931 he played in a revival ofThe Geisha at Daly's,[23] which was followed by a provincial tour.[24]The Geisha was succeeded at Daly's in 1932 by a revival ofSan Toy, in which he played Yen How.[25] In 1933, he played in a non-musical comedy,Mother of Pearl, byA. P. Herbert, in a cast includingRex Harrison, andRichard Murdoch.[26]The Geisha was revived again in 1934.The Times wrote, "Mr. Leo Sheffield plays the Marquis Imari with an easy mastery."[27]
Sheffield also appeared in a number of films, beginning in 1928 withThe Valley of Ghosts, followed byLord Richard in the Pantry (1930);Compromising Daphne (1930);Rodney Steps In (1931);High Society (1932);Falling for You (1933); and others.[3] On stage in 1935, he appeared in a musical farce,Twenty to One.[28] For the Christmas season of 1936, he appeared in thepantomimeAladdin withStanley Holloway.[29] In 1938, he toured as Captain Hook inPeter Pan, withAnna Neagle in the title role,[30] and reprised the part the following year withJean Forbes-Robertson as Peter.[31]
His last role in London was Popoff inThe Chocolate Soldier in 1940,[32] which also toured the provinces.[33] He later toured inThe Beggar's Opera in 1941[34] and served withEntertainments National Service Association in 1942.[35] Now 70 years old, he toured inThe Chocolate Soldier[36] andBlossom Time in 1943.[3] In 1944, Sheffield played Sir Lester Dedlock in a serialisation ofBleak House forBBC radio, and in 1945 he toured inNaughty Marietta, withDerek Oldham,[37]The Gypsy Baron, andThe Melody of Love.[3] In 1947, he appeared as himself and as Pooh-Bah in the original radio biography,Gilbert and Sullivan, written by Leslie Baily.[3]
He died suddenly inKingsbury, London, in 1951, aged 77.[4]
With the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Sheffield recorded Sir Despard (1924), King Hildebrand (1925), Pooh-Bah (1927), Don Alhambra (1927), the Learned Judge (1928), the Sergeant of Police (1929) and Wilfred Shadbolt (1929).[38] He participated in a 1926 BBC radio broadcast ofThe Mikado, and as Pooh-Bah in a four-minute promotional silent film made to publicise the new production ofThe Mikado.[3] Later, Sheffield made recordings of comic songs withCicely Courtneidge.[39]
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