Theatre History - Florence Marks 1920s

tuisginideach

I'm trying to find out about Florence Marks - reciter, actor entertainer in shows in Dublin and UK in 1920s. One site says she was married to Percy French, another that Florence Marks was the same person as the British Music Hall star, Marie Lloyd, but I can't find any definitive information on her.

Thank you

Scrabbel

You may have all of this already but just in case not:

Listings of her roles in the Abbey Theatre:

https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/archives/person_detail/11293/

From looking at irishnewsarchives I can see her mentioned as doing a duet with Percy French in a fund-raising concert in the Theatre Royal, Dublin on 9 January 1915 in aid of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. The song was "The Baltic Say" and it was part of a sketch by Percy French called "The Boy at War". No mention of them being a couple. The following article gives details of his 2 marriages.

https://heritage.wicklowheritage.org/places/bray/percy_french

Also the following details on Florence Marks from an archived Radio Times, re a panto of Aladdin:

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_rt_national_programme_daventry/1931-12-25

"With him is Florence Marks as the Widow O'Twankey, a Chino-Irish washerwoman. She needs no introduction here. Listeners will recall her vaudeville appearances, alone and with Wilfred Shine , her performance in a dozen of the McConnell revues."

A few substantial references to her recitations of Kipling in the following, which makes it clear she is Irish.

https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/pdf/KJ046.pdf

tuisginideach

Scrabbel - thank you so much for all of that. I had seen the Abbey Th archives but hadn't seen the others. The Percy French Society had informed me that she definitely wasn't his wife but your extra information is very helpful.

Many thanks again.