Rosemary Rees

Rosemary Rees was born in New Zealand in 1875 or 1876, moving to England in about 1901 where she established herself as an actor and writer. She played in a number of touring theatre companies, including Fanny Brough’s company, becoming Brough's understudy. Between 1901 and 1909 she wrote a number of short stories for magazines and one-act plays: 'The New Gun', 'A Judicial Separation', 'Her Dearest Friend', 'A Desperate Marriage' and 'The Happiest Woman in the World'. After a visit to New Zealand from 1908 to 1911 she returned to England where she continued to write and act in her own plays, 'Uncle Bill' and 'Will You Walk into my Parlour'. During World War 1 she dedicated herself to the war effort initially entertaining New Zealand soldiers in England. In 1918 she joined the Lena Ashwell Dramatic Party, one of Ashwell’s touring theatrical companies, based in Rouen. There she entertained the troops continuing after the Armistice to entertain the wounded at Ypres, Arras and Douai. In 1919 she returned to New Zealand. During the 1920s and 1930s she continued to act and write in New Zealand, Australia and England, settling back in London where she lived in World War 2. She became a successful romantic novelist. She died in New Zealand in 1963.

Performances associated with Rosemary Rees