Kitty Lord was an English burlesque artist and singer of
variety theater, who performed between 1894-1915. Surviving playbills and
letters indicate that she performed at the major London music halls (The
Tivoli, The Oxford, The Paragon, and The Hippodrome). Kitty worked alongside other
stars like Fred Karno, Ida Barr, Maurice Chevalier and Gladys Cooper. Sources at
times (incorrectly) label her as an American Star, but more often she is dubbed
an Eccentric Englishwoman and an International Eccentric Star. According to
Christopher Breward, eccentric here might refer to the spectacular extravagance
of the act and seems to have been a generic term for solo dancers and singers.
However, the term could also refer to her as a foreign fascination when
performing abroad.
Kitty Lord was a stage name and this performer’s married surname
was Parker. While she mainly performed in London and Paris, Kitty also toured
the world reaching as far as South America and the Middle East. Due to her
extensive experiences abroad, in 1910 she was asked to testify at court
regarding the respectability of a theater in Buenos Aires. Pieces of her theatrical costumes still
remain at the Museum of London, including satin stage boots and character
shoes.
