Viola Tree (17 July 1884 â€" 15 November 1938) was an English actress,
singer, playwright and author. Daughter of the actor Herbert Beerbohm
Tree, she made many of her early appearances with his company at His
Majesty's Theatre. Later she appeared in opera, variety, straight
theatre and film.Tree was born in London, the eldest of three
daughters of Herbert Beerbohm Tree and his wife, the actress Helen
Maud Tree, née Holt. Her aunt was author Constance Beerbohm and an
uncle was Max Beerbohm. She was educated privately in London and in
Europe. Her sisters were Felicity Tree and Iris Tree. She also had
seven illegitimate half-siblings, the products of her father's many
infidelities, among them the director Carol Reed and Peter Reed, whose
son became the actor Oliver Reed.Originally, Tree planned a career as
a singer, but entered the family profession in 1904. She made a very
successful London debut in March 1904 as Viola in Twelfth Night. For
the next four years she appeared in her father's productions at His
Majesty's Theatre. Her other Shakespeare roles included Hero in Much
Ado about Nothing, the Queen in Richard II, Ariel in The Tempest, Anne
Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Ophelia in Hamlet and Perdita in
The Winter's Tale, in which Ellen Terry played Hermione.
singer, playwright and author. Daughter of the actor Herbert Beerbohm
Tree, she made many of her early appearances with his company at His
Majesty's Theatre. Later she appeared in opera, variety, straight
theatre and film.Tree was born in London, the eldest of three
daughters of Herbert Beerbohm Tree and his wife, the actress Helen
Maud Tree, née Holt. Her aunt was author Constance Beerbohm and an
uncle was Max Beerbohm. She was educated privately in London and in
Europe. Her sisters were Felicity Tree and Iris Tree. She also had
seven illegitimate half-siblings, the products of her father's many
infidelities, among them the director Carol Reed and Peter Reed, whose
son became the actor Oliver Reed.Originally, Tree planned a career as
a singer, but entered the family profession in 1904. She made a very
successful London debut in March 1904 as Viola in Twelfth Night. For
the next four years she appeared in her father's productions at His
Majesty's Theatre. Her other Shakespeare roles included Hero in Much
Ado about Nothing, the Queen in Richard II, Ariel in The Tempest, Anne
Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Ophelia in Hamlet and Perdita in
The Winter's Tale, in which Ellen Terry played Hermione.
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