About the Rosa Troupe

The Rosa Troupe were the four youngest children of John and Rosetta Abrahams; Rosa, Anna, David and Kitty. The family lived amongst the London West End theatres around Covent Garden, the Strand, and Drury Lane. They started performing as young children and were experienced performers in a range of pantomime and dancing roles known for their “dolls quadrille” dance. They were never the stars and their story has been long forgotten, but as the g-g-grandson of one of the members (David) they left enough of a faint trace and a couple of documents to spark my interest in finding out more. This blog attempts to share at least some of the information I have gathered over the years, and yes I am attempting (very slowly) to write a book.

Only a few can achieve star billing, but they are surrounded by people who deserve to have their story told as well. The full story of the Rosa Troupe casts a light on the development of pantomime, music hall, vaudeville, ballet and the bawdier aspects of theatre from the birth of the London West End theatreland to the grandest of performances on Broadway in New York. It is a period of theatrical history which we still feel the legacy of today, and members of the Rosa Troupe somehow managed to play a small part in many of the major developments.

Rosa Abrahams (2 January 1856 – 28 March 1924) was a ballerina, pantomimist, choreographer and ballet teacher who established the Rosa Troupe with her younger siblings (David, Anna, and Kitty). She was a well regarded ballerina at the Alhambra Theatre, Leicester Square (1876-1881, 1884), and was also known for having played Columbine to W.S. Gilbert’s Harlequin in an amateur production of the Forty Thieves (1878).

By the late 1880s she was focused more on choreography than performing, and Rosa taught ballet with her sister Anna on Long Acre, London, from at least the early 1900s. Rosa arranged the ballet in a number of notable productions in London and across the UK including the Chocolate Soldier at the Lyric Theatre (1911) and the Lyceum pantomimes from 1909 to 1916. In 1914 she gave Ninette de Valois, the later founder of the Royal Ballet, her professional debut in London.

She was also known as Mdlle. Rosa, Mademoiselle Rosa or Madame Rosa.

Anna Abrahams (2 February 1858 – 15 February 1928) was a member of the Rosa Troupe of dancers with her sisters Rosa and Hannah, and her brother David.

She occasionally received billing in her own right, including in the ballet at the Alhambra Theatre, Leicester Square, with her sister Rosa. In later life she taught ballet with Rosa in Long Acre, London

She was also known as Hannah Abrahams.

David Abrahams (2 July 1860 – 24 September 1917) was an animal impersonator, pantomimist and member of the Rosa Troupe with his three sisters (Rosa, Anna, and Kitty).

Notable individual appearances included the “cat” in Whittington Junior and His Sensational Cat (1870) at the New Royalty Theatre with Henrietta Hodson as Dick Whittington, and the Drury Lane Christmas pantomimes between 1879 and 1883.

In 1887 while performing in the afternoon as the “White Rabbit” in Alice in Wonderland he was also appearing in the evening as the “He-Monkey” in Henry Irving’s production of Faust at the Lyceum Theatre. Faust toured America later that year into early 1888. Although David returned to the UK after the tour, by the mid-1890s he had settled in the USA, leaving his UK wife and children behind. He ended his career touring in a variety of productions, including the early Ziegfeld Follies of 1907 and 1909.

He was also known as Master D. Abrahams, and in later life Dave Abrams.

Kitty Abrahams (20 April 1863 – 18 July 1932) was the youngest member of the Rosa Troupe of dancers with her sisters Rosa and Anna, and her brother David. She occasionally received billing in her own right, including in Jack the Giant Killer (1878) and Forty Thieves (1881) at the Gaiety.

She was also known as Kate Abrahams.