Mary Sansom

Mary Sansom (26 May 1935 – 13 April 2010) was an English operatic soprano best known for her performances in principal soprano roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in the 1950s and 1960s, including as Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Phyllis in Iolanthe, the title role in Patience and Gianetta in The Gondoliers. In later years, she performed with Gilbert and Sullivan for All, directed stage productions and established a costume hire business. She also appeared in supporting roles on British television.

Early life and career

Sansom was born in Taunton, Somerset, on 26 May 1935. She was educated at Bishop Fox's School, Taunton, and studied in Bristol with the voice teacher Elsie Blakeborough. As a young singer Sansom won awards at the Bristol Eisteddfod and joined the local amateur operatic society, quickly graduating to leading soprano roles. She served as understudy to Jean Hindmarsh for roles including Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Lady Ella in Patience, Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard and Gianetta in The Gondoliers.

In April 1957 Sansom married Alan Barrett, a baritone who also performed with D'Oyly Carte. They performed together in principal roles on only one occasion, when John Reed was unwell and Barratt played the Learned Judge in Trial by Jury with Sansom as the Plaintiff. From May 1960 she moved up to the title role in Patience, when Hindmarsh left the company. before leaving D'Oyly Carte in July 1964 to start a family. She turned to directing and staged her first amateur production, Princess Ida, in 1973. 1961 Gondoliers as Gianetta, 1961 Patience as the title character and 1962 Ruddigore as Zorah.