Pauline Wales

Pauline Wales (12 December 1937 – 23 January 2020) was an English singer and actress best known for her performances in the mezzo-soprano roles of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.

After beginning her career in concert singing and musical theatre, Wales joined the chorus of D'Oyly Carte in 1959, soon performing smaller roles. By 1963, she was performing a mix of small and larger roles, also understudying some of the larger mezzo-soprano roles. She continued to appear with the company until 1975, recording several of her roles. After this, she played in other Gilbert and Sullivan troupes and taught voice privately.

Life and career Wales was born at Stockton-on-Tees, England to a musical family. She showed an interest in singing early on and studied voice with Roy Henderson. She joined the Stockton Stage Society, where she played the soubrette lead in musical theatre productions such as The New Moon, The Maid of the Mountains, The Student Prince and The Vagabond King. Early in her career, Wales performed in oratorio and musical theatre in the north of England.

She joined the chorus of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1959. During her early years with the company, Wales performed the small roles of Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Leila in Iolanthe and occasionally Cousin Hebe in H.M.S. Pinafore. In 1965, Wales participated with other D'Oyly Carte artistes in a BBC television production of Patience, playing Lady Saphir. The following year, she appeared as Peep-Bo in the 1966 film version of The Mikado, and in 1973, she played Cousin Hebe in a televised production of H.M.S. Pinafore on ITV.