MISS ISOBEL WILFORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21515, 12 June 1933, Page 9

MISS ISOBEL WILFORD

ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCED NEW ZEALAND ACTRESS LONDON, June 9 Mr. Edward Fitzgerald, son of the late Mr. Penrose Fitzgerald, of Ireland, and Mrs. Fitzgerald, of Milford-on-Sea, has become affianced to Miss Isobel Wilford, daughter of Sir Thomas Wilford, High Commissioner for New Zealand.

Miss Isobel "Wilford went to Hollywood some years ago and played for a time in motion pictures. After returning to New Zealand she was engaged by J. C. Williamson, Limited, and toured several times. Her last appearance in New Zealand was in the play "The Cat and the Canary." On October 25, 1928, at the Lyric Theatre, London, Miss Wilford was the centre of a remarkable, scene. Unexpectedly she had to replace the leading ladv, Miss Tallulalv Bankhead, in the play "The Garden of Eden," owing to Miss Bankhead having become ill between the second and third acts. The audience was most enthusiastic and would not allow the orchestra to play, but cheered Miss \Yilford for five minutes, the whole length of the interval. Seldom has such an instantaneous success been achieved in a West End theatre. .. . In 1929 Miss Wilford under-studied Miss Bankhead in the pay "He s Mine and prior to that she had made b success in the leading role in "She's a I'in° Lady," at the Q Theatre, Kew. She has appeared successfully in many parts since then. Miss Wilford and her mother visited New Zealand early this year and were in Auckland in February.