John Ellis continues his trawl through the rapidly growing stock of digitised newspaper archives with the story of Ophelia Powell. Probably born in Jamaica in 1839, Ophelia became a big star in the burgeoning music hall scene in Victorian Britain, performing in some of the most prestigious venues as a serio-comic vocalist, a genre we had not previously heard of but one that bore many resemblances to modern stand up comedy. Serio-comics had to be adroit at dealing with hecklers who, in Ophelia’s case, would no doubt have had few qualms about commenting on her colour in robust terms. That she was able to sustain her career for over twenty years speaks volumes for her talent, resilience and determination.
The last trace John found of her in the archives dates from 1876 but where and when Ophelia faced the ‘final curtain’ is not known.
You can read John’s article here:
https://www.historycalroots.com/ophelia-powell-a-victorian-music-hall-star-and-lady-of-colour/