Vesta Tilly in women's and men's suits
Matilda Alice Pauls Matilda first appeared on the scene in three and a half years, and from the age of 11 she took the stage name West Tilly . Most often, she performed male roles in comic plays and vaudeville numbers.
The early years
Matilda was born on Commandery Street in Worcester , the center of County Worcestershire . Her father was a comedian and theater manager. Having started her career at three and a half years old, at six, Matilda played the first male role - a parody of the popular opera singer Sims Reeves. At eleven, she made her London debut at Canterbury Hall under the name West Tilly. West's name was the common name for safe matches, Tilly's “last name” was an English-language abbreviation for Matilda.