to understudy Gertie Millar in The Toreador at the Gaiety Theatre, London in 1902, where she had the chance to play the role on many occasions. She then took over for Letty Lind in The Girl from Kays at the Apollo Theatre, earning good notices for her graceful, acrobatic dancing in particular. Next, she earned considerable fame playing Thisbe in the hit musical The Orchid (1903), where she danced in pink pyjamas while singing "The Pink Pyjama Girl". She continued to appear in Edwardes' productions in 1905 and 1906, including three successes at the Prince of Wales Theatre: Lady Madcap (1905, in which she performed a popular Parisian dance, "La Maxixe"), Lady Dorothy Congress in The Little Cherub (1906) and So-Hie in See See (1906). The same year she also played Eglé in The Merveilleuses. In 1907, Ray played Frou Frou in Edwardes' adaptation of The Merry Widow, which ran for 778 performances at Daly's Theatre. Ray's dance number, complete with handstands and high kicks, all performed on a table at Maxim's held head high by four men, was a show stopper. Next she was Daisy in The Dollar Princess (1909) at Daly's and Polly in Peggy (1911) at the Gaiety. Marriage and later years Ray announced her retirement to marry the wealthy Eric Raymond Loder (1888–1966) in early 1912 and left the production of Peggy. She did not appear at the well-attended scheduled wedding ceremony at St Edwards Roman Catholic Church in Windsor because of Loder's failure to sign the prenuptial contract that guaranteed her financial security, but he claimed it was an oversight, and the marriage took place three days later. In 1913 Loder committed adultery and deserted Ray, ignoring her letters pleading with him to return to her. She filed for restitution of conjugal rights, but Loder did not respond to the legal order, and the couple divorced in 1914. The broken marriage was difficult for Ray, but in 1915 she returned to the stage to play the role of Estelle in the musical Betty at the Gaiety Theatre and, in the following year, appeared in the revue Flying Colours at the London Hippodrome. These were her last appearances in the West End, but for nearly a decade afterwards, she appeared occasionally in provincial variety tours and pantomimes, finally leaving the stage about 1924. Roles during this decade included Maid Marian in Babes in the Wood at