 Between 1891 and 1893 , Lloyd was recruited by the impresario Augustus Harris to appear alongside Dan Leno in the spectacular and popular Theatre Royal , Drury Lane Christmas pantomimes . While lunching with Harris in 1891 to discuss his offer , Lloyd played coy , deliberately confusing the theatre with the lesser known venue the Old Mo so as not to appear conscious of Drury Lane 's successful reputation ; she compared its structure to that of a prison . Secretly , she was thrilled with the offer , for which she would receive £ 100 per week . The pantomime seasons lasted from Boxing Day to March and were highly lucrative , but Lloyd found working from a script restrictive . Her first role was Princess Allfair in Humpty Dumpty ; or , The Yellow Dwarf and the Fair One , which she dismissed as being " Bloody awful , eh ? " She received mixed reviews for her opening performance . The Times described her as being " playful in gesture , graceful in appearance , but not strong in voice . " Despite the weak start ( which Lloyd blamed on nerves ) , the pantomime received glowing reviews from the theatrical press . The London Entr 'acte thought that she " delivere [ d ] her text quite pungently , and sings and dances with spirit too . " She was noted for her acrobatic dancing on stage , and was able to display handstands , tumbles and high kicks . As a boy , the writer Compton Mackenzie was taken to the show 's opening night and admitted that he was " greatly surprised that any girl should have the courage to let the world see her drawers as definitely as Marie Lloyd . " 
