 In October 1888 , Lloyd returned from maternity leave and joined rehearsals for the 1888 – 89 pantomime The Magic Dragon of the Demon Dell ; or , The Search for the Mystic Thyme , in which she was cast as Princess Kristina . The production , which was staged between Boxing Day and February at the Britannia theatre in Hoxton , gave her the security of working close to home for a two @-@ month period . The engagement also gave her much @-@ needed experience of playing to a big audience . The following year , she appeared at more Bohemian venues including the Empire and the Alhambra theatres , the Trocadero Palace of Varieties , and the Royal Standard playhouse . In 1889 , she gave birth to a stillborn child , which further damaged her marriage . 
