▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁D are ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ch else a , ▁London . ▁Her ▁father , ▁Arthur ▁Albert ▁D ones , ▁was ▁a ▁divor ce ▁cl erk , ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁was ▁Har ri ette ▁Am elia ▁Whe eler . ▁D are ▁was ▁the ▁oldest ▁of ▁three ▁children . ▁Her ▁sister , ▁Ph yll is , ▁three ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁years ▁her ▁junior , ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁well - known ▁musical ▁comedy ▁actress . ▁They ▁had ▁a ▁brother ▁named ▁Jack . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁D are ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Ma ida ▁V ale ▁High ▁School . ▁She ▁had ▁her ▁first ▁performance ▁on ▁stage ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 , ▁in ▁the ▁Christmas ▁p antom ime ▁Bab es ▁in ▁the ▁Wood ▁at ▁the ▁Cor on et ▁Theatre ▁in ▁London . ▁Her ▁sister ▁Ph yll is ▁was ▁also ▁cast ▁in ▁this ▁production , ▁and ▁they ▁both ▁adopted ▁the ▁stage ▁name ▁of ▁D are . ▁From ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁she ▁played ▁in ▁various ▁p antom imes ▁produced ▁by ▁F . ▁Wy nd ham ▁in ▁Edinburgh ▁and ▁Glasgow . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 5 , ▁D are ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁Se ym our ▁H icks ▁to ▁tour ▁as ▁D ais y ▁M ait land ▁in ▁An ▁English ▁D ais y , ▁and ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁title ▁role ▁in ▁C inder ella ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 – 0 4 ▁at ▁the