Background
Mona Vivian was born Anne Mona Jessie Vivian in Aston, Warwickshire, some time between April and June 1894. Her mother was Anne Griffith, and Mona had numerous siblings.
Mona Vivian was born Anne Mona Jessie Vivian in Aston, Warwickshire, some time between April and June 1894. Her mother was Anne Griffith, and Mona had numerous siblings.
She began her stage career at a young age, performing as the character "Wee Mona". She performed in local pantomime, notably in Blackpool, performing as "Mona Vivian and her Blackpool Wavelets", where she sang of leaving half her tights on the flying trapeze, and swayed her hips in imitation of Mae West, saying "Say, don"t anybody recognise the motions". In 1921 she made a recording with the London Hipprodrome Orchestra.
She would tell a member of the orchestra that his name must be Nero because "I"m burning up - while he"s fiddling".
