Dainton was born in Russia, apparently in 1881, but other sources cite 1877. Her father was Robert E. Sharlach, and her mother was the English actress and singer Jenny Dawson (d. 1936). Dainton made her stage debut on 24 March 1894 at
York Theatre Royal in
Little Red Riding Hood. In this show, she gave imitations of well-known theatrical personalities, and this gift for mimicry became her trademark. Dainton became a versatile performer in various theatrical genres, including
musical comedy,
pantomime and
revue. Dainton made her first London appearance at the Metropolitan music hall in
Edgware Road on 6 August 1894. On 24 December 1894 she opened as 'Mr Falsehood' in
The House that Jack Built at the
Opera Comique, and the following year toured as Flo in
Buttercup and Daisy. The next few years were spent appearing mainly in the music halls until June 1899 when she scored a big success at the
Avenue Theatre giving impressions of popular stage stars in a production titled
Pot Pourri. In 1898 Dainton appeared in the
pantomime Puss in Boots with
Eugene Stratton at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Birmingham. She also appeared in the legitimate theatre. Dainton was in demand both in London and on tour in the British provinces and abroad. During 1900 and 1901 she appeared at the
Casino Theatre in New York, and at the
Apollo Theatre in London, as Paquita in
The Belle of Bohemia. In New York, she temporarily was restrained from appearing in the show until a breach of contract case was resolved in the courts. She also toured Austria as Fifi in
The Belle of New York. At the
Strand Theatre in London in 1902, she appeared in the successful musical play
A Chinese Honeymoon. In 1902, she made several gramophone recordings for the
Gramophone & Typewriter Co Ltd and
Pathé of songs from this show, namely "The à la Girl", "Sweet Little Sing-Sing", and "Mandie of Ohio". ==Later years==