Mary Anne Yates

Mary Anne Yates (1728 - 1787) was a was an English tragic actress, a bisexual and the president of a club of lesbians in London, known at that time as an Anandrinic society. The daughter of William Graham, a ship's steward and an actress, she married Richard Yates (c. 1706-1796), a well-known comedian of the time.

In 1753, aged 25, she appeared at Drury Lane as Marcia in Samuel Crisp's Virginia. David Garrick played the part of Virginius. Yates was gradually entrusted with all the leading parts and succeeded the then famous actress Mrs. Gibber as the leading tragedienne of the English stage.

Yates was in turn succeeded and eclipsed by the famous Sarah Siddons.