Evelyn Laye, CBE (10 July 1900 – 17 February 1996) was an English theatre and musical film actress, who was active on the London light opera stage.Born as Elsie Evelyn Lay in Bloomsbury, London, and known professionally as Evelyn Laye, and informally as Boo. Her parents were both actors and her father a theatre manager. She made her first stage appearance in August 1915 at the Theatre Royal, Brighton as Nang-Ping in Mr.