 By 1939, she was also filling in as Ruth in "The Pirates of Penzance" and the Queen of the Fairies in "Iolanthe".On Christmas Day in 1939, Halman became the D'Oyly Carte principal contralto.For the next eleven years, she played Ruth in "Pirates", Lady Jane in "Patience", Queen of the Fairies in "Iolanthe", Katisha in "The Mikado", Dame Carruthers in "The Yeomen of the Guard", the Duchess of Plaza Toro in "The Gondoliers", Dame Hannah in "Ruddigore", and Little Buttercup in "H.M.S.