rees worked as an actress in new zealand before moving to england in about 1900 or 1901. in 1901 she joined fanny brough's theatre company becoming brough's understudy after one month. her first one act play "'the new gun'" was performed as a curtain raiser to "'uncles and aunts'," by william lestocq and walter everard, in 1902. she also toured with the companies of mr and mrs lewis waller, fred ash, walter melville and mr van biene among others. she wrote articles and short stories for the magazines "madame, the king and m.a.p." several of her one act plays were produced in this period: in 1907 "'a judicial separation'" in manchester and "'her dearest friend'" in london; "'a desperate marriage'" in brighton in 1908; "'the happiest woman in the world'" in bournemouth in 1909.