Editing Dodie Smith (section)

===Move to London===
[[File:Dorset Square, London 03.JPG|thumb|18 Dorset Square, London]]
[[File:Dorset Square, London 04.JPG|thumb|Blue plaque, 18 Dorset Square]]

In 1910 Ella remarried and moved to London with her new husband and the 14-year-old Dodie, who attended school both in [[Manchester]] and at [[St Paul's Girls' School]], London. In 1914 Dodie entered the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] (RADA). Her first role came in [[Arthur Wing Pinero]]'s play ''Playgoers''. Other roles after RADA included a Chinese girl in ''Mr. Wu'', a parlour maid in ''Ye Gods'', and a young mother in ''Niobe'', which was directed by [[Basil Dean]], who would later buy her play [[Autumn Crocus (play)|''Autumn Crocus'']].

She was also in the [[Portsmouth]] Repertory Theatre, travelled with a [[YMCA]] company to entertain troops in France during World War&nbsp;I, toured with the French comedy ''French Leave'', and appeared as Anne in [[John Galsworthy|Galsworthy]]'s play ''The Pigeon'' at the [[Everyman Cinema, Hampstead|Everyman Theatre]] and at a festival in [[Zürich]], Switzerland.<ref name="Hadsel 1982"/> While Ella was dying of [[breast cancer]], she and Dodie became devotees of [[Christian Science]].<ref>{{harvnb|Smith|1974}}</ref>