 After nearly a decade away from the operatic stage, McIntosh returned, at Gilbert's request, to appear as Selene, the Fairy Queen, in Gilbert and Edward German's flop, "Fallen Fairies" at the Savoy Theatre in 1909.The theatre's management attributed much of the blame for the failure of "Fallen Fairies" to McIntosh.Critics said that she was "too much a tragedy queen"; the sensuality required by the role was "not her sphere".