IN FONDEST MEMORYGEORGE BENN (d.1991) |
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GEORGE BENN George Benn, who died on May 20th after a long illness, was one of that sadly dwindling band of members who joined the Theatre before the war. His membership dated back to 1937 and from then on, excluding his war service, he was an active and leading member of the Theatre for thirty-five
years.Throughout that period he was one of our leading designers and stage managers. Together with Alfred Emmet, Ernest Ives and Graham Heywood he formed the New Theatre Committee which prepared the architect's brief for the new playhouse, the plans for which were published in 1955. He served on the Committee of Management for no less than 19 years, and as our Chairman from 1954 to 1957 and from 1962 to 1972. As Secretary to the committee throughout that latter period of office I know, perhaps better than most, the extent and value of his service to our theatre. He guided us through the heady years of the launch of the New Theatre Fund and of the building, opening and paying for the new Playhouse, all the time playing his full part in every aspect of the work involved from fund raising to brick laying. Nearly twenty years ago, on his retirement from the Chairmanship, I wrote that diplomacy was never George's strongest suit. No-one, least of all George, would dispute that! I once defined my secretarial duties as "trying to persuade the Committee of Management to take the right decisions at the right time, trying to persuade Alfred Emmet to stop talking before half past ten, and trying to persuade George Benn to stick to the agenda". For nine years at meetings of the Committee and of the Theatre I sat at George's side kicking his ankles — not entirely metaphorically! His great strength was that he was always prepared to take the unpopular line if he believed it was right to do so in the interests of the Theatre. In the difficult, and sometimes turbulent, fifties and sixties he was a tremendous source of strength to Alfred Emmet. He trusted Alfred's artistic judgement implicitly and in the last resort Alfred could always rely on his wholehearted support. One of my earliest and happiest duties, when I succeeded George as Chairman in 1972, was to announce his election as an Honorary Life Member — only the seventh person up till then to receive that honour in the history of the Theatre. Thereafter, until his last illness, he was the ideal elder statesman, always prepared to advise when requested but never doing so until requested. As a (then) young and inexperienced Chairman I too found his support a great source of strength. To the older generation of members George stories are legion. Everyone will have their favourites. I have two: firstly that throughout his army years he carried with him a key to the "old tin hut"; secondly that he met Diana when she fell through a piece of scenery which he had built. At this sad time our thoughts will be with Diana and her sons, Christopher and Richard. They can be sure that George will always remain a vital part of the fabric of our Theatre. He will be missed but not forgotten. MARTIN BOWLEY [Questopics 341, July 1991] |
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George Benn at The Questors |
1962 The Children of Saturn 1962 Going-Going 1962 Gone 1962 The Joker 1962 Next Time I'll Sing to You 1964 One Leg Over the Wrong Wall 1965 Great Catherine 1965 Major Barbara 1965 Sganerelle 1965 Thor, with Angels 1966 Macbeth 1966 My Poll and My Partner Joe 1966 Ring Round the Moon 1966 What Really Happened to Fidelity Hope? 1968 In Search of Man 1968 The Laughing Willow 1968 No Camels in Israel 1968 The Shaughraun 1969 Man and Superman 1969 Tango 1970 Collier's Friday Night, A 1970 Restoration of Arnold Middleton, The 1972 Candlelight and Babylon 1973 Touch-and-Go 1974 After Magritte 1974 Chamber Music 1976 The Colleen Bawn 1978 Ashes 1978 The Rimers of Eldritch 1979 Crime and Punishment 1980 A View from the Bridge 1981 The Magistrate 1981 The Winter's Tale 1983 Black Comedy 1983 Coda 1983 Electra |
