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]
