Binkie Beaumont

Hugh "Binkie" Beaumont (1908-1973) was a British theatre manager. He was one of the most successful manager-producers in the West End during the middle of the 20th century; indeed, the director Tyrone Guthrie commented that, in his prime, Beaumont had the power to make or break just about any theatrical career in London.

Life and career

Beaumont's true surname and place of birth are both somewhat uncertain, although it is generally thought that he was born in south Wales. (Charlotte Mosley, editor of "Love from Nancy: The Letters of Nancy Mitford" names him therein as "Hughes Griffiths Beaumont".) He was universally known by his nickname "Binkie".

His long career started off in Cardiff, where he was assistant manager of a theatre. He gained further experience at the Barnes Theatre in London, which was run by the producer Philip Ridgeway.

Beaumont then teamed up with H. M. Tennent, a former colleague, and the pair went into stage production and management on their own. They shared a common dissatisfaction with the quality of the offerings around them, and decided that they could do better. Their first production at the Queen's Theatre in 1936 was a failure. However, this was to be no more than a temporary setback. Tennent died in 1941, leaving Beaumont as managing director and the sole man in charge.

In this capacity, Binkie Beaumont oversaw a remarkable string of successes. His operation dominated West End theatre for nearly two decades; by 1960, it was by far the largest and most important production company in London. Beaumont's success derived not just from his ability to manage a business properly; he also had an unerring eye for artistic quality, and was forceful in ensuring that high standards were met. "The Times" reported on his death that he had once forced the eminent American playwright Thornton Wilder to rewrite.

His company was particularly adept at turning out polished comedies with big-name casts. Although he preferred to wield his power and influence from behind the scenes, he was friends with some of the biggest names of the stage, John Gielgud, Noel Coward and Terence Rattigan among them.

Nevertheless, Beaumont represented a certain kind of conservatism in theatre. He was, in the words of a modern critic, "camp baron of the profitable comedy and well-made play." As such, he is said to have been less than receptive to the arrival of the Angry Young Men and their kitchen sink dramas in the 1950s. On May 8, 1956, John Osborne's play "Look Back in Anger" premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Today, it is regarded as a seminal event in post-war British theatre; Beaumont, however, walked out during the interval.

He had a close association with the National Theatre, being one of the founder members of the board in 1963. He continued to run his own production company until his death at the age of 64.

External links

* [http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/ University of Bristol Theatre Collection] , University of Bristol