Arthur Garner (born 8 February 1851) was a theatrical entrepreneur, active in Australia. He was part of the partnership often dubbed "the Triumvirate" at the time, Williamson, Garner, & Musgrove, between 1881 and 1890.

Background

Garner was born in

Bath, Somerset Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...

, England, where his father, Dr. Jonathan Garner (M.D. of Edinburgh) practised his profession, his mother being a Miss Cobden. Arthur Garner was articled to

Charles J. Phipps Charles John Phipps (25 March 1835 – 25 May 1897) was an English architect best known for his more than 50 theatres built in the latter half of the 19th century, including several important London theatres. He is also noted for his design of ...

, the architect, whose connection was largely theatrical, he having erected no less than forty English theatres; from which circumstance may perhaps be traced the young pupil's gravitation to the stage, where he became a ''protégé'' of George Gordon, the scenic artist. From the paint-room Garner soon found his way to the footlights, and for some time appeared in various provincial companies.

Early years

In 1873 Garner arrived in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, returning to London in 1876. In 1879 Garner began his career as an Australian entrepreneur by taking out "The London Comedy Company" (1879), of which Fred Marshall was the bright particular comic star and Mr. George Gordon the hardly less indispensable scenic artist. Garner opened Garner's Theatre (previously

White's Rooms White's Rooms, later known as Adelaide Assembly Room, was a privately-owned function centre which opened in 1856 on King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia. It became Garner's Theatre in 1880, then passed through several hands, being kno ...

) in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

in 1880. In 1881 Garner joined J. C. Williamson, the eminent Australian–American actor, and

George Musgrove George Musgrove (21 January 1854 – 21 January 1916) was an English-born Australian theatre producer. Early life Musgrove was born at Surbiton, England, the son of Thomas John Watson Musgrove, an accountant, and his wife, Fanny Hodson, an act ...

in establishing the leading firm of Australasian managers, generally known as the "Trio" or "Triumvirate", which has controlled a greater number of theatres and entered into engagements, dramatic and operatic, on a larger scale than has ever been attempted in the southern hemisphere. The company Williamson, Garner, & Musgrove was officially established in 1882, although the three men had worked together since November 1881 to jointly lease the

Theatre Royal, Melbourne The Theatre Royal was one of the premier theatres for nearly 80 years in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 1855 to 1932. It was located at what is now 236 Bourke Street, once the heart of the city's theatre and entertainment distri ...

and

Theatre Royal, Sydney Theatre Royal Sydney is a theatre in Sydney, Australia built in 1976 and has offered a broad range of entertainment since the 1990s. The theatre reopened in December 2021 under parent company Trafalgar Entertainment with patrons now able to book ...

. The company then leased the Princess Theatre in

, and Theatre Royal in

(1886). Williamson was the senior partner, and managed the actors and companies, while Musgrove was responsible for production, and Garner the financial side. Their operations practically commenced at the

, on 1 July 1882, with the production of

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

's operetta ''Patience''. Many eminent London ''artistes'' were introduced to the colonies under their regime; but the most substantial undertaking of Williamson, Garner & Musgrove was the building of the new Princess Theatre Melbourne, regarded as one of the finest theatres in the world. The firm was dissolved in 1890 after Williamson and Musgrove fell out, although the two of them formed Williamson and Musgrove two years later, which existed until 1899.

Married life

Garner was twice married: first, to the English actress Blanche Stammers, who died in Melbourne in 1883; and, secondly, to Letitia Hill Martin, sister of Patchett Martin, herself an accomplished ''littérateur'', and formerly a contributor to the Australian press. They retired to England, living at 36 Kempshott-road,

Streatham Common Streatham Common is a large open space on the southern edge of Streatham in the London Borough of Lambeth. The shallow sloping lower (western) half of the common is mostly mowed grass, and the upper (eastern) half is mostly woodland with some s ...

, Surrey. He died sometime before 1911.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, Arthur People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan 1851 births Year of death unknown Opera managers People from Bath, Somerset British theatre managers and producers