Charles Alfred Wenman (c. 1876 – 2 October 1954) was an English theatre producer and manager who had a career in Australia as general manager, associate director and producer for

J. C. Williamson's J. C. Williamson's, formerly Williamson, Garner, & Musgrove and Williamson and Musgrove, was an Australian theatrical management company and theatre owner. With its beginnings in the theatrical productions of J. C. Williamson and his p ...

History

Wenman was born in England, the second son of T. N. Wenman of London. His first professional connection with the stage was as a comedian. He was working as producer for the English theatrical firm of Denton, Bode and McKenzie in 1910, when he was appointed by a company whose principals were Sir Rupert Clarke, John Wren, Clive Meynell and John Gunn, later known as

Clarke and Meynell Clarke and Meynell was a theatrical production company in Australia. History Clyde Harold van Straubenzee, (1869–1934), son of Lt-Colonel Frederick van Straubenzee, trained as a doctor, but abandoned medicine for the stage, as Clyde Meynell acto ...

, to produce plays for them at the Theatre Royal, in Bourke Street, Melbourne. His first production in Australia was '' Miss Hook of Holland'', followed by a number of musicals, including '' The Arcadians'', '' The Chocolate Soldier'', ''

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'' and '' The Belle of Mayfair. :Clarke and Meynell merged with J. C. Williamson's in 1911. Clarke became a director and Meynell was made managing director. Wenman was made an associate director, and when Meynell returned to England in 1924, took his place as managing director. The hugely popular pantomime ''The Forty Thieves'' followed in 1914. He scored a similar success with ''Mother Goose'' in 1916 He had a long association with Nellie Melba, and was one of the five closest friends to whom she gave a platinum and diamond pin as a memento. He retired as general manager in 1935, but continued to operate in an advisory capacity until around 1950. He died at a private hospital in

Caloundra, Queensland Caloundra ( ) is a coastal town and the southernmost town in the Sunshine Coast Region in South East Queensland, Australia. Geography Caloundra is north of the Brisbane central business district. Caloundra is accessible from Landsborough r ...

, and was buried locally.

Family

Wenman married the dancer Ida Florence "Flossie" Dickinson (c. 1890 – 21 November 1953) on 3 January 1914. They had two daughters: *Patricia "Pat" Wenman (22 October 1914 – ) married Dudley Barr, was later Mrs Stewart *(Margaret) Sunday Wenman (28 September 1919 – ) married Keith Johns on 3 January 1941 They had a home at 172 Ormond Road

Elwood, Victoria Elwood is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. Elwood recorded a population of 15,153 at the 2021 census ...

Henry Wenman Henry Wenman (1875-1953) was a British actor. He was a brother of theatrical producer Charles Wenman, who had a substantial career in Australia. Filmography References External links * 1875 births 1953 deaths British male film actor ...

(1875–1953), the English actor, was a brother.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wenman, Charles 1870s births 1954 deaths Australian theatre managers and producers Businesspeople from Melbourne Businesspeople from London