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 John Wren (3 April 1871 – 26 October 1953) was an Australian bookmaker, boxing and wrestling promoter, Irish nationalist, land speculator, newspaper owner, racecourse and racehorse owner, soldier, pro-conscriptionist and theatre owner. He ...

, 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 Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and t ...

. His first production in Australia was ''

Miss Hook of Holland ''Miss Hook of Holland'' is an England, English musical theatre, musical comedy (styled a "Dutch Musical Incident") in two acts, with music and lyrics by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens with a book by Austen Hurgon and Rubens. The show was p ...

'', followed by a number of musicals, including '' The Arcadians'', ''

The Chocolate Soldier ''The Chocolate Soldier'' (German: ''Der tapfere Soldat'' he courageous soldieror ''Der Praliné-Soldat'') is an operetta composed in 1908 by Oscar Straus based on George Bernard Shaw's 1894 play, '' Arms and the Man''. The German language li ...

'', ''

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

'' and ''

The Belle of Mayfair ''The Belle of Mayfair'' is a musical comedy composed by Leslie Stuart with a book by Basil Hood, Charles Brookfield and Cosmo Hamilton and lyrics by George Arthurs, Hood and William Caine. The story is inspired by the Shakespeare play ''Ro ...

''. :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 Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the f ...

, 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, 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), Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip Local government areas of Victoria, ...

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